DR MARBURGER: ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE REMAINS
A TOP PRIORITY OF THE PRESIDENT 

WASHINGTON D.C. - February 14, 2008 – Today in a hearing, Dr. John Marburger, Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), testified before the Science and Technology Committee on the fiscal year 2009 (FY09) Federal Research and Development (R&D) Budget, and also reflected on the progress that has been made since President Bush first took office almost eight years ago.

“With the 2009 Budget, real growth in outlays for the conduct of non-defense R&D, with the effect of inflation factored out, is up 31 percent in eight years,” Marburger said.  “Real non-defense R&D growth for the previous eight years was 11 percent.  The President’s commitment to the government’s R&D enterprise is strong, and the advancement of science remains among his top budget priorities.

Marburger continued, “Increased funding for critical basic research in the physical sciences is my highest budget priority.  This Committee has led by fully authorizing these basic research increases in the bipartisan America COMPETES Act. We now must succeed in implementing ACI/COMPETES with actual funding.”

Overall, Ranking Member Ralph Hall (R-TX) expressed support for the President’s R&D budget request, particularly applauding his commitment to the agencies included in the American Competitiveness Initiative (ACI) and COMPETES Act.  He also echoed Dr. Marburger’s disappointment that Congressional appropriators didn’t make funding COMPETES a priority.

“I am sure that we can all agree that striking that delicate balance between adequately funding our nation’s priorities while at the same time exhibiting fiscal restraint to reduce the deficit continues to be a challenge,” Hall said.  “Likewise, I know we also are all in agreement that if we are to remain the world leader in competitiveness and innovation, we must make the appropriate investments in research, development, technology, and math and science education. 

Hall continued, “Building on the President’s American Competitiveness Initiative and Republican led efforts in the last Congress, we stepped up to the plate and enacted the America COMPETES Act last year, authorizing increased levels of funding for these agencies.  So, I am sure you shared my surprise and disappointment when I realized that our friends over on the Appropriations Committee did not see fit to adequately fund these agencies for this fiscal year.  The funding they provided was not only 12 percent below the level that we authorized in COMPETES, it was 6 percent below the President’s FY2008 Budget Request levels.  This is simply unacceptable.”

Subcommittees will hold additional hearings regarding specific agency budgets, including for the National Science Foundation (NSF), National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and Department of Energy (DOE).

CLICK HERE to view an overview of the President’s R&D budget proposal.

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