The document, prepared by Jennifer Zeitzer for the October 2017 COGR Meeting, provides an in-depth overview of the political and legislative climate in Washington, D.C., with an emphasis on federal funding prospects for FY 2018. It highlights ongoing tensions between Congress and the Trump Administration on key policy issues such as healthcare, tax reform, foreign policy, immigration, and infrastructure, as well as a general sense of frustration over legislative gridlock and reliance on executive orders. With a shift of focus toward the 2018 mid-term elections, the federal appropriations process faces renewed fiscal austerity, including spending caps that are lower than the previous year and the possible reinstatement of sequestration, necessitating bipartisan agreement to raise those caps.
The fiscal year 2018 budget request from the Trump Administration aims to balance the federal budget over ten years, largely by increasing defense spending at the expense of non-defense programs. Proposed changes include eliminating the Fogarty International Center at NIH, instituting a 10% cap on facilities and administrative costs, and restructuring other health research entities. Appropriations bills in the House and Senate show variances, but both generally provide increases for NIH and the Department of Energy Office of Science, while NSF and other research agencies see flat or reduced funding. Key unresolved issues include the debt ceiling, final FY 2018 appropriations, and significant legislative items such as tax reform and disaster funding. The document notes previous adjustments to the Budget Control Act caps and outlines a potential path forward that involves raising these caps and negotiating a final omnibus appropriations bill. The summary underlines the continuing legislative uncertainty surrounding federal research funding and broader government spending priorities.
