Its important that our voice be heard so that the academy can remain the
important institution that it is.
JDW
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Peter J. Delfyett - NSBP President <president(a)nsbp.org>
Date: Mon, Jun 2, 2008 at 3:07 PM
Subject: Be a Part of the Process: House to take Key Action on Science
Funding This Week
To: whitfield(a)chemistry.harvard.edu
Dear James,
This week Congress returns from its Memorial Day recess to consider
FY08 supplemental appropriations bills. Most of the money in the
supplemental bills is for continued funding of the war efforts in Iraq and
Afghanistan. But the Senate version at least also contains provisions for
$1.2B appropriations to the various federal science agencies. If enacted
into law, this bill would correct the disappointing FY08 appropriations for
science <http://www.aip.org/fyi/2008/001.html> that became law back in
December 2007.
You can be a part of the process by writing to your Senators and
Represenative in Congress and encourage them to pass the $1.2B supplemental
appropriations for science.
Write to your Members of Congress
now<http://www.congressweb.com/cweb4/index.cfm?orgcode=nsbp&hotissue…
The President has been threatening a veto of the bill if it contains any
domestic spending. The thinking has been to agree on the war funding now,
then deal with domestic spending later.
That does not seem to be politically possible because despite the
President's veto threat, on May 15th the full Senate approved -by a
veto-proof majority- an FY08 supplemental appropriation bill that includes
domestic spending provisions, including $1.2B for the various science
agencies. The letters that many NSBP members and supporters sent to
Senators, as well as the calls made to their offices, undoubtedly played a
role in moving the Senate to take this action.
How did your Senators
vote?<http://www.congress.org/congressorg/issues/votes/?votenum=137&…
The House had considered and eventually voted down a version of the bill did
not include such provisions for science. The House was more deferential to
the President, and there is a group of key House
Democrats<http://www.bluedogdems.com/index.html>that are concerned
about the overall cost of the bill.
The House will evenutally approve some version of the supplemental
appropriations bill. But before the appropriations becomes law, and the
funding becomes available to support science, including student and postdoc
stipends, there are two major steps that must be taken. First, the House
and the Senate versions must be same before it can go to the President for
signature. The two versions will be reconciled via a conference committee,
and there must be a final revote in both chambers approving this committee's
final version of the bill. Second, the President must actually sign the
bill.
Letting your views be known with your Senators, your Representative and the
White House will definitely encourage them to take the necessary actions to
correct the FY08 budget for science. NSBP encourages you to call and write
your Senators and Representative
today<http://www.congressweb.com/cweb4/index.cfm?orgcode=nsbp&hotiss…ssue=3>.
Very best regards,
Peter J. Delfyett, Ph.D.
President, NSBP
You are on the "Newsletter" list for National Society of Black
Physicists<http://www.nsbp.org/>
. (policy <http://www.schipul.com/policy/>)
If you no longer want to receive this letter, follow this
link<http://www.nsbp.org/en/emails/utilities/unsubscribe.asp?u=DAE5D748-…
.
If you no longer want to receive any emails from National Society of Black
Physicists, follow this
link<http://www.nsbp.org/en/emails/utilities/unsubscribe.asp?u=DAE5D748-…
.
RSS syndication available <http://www.nsbp.org/en/rss/index/> for the
National Society of Black Physicists site.
National Society of Black Physicists - 1100 N. Glebe Road Suite 1010
Arlington, VA 22201
--
James D Whitfield
Aspuru-Guzik Group
Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology
Harvard University
tel: 301-520-7847