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PROGRESS REPORT 5/22/97 -Forwarded

for your information
Date:  05/22/1997  09:54 pm  (Thursday)  
Subject:  PROGRESS REPORT 5/22/97

PROGRESS REPORT
May 22, 1997
Working to Increase Science Funding

1)NIE Testimony to Congress
2)Funding for the National Science Foundation
3)CONGRESS HOME FOR MEMORIAL DAY RECESS - A GOOD TIME TO TALK

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NIE Testimony to Congress

CNIE Executive Director Peter Saundry testified on May 1 in front of the
House appropriations subcommittee on VA, HUD and Independent Agencies.
This subcommittee determines spending for NSF, EPA, NASA and more than a
dozen smaller agencies.  

Saundry made the case for the National Institute for the Environment as
credible source of scientific information on the environment separate from
regulatory functions.  He pointed out that the subcommittee controlled
almost 50% of federal spending on environmental research. CNIE called on
the subcommittee to ADD $20-50 million to the fiscal year 1998 budget of
one or more of the agencies in its jurisdiction to create an NIE.  He
emphasized that this money should not come out of existing science budgets.
  Rep. Carrie Meek (D-FL), hearing about the NIE for the first time,
expressed her support for the NIE.

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Funding for the National Science Foundation

The presidents of more than 20 scientific societies representing more than
one million scientists, engineers, and mathematicians recently issued a
joint statement calling for an across-the-board increase of 7% in research
spending.  CNIE supports this statement and encourages our supporters to
publicize the statement and the need for additional research funding.

Sen. Phil Gramm (R-TX) and Rep. George Brown (D-CA) have each prepared
separate and very different bills directing increased investment in basic
research.  On April 24, the House of Representative authorized a 7.2%
budget increase for NSF.  However, the President's budget only proposes a
3% increase.  It will be up to the appropriations committee to determine
the level of spending.

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CONGRESS WILL BE HOME FOR MEMORIAL DAY RECESS - A GOOD TIME TO TALK

This is an excellent time to contact Senators and Representatives and talk
to them about the NIE, NSF and the need to support independent
environmental science.  Washington DC offices can be reached through the
Capitol switchboard 202-224-3121 (Senate) 202-225-3121 (House) or by
writing Congressman _____ U.S. House of Representatives, Washington DC
20515 or Senator ________  U.S. Senate, Washington, DC 20510.  

Rep.  Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-NJ) who sits on the subcommittee that funds
NSF told a local chapter of the American Chemical Society that he received
9,000 postcards regarding social security payments, but that he "could
count on one hand the number of postcards received supporting NSF."

HOUSE VA-HUD-INDEPENDENT AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS SUBCOMMITTEE
Republicans
Jerry Lewis (CA), Chair
Tom Delay (TX)
James Walsh (NY)
David Hobson (OH)
Joe Knollenberg (MI)
Rodney Frelinghuysen (NJ)
Mark Neumann (WI)
Roger Wicker (MS)

Democrats
Lewis Stokes (OH)
Marcy Kaptur (OH)
Alan Mollohan (WV)
Carrie Meek (FL)
David Price (NC)



SENATE VA-HUD-INDEPENDENT AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS SUBCOMMITTEE
Republicans
Christopher (Kit) Bond (MO)
Conrad Burns (MT)
Ted Stevens (AK)
Richard Shelby (AL)
Ben Nighthorse Campbell (CO)
Larry Craig (ID)

Democrats
Barbara Mikulski (MD)
Patrick Leahy (VT)
Frank Lautenberg (NJ)
Tom Harkin (IA)
Barbara Boxer (CA)



**********************************************
Juge Gregg
Director, Academic Relations
Committee for the National Institute for the Environment
1725 K Street, NW  Suite 212     PHONE 202-530-5810
Washington, DC 20006                FAX 202-628-4311
juge@cnie.org              http://www.cnie.org
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