FASEB Issues Statement on Proposal to Raise Discretionary Spending Caps

Posted: July 24, 2019

FASEB applauds congressional leadership and the White House for their proposal to raise the discretionary spending caps for fiscal year (FY) 2020 and 2021. The deal announced July 22 would provide much needed additional funding for life sciences research. FASEB urges Congress and the administration to quickly adopt this agreement and complete the FY 2020 appropriations process.

“We are thrilled at the prospect of a deal to raise the Budget Control Act spending caps,” said FASEB President Hannah Carey, PhD. “We thank leaders in both parties for their efforts to reach an agreement that will provide more funding for scientific research and education programs. We look forward to working with the administration and Congress to swiftly adopt this proposal and finish the budget for fiscal year 2020.”

A healthy scientific enterprise requires robust, predictable, and sustained budget increases for science funding agencies. Enactment of a bipartisan, bicameral agreement to increase the discretionary spending caps will provide critical resources for the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, and other agencies that support research that leads to groundbreaking discoveries, continued improvements in human health, new treatments for life-threatening diseases, and economic growth.