Astronomy & Astrophysics in the Federal Budget

The President released his budget for the fiscal year 2012 (FY12) on February 14 (http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget). The President has set a five-year freeze on all discretionary non-defense spending in response to challenging economic times and to reduce the national deficit. The President has confirmed his commitment in the State of the Union address to, “out innovate, out educate, and out build” the rest of the world by supporting scientific research in the FY12 budget. From the Analytical Perspectives on the Budget,

“The President’s 2012 Budget maintains his commitment to double Federal investment in key basic research agencies: the National Science Foundation (NSF); the Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science; and the laboratories of the Department of Commerce (DOC) National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).”

The 2012 budget cycle starts before the budget for 2011 has been finalized. The FY11 budget has yet to be signed into law. The government has been operating on a series on continuing resolutions (CR) that fund government agencies at FY10 levels. The current CR will expire on March 4. House Republicans, who have the majority, have passed H.R.1 a CR funding government operations for the rest of FY11, while making the largest single discretionary ...