Budget and Policy Update

October 27, 2011

Budget Update

Budget Control Act of 2011

• Increased Statutory Debt Limit by $2.1 trillion

• Reduces the deficit by at least $2.1 trillion over FY12-21– Including statutory caps on discretionary spending

(projected to reduce the deficit by $917 billion)– Further budget savings of at least $1.2 trillion identified

by the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction

• CBO baseline assumes the end of the Bush tax cuts, no inflation adjustment to the AMT & no “Docs fix” for Medicare cuts. If these assumptions equate to about $4.6 trillion over FY12-21.

Automatic Spending Reduction Process

• Triggered if legislation reducing the deficit by at least $1.2 trillion is not enacted by 1/15/12

• 18% will be devoted to debt service savings & 82% is the automatic deficit reduction total ($984 billion)– Equates to $109.3 billion annual cut shared evenly

between defense and non-defense ($54.7 billion)• Exemptions include

– Medicare cuts limited to 2% annually– Military Personnel, Medicaid, SS, Veterans, Fed

Retirement, Nutrition Assistance, etc…• In FY13 spending cuts will be done automatically through

an across-the-board sequester.• Starting in FY14 reductions will be carried out through

sequesters for mandatory spending and reductions in discretionary spending caps

Projected % of budgetary resources in

FY14

Percentage of Automatic

Spending Reductions for a $1.2

trillion reduction in

FY14

Physical Sciences & Engineering“flat is the new doubling”

NSF$

(in millions)FY10Final

FY11Final

FY12Request

FY12House

FY12Senate

NSF Total 6,972 6,905 7,767 6,905 6,698

Research 5,615 5,564 6,254 5,607 5,443

GEO 892 979

OCE 350 385

Fleet 78 69

IODP 51 45

RRV 2

OOI 16 36

MREFC 117 117 225 100 117

OOI 20 103 83

Education 873 861 911 835 829

NOAA$ (in millions) FY10 FY11 FY12R FY12

HouseFY12

Senate

Total 4,748 4,597 5,498 4,485 5,022

OAR 449 427 212 289289 363

Ocean & Coastal Research 131 115 126 82 125

Sea Grant 63 61 63 42 65

Climate Service 346

Competitive Climate Resea 153 151 64 106 110

Ocean Observations 50

NOS 522 476 560 363363 479

IOOS Grants 27 22 31 26 31

NMFS 905 845 910 685685 811

NWS 892 880 897 908 894

NESDIS 1,399 1,444 2,015 1,764 1,824

Education 54 25 21 27 32

NASA

Program FY10Final

FY11 Final

FY12Request

FY12 House

FY12 Senate

Total NASA 18,724 18,448 18,724 16,810 17,939

Science 4,498 4,935 5,017 4,5044,504 5,100

Earth Science 1,439 1,797 1,699 1,766

Earth System Missions

705 900 887

NPOESS 82 16 16

DoD

Program FY10Final

FY11 Final

FY12Req

FY12House

FY12Senate

Total Navy RDT&E 19,973 17,770 18,010 17,799 17,407

6.1 Basic Research 544 577 597 587

University Research

99 113 133 113

6.2 Applied Research

719 784 784 824

Ocean War Enviro 53 50 50 50

Undersea Warfare 64 109 109 109

6.3 Advanced Research

832 648 673 649

Ocean Research Priorities Plan

• OSTP – Currently working through the comments submitted during NSTC review

• Expected to be released “soon”

• Will this be a true priority list or just a laundry list?

• If or how will this impact the budget process?

Leadership Awards / Events

• To recognize key/influential/successful ocean science decision makers and to cultivate new champions

• Make awards at member institutions – press worthy event

• Could be coordinated with an institutional fundraising event or science/policy lecture

• Nominations led by policy committee, selected by ExCom

• Perhaps 1-3 awards annually

Policy Update

Senate Oceans CaucusDear Colleague Letter was released on May 20, 2011

• Six original signers: Senators Whitehouse, Snowe, Kerry, Murkowski, Graham, and Begich

Currently there are 18 Caucus members:• 3 Republicans• 15 Democrats

Caucus Leadership:• Co-chairs: Senators Whitehouse and Murkowski• Honorary Co-chairs: Senators Begich and Snowe

Senate Oceans CaucusPress Conference after the Inaugural Caucus Meeting on September 13th

• Ocean Leadership and other co-sponsors were the only external groups invited to stand with 14 Senators at the press conference in the Capitol Building

• Each organization was recognized as an important group, which will help drive the agenda and success of the caucus

Senate Oceans Caucus Reception• Organizer with seven other cosponsors• Over 200 reception attendees• High-level federal representation (Nancy Sutley, John

Holdren, Jane Lubchenco)• Six Members of Congress (Senators Whitehouse,

Murkowski, Kerry, Vitter, and Representatives Farr and Langevin)

Senate Oceans CaucusFuture of the Caucus and our involvement?

• We continue to work closely with Senate staff to provide input on policy initiatives and to suggest events that would be valuable for the Caucus sponsorship

• Issues

The Caucus is trying to find ways to work across the aisle on ocean issues

Many Senators have differences of opinions of the use of ocean resources

Other Ocean Leadership Activities• Ocean and Coastal Welcome Reception (House-side)

– Five other co-sponsoring organizations– Over 150 attendees– High-level fed representation (OSTP, NSF, and NOAA)– Members speaking - Whitehouse, Farr & Capps

• Senate Democratic Steering and Outreach Committee– Bob was asked to represent the scientific community – Off the record conversation with 6 Senators– External speakers rep. the broad ocean communities

• Restoration Briefings– Partnered with COMPASS to hold 2 Hill briefings on

the role of science in informing the restoration planning process

Ocean Leadership’s Public Policy Forums

2011: Lessons Learned and Opportunities from the BP Oil Spill

– Senator Whitehouse– Rep Castor (D-FL) (pictured)– Rep Woolsey (D-CA)– Nancy Sutley– Jane Lubchenco– Marcia McNutt– Summary report available online

2012: March 7, 2012• Potential Topic – Restoration of the Gulf Coast:

national lessons applied to a regional effort

Gulf of Mexico Oil Disaster

Gulf Ecosystem Restoration Initiativewww.RestoreTheGulf.gov

• Task Force released its Preliminary Strategy released for public comment from October 5 – 26

• Ocean Leadership held 2 briefings on the role of science in the restoration planning process

• Ocean Leadership submitted comment letter calling for:– Strong science to support the restoration planning– Connectivity among the state restoration plans– Emphasis on the importance of monitoring and the

need to enhance the monitoring capabilities of the Gulf– Recognition of upstream management as a vital

component to address water quality issues in the Gulf

RESTORE Act Update• Bi-partisan bill that would obligate 80% of the Clean

Water Act penalties to the Gulf Coast.

• Cosponsors: Senators Landrieu, Shelby, Cochran, Hutchinson, Nelson, Rubio, Sessions, Vitter, and Wicker

• Divides 95% of the money into 3 pots:First Pot - 35% straight to the states Others - 60% dispersed by the federal restoration council

• 50/50 Split for federal & state restoration projects

• The remaining 5% would establish a Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Science, Monitoring, and Technology Program in NOAA

• 2.5% Fisheries Endowment• 2.5% to establish five Centers of Excellence

S.1400 - RESTORE Act Update (cont’d)

• The science program in NOAA would establish one center in each Gulf Coast State to address 1 of the following disciplines:1. Coastal and deltaic sustainability, restoration and

protection2. Coastal Fisheries and wildlife ecosystem research

and monitoring3. Offshore energy development, including R&D4. Sustainable and resilient growth, economic and

commercial development in the Gulf Coast5. Comprehensive observation, monitoring, and

mapping of the Gulf of Mexico

• It was amended and passed out of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee in September– Included the National Endowment for the Oceans

S.1400 - RESTORE Act Update (cont’d)

• Ocean Leadership worked closely with EPW staff and Senator Landrieu staff to support the following positions on the bill:– Calling for more coordination among the centers and

with the council– Mandating NOAA to coordinate with existing research

and monitoring programs currently underway in the Gulf, including those implemented through the ICOOS Act of 2009

– Establishing a scientific advisory council to support the federal council

• Next Steps:– Senate Commerce committee plans to consider the

science piece of S.1400

S.1400 - RESTORE Act Update (cont’d)

– Commerce has asked for formal comments on science– In addition to our previous statements, here are some

of our draft ideas for Commerce:1. Call for the science program to be administered by

NOPP to help expedite the grant review process and also to enable federal coordination and leverage of existing funds

2. Limit NOAA to no more than 3% of the science program funds for administrative uses

3. Establish the grant structure to be:– For 5 years in length;– funding level such that would enable the centers

to conduct science for 10 years; and – call for the centers to reviewed after 3 years and

re-compete after 5 years

• The House companion bill to the Senate RESTORE Act (H.R. 3296) was introduced in September and was almost identical to the Senate version.– 25 co-sponsors of the bill and are all Gulf Coast GOPs

• The House bill was a copy of the UNAMENDED version from the Senate.– It does not call for NEO – It excluded our language changes on coordination of

science and research programs

• Ocean Leadership is working with House staff and they have agreed with many of our positions.

• The future of this bill in the House is very uncertain.

H.R. 3296 - RESTORE Act Update

National Ocean Policy

National Ocean Policy

• Both the House and the Senate have attached policy riders to appropriation bills restricting the President from funding National Ocean Policy and Marine Spatial Planning programs. None of these have passed yet.

• House Natural Resources Committee is currently holding a series of hearings titled “The Presidents’ New National Ocean Policy - A Plan for Further Restrictions on Ocean, Coastal and Inland Activities”

STEM Education

• House Science, Space and Technology Committee hearings on effective K-12 STEM classroom approaches and successful public-private partnership programs for promoting STEM education

• House Judiciary Committee held hearings on the need for legislative action to retain foreign graduates of US STEM graduate institutions

• STEM 2 (S 619,HR 2228) in committee in both houses

• No Child Left Inside Act (S 1372,HR 2547)

• Preparing Students for Success in the Global Economy Act (S.1675) introduced 10/6/11

Other Ocean Science Bills

• National Endowment for the Oceans Act (S 973) currently in Commerce, Science and Transportation

• Harmful Algal Blooms and Hypoxia Research and Control Amendments Act (HR 2842, S 1701) - passed House Science, Space and Technology and currently being considered in Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee

Climate Change

Climate & Energy Legislation

• Climate Legislation is DOA

• House Natural Resources held hearings on the state of the offshore and renewable energy sectors, drilling in ANWR and the recovery of the Gulf of Mexico offshore drilling industry since the end of the drilling moratorium.

• Senate Energy and Natural Resources held a hearing on the state of US oil spill response capabilities to incidents in foreign waters

• Climate Service proposal was validated by Senate Mark. However, climate research in the President’s Request stayed in OAR.

Climate & Energy Legislation (cont)

Ocean Leadership continues to engage with the Executive branch on their climate activities including USGCRP’s climate assessment stakeholder events

New and Pending Legislation:

• Polar-C Act (S 1620) introduced 9/22/11 and Polar Protection Act (HR 3113) introduced 10/5/11 address US icebreaking capabilities

• Marine Hydrokinetic Renewable Energy Promotion Act (S 630, HR 2994) passed Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, currently in House Science, Space and Technology Committee

Ocean Leadership’s Policy Internship

• Three internships per year: Spring, Summer, and Fall

• Great opportunity for current graduate students or recently graduated students to learn about the policy process

• Where are they now?– Sea Grant Fellow with the California Sea Grant program

– NOAA’s National Marine Sanctuary Program

– Tenure-track faculty member of Humboldt State University

– Program Associate of NOPP at Ocean Leadership

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