House Budget Committee Approves Fiscal Year 2018 Budget Resolution
On July 12, the House Budget Committee approved a fiscal year (FY) 2018 Budget Resolution, an important first step for Congressional Republicans if they hope to complete work on the FY 2018 spending bills and overhaul the tax code during this Congress. The resolution proposes to increase defense funding by $72 billion and cut non-defense discretionary spending by $5 billion. This proposal would bring non-defense discretionary spending, which includes federal science agencies, to 17 percent below FY 2010 funding levels.
The measure passed the Committee on a party-line vote, but is facing an uphill battle as it moves to the House floor, as some of the most conservative members of the House have already voice opposition to the bill. A statement on the proposed budget from NDD United, a coalition working to increase the non-defense discretionary budget allocation, of which COSSA is a member, can be found here.