Congress Just Ignored Trump And Boosted America's Science Funding

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

Believe it or not, in this newfound age of Alternative Facts, some good news has just emerged from the intertwined worlds of science and politics. Based on an advanced copy of America’s budget for the 2017 financial year, it looks like there has been an actual increase in science funding across the board, and rather wonderfully, Trump’s requests to have it cut have been comprehensively ignored.

Former President Obama signed off on the 2017 budget last year, but it overlapped with the ascension of the Trump administration and a resurgent GOP-controlled Congress. The Trump administration is one of the most anti-scientific governments ever to be in power in the US, and the president himself has committed himself to draconian cuts to science funding, particularly health and geosciences.

The threat of Trump’s 2018 budget remains real, but his influence over the 2017 budget haunted plenty of scientists and academics across the country. Any spending bill has to be approved by Congress, however, and it seems that this time, bipartisan agreement between Democrats and (some) Republicans have produced a bill that’s surprisingly pro-science.

http://www.iflscience.com/editors-blog/congress-ignored-trump-boosted-americas-science-funding/

[BigmanPigman]

1. Why isn't this getting more attention?

Especially after the Science March. Are we only focusing on bad news or is it being kept a secret so the White House doesn't find out and change it?

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

2. I found the article on March for Science Seattle's Facebook page

https://www.facebook.com/groups/MarchforScienceSEA/

[onit2day]

12. budgets run from Oct, thru Oct

So this present budget from Obama runs until last of Oct. It's already been passed and no new budget can get through until after Oct 2017. Same with the mess Obama inherited. He had to run off Bush's budget until Oct after he was elected. Repubs didn't do anything here. They have no senses to come to about science.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

3. "one of the most anti-scientific"? Nobody can credibly name a more anti-scientific government of US

None more anti-scientific than tRump's amateur Laurel and Hardy wrecking crew.

[AtheistCrusader]

9. Shrub Jr. was pretty devastating too.

But remember this?

37 minutes in:

We'll survive Trump. Other mechanisms in Government are pushing back.

[muriel_volestrangler]

4. The specifics look nice

* NASA has been granted $19.7 billion in funding, an increase even on what Obama requested. Of this, $5.8 billion is set aside for science research, including $1.9 billion for the Earth Sciences – something Trump officials said they wanted completely defunded.

* The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which faced a 31 percent cut by this year or the next, has only had its funding cut by 1 percent.

and NOAA research up over 6%, from the graph. This all looks like Climate science can continue.

[ailsagirl]

5. YES!!!!!!!!!

Fantastic!!

[onit2day]

14. It's expectations of what we think it means

that are in conflict...like what God is or what that means. One can only get a sense of it while unable to define it. Like Quantum Mechanics. Awareness of consciousness is the key. You are not that voice in your head. You are the observer of that voice...the observer that does not label of judge but is aware. Awareness without thinking. Watching God who does not realize he is God, awaken. Undefinable. (I am responding of course to the Tyson video link above)

[sheshe2]

6. Excellent!

[roscoeroscoe]

7. Thank you

Great news

[NoMoreRepugs]

8. Awesome news for people who think

Science matters, not such good news for knuckle-draggers, I mean the BASE.

[ehrnst]

10. I will take the victories. (nt)

[bucolic_frolic]

11. GOP Congress are not all Luddites

They know science drives innovation and economic growth, and many businesses
in their districts, as well as many corporations that contribute to them, over time
rely on science funding. It's why we move forward, not backwards.

[Blue_Tires]

13. Mark my words...

a month or two from now Trump will start patting himself on the back and demanding praise for "saving" science... And nobody in the media will dare ask about his previous stance to him or Spicer...