Tonight, Rep. Haley Stevens (D-MI) voted in support of multiple bipartisan bills that will increase funding for the National Science Foundation and create the first ever comprehensive authorization for the Department of Energy’s Office of Science.
“I am thrilled that after an overwhelmingly bipartisan mark-up earlier this month, the House voted tonight to fund the National Science Foundation at historic levels and expand its important mission,” said Rep. Stevens (MI-11). “NSF funded research has spurred innovations and launched new industries that advance our prosperity and competitiveness and improve our quality of life. Countries around the world have taken notice and are investing aggressively to replicate our success by building their own research base. The United States will continue to lead the world in scientific research and innovation and I am incredibly proud to see this legislation pass today.”
The National Science Foundation for the Future Act will increase overall funding for the agency by $4 billion dollars in fiscal year 2022. This funding increase will allow the full funding of a multitude of projects that have long gone without funding. These unfunded projects offer huge potential for innovation and include a 47% increase in funding to the Mid-Scale Research Infrastructure Program. Additionally, this bill includes historic levels of investment in STEM programs to support and develop PreK-12 students.
The Office of Science accounts for half of the Department of Energy’s non-defense R&D budget. The research it does is critical to combating climate change and ensuring U.S. competitiveness in the energy space. The Department of Energy Science for the Future Act will increase funding for fiscal year 2022 and again in fiscal year 2026 and will provide a 7% increase for each of the Office’s core research programs.
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