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FYI
The American Institute of Physics Bulletin of Science Policy News
Number 68: May 30, 2003

FY 2004 Authorization for Defense S&T Flat

Part 1 of 2

The House and Senate have completed work on their versions of the $
401 billion FY 2004 National Defense Authorization bills.  Both bills
authorize cuts in funding for Basic Research (6.1) and Applied
Research (6.2) programs, and significant increases in the Advanced
Technology Development program (6.3).  The bottom line: the
authorization for total funding for all three programs remains
basically unchanged as compared to the current year.  This funding
level is 2.7% of the total budget (as compared to the 3.0%
recommendation in the Quadrennial Defense Review.) 

It will be months before a final FY 2004 defense funding bill is
passed.  The authorizing legislation passed in both chambers last
week provides guidance to the appropriators.  It is important to
realize that while the authorizing bills provide spending parameters
they are not the final word.  For example, last year the two
authorizing bills called for changes of between -1.6% and +2.7% in 6.
1 funding over the previous year.  The final appropriations bill
increased 6.1 funding by 8.7%.  Last year's authorization bills would
have cut 6.2 funding between 2.8% and 6.3%.  The final appropriation
was up 12.5%.  A year ago the two authorizing bills recommended
increases  between 8.0% and 9.4% in 6.3 funding; the final
appropriation was up 21.7%.  Finally, last year's total authorization
for all three programs was up in the two bills between 1.4% and
2.8%.  The final total appropriation  for the 6.1, 6.2, and 6.3
programs rose 16.2%. 

Below are the recommended changes in funding for each program as
compared to the current year.   Note that in the figures below,
"Defense-Wide" spending is NOT aggregate spending, which is listed
first. Defense-Wide programs refer to DARPA and other defense labs. 

Also below are summary excerpts from House and Senate committee
publications.  Full report language for these bills, H.R. 1588 and S.
1050 can be viewed in the Committee Reports section of the following
Library of Congress site: http://thomas.loc.gov/ 

AGGREGATE 6.1 (basic research) funding: House down 5.4%; Senate down
3.0%
AGGREGATE 6.2 (applied research) funding: House down 8.1%; Senate
down 11.0%
AGGREGATE 6.3 (advanced technology development) funding: House up
10.8%; Senate up 8.8%
TOTAL AGGREGATE 6.1, 6.2, and 6.3 funding: House up 1.1%; Senate
down 0.6%

ARMY 6.1 funding: House up 45.5%; Senate up 15.6%
ARMY 6.2 funding: House down 11.9%; Senate down 16.4%
ARMY 6.3 funding: House down 11.5%; Senate down 17.5%
TOTAL AGGREGATE ARMY 6.1, 6.2, and 6.3 funding: House down 5.2%;
Senate down 13.3%

NAVY 6.1 funding: House up 12.4%; Senate down 4.1%
NAVY 6.2 funding: House down 25.7%; Senate down 27.0%
NAVY 6.3 funding: House down 10.0%; Senate up 2.4%
TOTAL AGGREGATE NAVY 6.1, 6.2, and 6.3 funding: House down 11.7%;
Senate down 10.6%

AIR FORCE 6.1 funding: House up 50.0%; Senate down 3.7%
AIR FORCE 6.2 funding: House down 4.3%; Senate down 8.9%
AIR FORCE 6.3 funding: House up 73.4%; Senate up 69.2%
TOTAL AGGREGATE AIR FORCE 6.1, 6.2, and 6.3 funding: House up 10.6%;
Senate up 33.7%

DEFENSE-WIDE 6.1 funding: House down 64.2%; Senate down 10.1%
DEFENSE-WIDE 6.2 funding: House down 0.2%; Senate down 2.1%
DEFENSE WIDE 6.3 funding: House up 9.2%; Senate up 4.8%
TOTAL AGGREGATE DEFENSE-WIDE funding: House down 2.5%; Senate up 0.6%

The Senate Armed Services Committee report (108-046) summary language
regarding science and technology follows: 

"The committee commends the Department of Defense for its commitment
to and robust budget submission for science and technology across the
services and defense agencies. The Science and Technology Program
budget request for fiscal year 2004 is $10.232 billion, or 2.69
percent of the overall Department of Defense request. Over the past
two years the Department has increased its budget request for science
and technology by nearly 25 percent, up from $7.8 billion in fiscal
year 2002. The Department is moving towards meeting the Secretary of
Defense's goal of funding the Science and Technology Program at 3
percent of the overall defense budget. 

 - Continued -

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