News & Announcements
ASA Action Alert: Call and Urge Your Representative to Support Research Funding; Oppose Spending Reductions for Science Agencies
The U.S. House of Representatives is preparing for a debate on the fiscal year (FY) 2011 Continuing Resolution (CR). The CR would cut the National Science Foundation by 5% ($360 million) and the National Institutes of Health by 5% ($1.6 billion), from their FY10 levels.
It is important to emphasize to Representatives and Senators the critical nature of research funding. ASA is asking you to reach out especially to your Representatives to ask them to support research funding and oppose cuts to the budgets for the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health. You can find your Representative’s contact information on the House of Representatives website (or by entering enter your zipcode at http://www.house.gov/zip/ZIP2Rep.html.) We’d also ask you to contact your Senator, whose contact information you can find on the Senate website.
When calling the offices, ask to speak with the science or appropriations staffer or to leave a message with that staffer. Simply ask them to support funding for these two science agencies, explaining that basic research is vital to maintaining America’s competitiveness and giving examples of how cuts would impact your research activities.
The House is expected to debate the continuing resolution this week, so please call as soon as possible.
As you may know, the budget dynamic became more complicated this week with the President releasing his FY12 budget request on Monday. You can learn more at the following two ASA Community sites:
- Congress and Administration Considering Budgets for Two Fiscal Years
- 2012 Budget Request for NSF and NIH
For more information, contact ASA Director of Science Policy Steve Pierson: pierson@amstat.org.
The federal statistical agency budgets are also at risk. If you are willing to also make calls on their behalf, please contact Steve Pierson: pierson@amstat.org. Information on the FY12 requests for the federal statistical agencies is available at FY12 Statistical Agency Budget Requests.