ALLOCATING FEDERAL FUNDS FOR SCIENCE 

 AND TECHNOLOGY 



WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 1996 



U.S. House of Representatives, 



Committee on Science, 



Washington, DC. 



The Committee met at 10:01 a.m., in Room 2318 of the Rayburn 

 House Office Building, the Honorable Robert S. Walker, Chairman 

 of the Committee, presiding. 



Chairman Walker. Good morning. 



First, let me welcome all of you to what I think will be an inter- 

 esting and somewhat provocative discussion about a topic of im- 

 mense importance as we look down the road toward federal funding 

 of science. 



Last year, when I took over as Chairman of the Science Commit- 

 tee, the first hearing was — "Is Today's Science Policy Preparing Us 

 for the Future?" 



We asked various federal agencies to look at where their science 

 programs should be in the year 2015. That hearing was important 

 and symbolic. 



As we start the second session of the 104th Congress, the focus 

 of our first hearing in the Science Committee is "Allocating Federal 

 Funds for Science and Technology." 



I believe this will be a significant hearing as we look forward to 

 the next budget cycle and the future of science funding. 



This report was requested by the Congress to address the criteria 

 that should be used in judging the appropriate allocation of funds 

 to research and development activities, the appropriate balance 

 among different types of institutions that conduct research, and the 

 means of assuring continued objectivity in the allocation process. 



I'd like to reflect for a few minutes on where we have been and 

 where I think we're headed in the future. 



To review the last year, despite the disappointing failure to 

 achieve a balanced budget agreement with the Administration, the 

 House of Representatives, under its new leadership, has accom- 

 plished a remarkable amount of its agenda. 



For the first time in many years, Congressional leaders put forth 

 a comprehensive program for revitalizing the economy by reducing 

 deficits and by reducing the debt burden which would face future 

 generations. 



Federal Government spending has increased from $210 billion to 

 $1.6 trillion over the last 25 years. The budget talks that have been 

 underway over the past six months are the first serious attempt by 



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