President’s fiscal 2019 budget proposes cuts for federal research, safety and education

WASHINGTON, Feb. 15, 2018 — The American Chemical Society (ACS) finds the Trump Administration’s fiscal 2019 budget request disappointing because it flat-funds, sharply reduces or flat out eliminates key science, technology and education programs that drive U.S. innovation and global competitiveness.

“Most disappointing is the proposed elimination of the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board and the Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy Program, both of which have provided many-fold returns on their investment,” says Glenn S. Ruskin, director, ACS External Affairs & Communications.  “Also short-sighted in the President’s request are the large proposed decreases in funding for manufacturing-related programs at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, science and technology programs at the Environmental Protection Agency, and innovation-focused grant programs at the Department of Education.”

The Society calls on Congress to start with a clean sheet of paper and make maximum use of the extra budget authority granted by the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 to increase funding for these critical programs and ensure continued support for research investments at all federal agencies. ACS remains committed to work in a bipartisan fashion with Congress to strengthen programs across the federal government that invest in research and development, provide the resources necessary to train and ensure a skilled technical workforce, and keep our country safe.

ACS’s comprehensive policy priorities, individual public policy statements and related materials are available at www.acs.org/policy.

The American Chemical Society, the world’s largest scientific society, is a not-for-profit organization chartered by the U.S. Congress. ACS is a global leader in providing access to chemistry-related information and research through its multiple databases, peer-reviewed journals and scientific conferences. ACS does not conduct research, but publishes and publicizes peer-reviewed scientific studies. Its main offices are in Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio.