WASHINGTON, DC—Nearly 4 months after the start of fiscal year (FY) 2004, Congress has approved a $328.1 billion omnibus measure to fund discretionary spending at 11 departments and numerous agencies, including the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Science Foundation (NSF). With add-ons, total discretionary funding comes to $373 billion; mandatory program spending pushes the total to $820 billion.
For the fiscal year that started October 1, 2003, the bill gives the NIH $27.98 billion, a 3.7% increase of $1 billion over last year's appropriation and $318.6 million more than the White House had requested. NSF receives $5.6 billion, an increase of $300 million over last year and $130 million more than requested by the White House. These amounts are before an across-the-board 0.59% budget cut imposed on most programs and projects. After the reduction, NIH's net increase is around $800 million.
Overcoming their objections, the Senate yesterday ...
