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In early 2004, the AIP Governing Board endorsed the following FY 2005 funding statement of the Energy Sciences Coalition:The Energy Sciences Coalition (ESC) supports the Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science funding levels approved by both the House and Senate in their respective versions of the Energy Policy Act. These funding levels are easily justifiable given the tremendous scientific opportunities that currently exist, as well as the broad range of other science-related issues that the Office of Science is uniquely positioned to address. These opportunities, and the facilities and projects needed to achieve them, are well documented and outlined in both the Department's 20-year scientific facilities plan released in November 2003 and the Secretary of Energy Advisory Board's (SEAB) December 2003 report on DOE science. However, the Energy Sciences Coalition is also aware of the significant fiscal constraints facing the Administration and Congress this year. Weighing the economic and national security value of investments in these science programs against current fiscal constraints, the Energy Sciences Coalition urges an FY05 increase of not less than $350 million for the DOE Office of Science, bringing the total DOE Office of Science budget to a level over $3.8 billion. While significantly less than the FY05 levels contained in the House and Senate passed energy policy bills cited above, this figure is similar to the funding levels these bills contained for FY04. We believe that growth for the DOE Office of Science at a rate lower than 10 percent in FY05 and in the next few years - a growth rate which is less than what is called for in the House and Senate authorization bills -- will make it virtually impossible for the Department to move forward with the initiatives and recommendations outlined in the 20-year plan and by SEAB without severely damaging already existing and very successful DOE science programs. |
