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FEDERALhearing transcript

Funding Requests for NASA and the National Science Foundation (FY 2020)

Original title: COMMERCE, JUSTICE, SCIENCE, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2020

January 1, 2021

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The Frame

What this does

The AAS is lobbying Congress to allocate $9 billion to the National Science Foundation and $22.6 billion to NASA, which would determine the scale of federal support for scientific research, telescope operations, and student training programs in 2020.

Who is mentioned in the record

Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.

American Astronomical Society members

The funding levels directly impact the availability of research grants, telescope time, and educational opportunities for these scientists and educators.

STEM students and educators

These groups are affected by the potential elimination of NASA's STEM Engagement office and the overall funding levels for NSF education programs.

What changed

Last recorded activity January 1, 2021.

What's next

Next step not available in the current record.

Summary

The American Astronomical Society (AAS) submitted testimony to the U.S. Senate requesting specific funding levels for NASA and the National Science Foundation for the 2020 fiscal year. The organization advocates for increased federal investment to support space research, ground-based observatories, and STEM education programs.

Key Facts

  • The AAS requests at least $9.0 billion for the National Science Foundation (NSF) for fiscal year 2020.
  • The AAS requests at least $22.6 billion for NASA for fiscal year 2020.
  • The requested $9 billion for the NSF represents an 11 percent increase over previous funding levels.
  • The AAS opposes the administration's proposal to eliminate NASA's STEM Engagement office.
  • The NSF currently denies billions of dollars in grant proposals annually due to budget constraints.
  • The AAS advocates for a balanced portfolio guided by the 'decadal survey' process conducted by the National Academy of Sciences.
  • The AAS notes that operational costs for new facilities like the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope and Large Synoptic Survey Telescope are currently planned to be drawn from existing research grant programs.
  • The AAS highlights that previous budget constraints led to recommendations for the divestment of the Arecibo Observatory and Green Bank Observatory.

Why It Matters

The AAS is lobbying Congress to allocate $9 billion to the National Science Foundation and $22.6 billion to NASA, which would determine the scale of federal support for scientific research, telescope operations, and student training programs in 2020.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a 'decadal survey'?
It is a consensus-based process commissioned by federal agencies and carried out by the National Academy of Sciences to set ranked priorities for new scientific investments.
Why is the AAS concerned about the NSF budget?
The AAS argues that current funding levels are insufficient to support both existing facilities and new, large-scale observatories, and that grant pressure is limiting access to research for many scientists.

News Coverage

No news coverage found yet. Articles are indexed twice daily.

Lobbying Activity

AARP

$4,110,000

2026

HEALTH ISSUESMEDICARE/MEDICAIDLAW ENFORCEMENT/CRIME/CRIMINAL JUSTICEPHARMACY

P.L. 119-21, One Big Beautiful Bill Act H.R. 8867, Planning for Long-term Aging Needs (PLAN) Act H.R. 5861, Legacy Act of 2025 H.R. 9393, the Lower Costs, More Transparency Act. H.R. 9396, the Prior Authorization Accountability Act. S. 4916, the Aging with Artificial Intelligence Act. H.R. 8100, Safe Staffing Saves Lives Act. S. 3886, Nurses Belong in Nursing Homes Act. H.R. 6766/S. 3492, the Essential Caregivers Act of 2025. H.R. 7966/S. 4118, Hospice Care Accountability, Reform, and Enforcement (Hospice CARE) Act. S. 2120, the Older Americans Act Reauthorization Act of 2025 H.R. 5575, the Firefighters Assisting Seniors to Emergency Response (FASTER) Act of 2025. H.R. 3954/S. 4641, Improving Access to Medicare Coverage Act. H.R.5554/S.2831, Stand Strong for Medicare Act. S. 3439/H.R. 6735, Connecting Caregivers to Medicare Act and efforts related to the bill S. 1227/H.R. 2491, Alleviating Barriers for Caregivers Act S. 668/H.R. 3183, Supporting Access to Falls Education and Prevention and Strengthening Training Efforts and Promoting Safety Initiatives (SAFE STEPS) for Veterans Act of 2025 CMS-1851-P, Hospice Proposed rule. CMS-1843-P, Skilled Nursing Facility Proposed rule. CMS-1844-P, Home Health Proposed rule. No bill number. Health care transparency. No bill number. Discussed use of artificial intelligence and health data technology. No bill number. Discussed health-related policies and activities around the fall respiratory virus season. No bill number. Discussed health insurance affordability proposals. No bill number. Discussed Nursing Home staffing standards, safety, and quality. No bill number. Discussed Nursing home transparency and ownership requirements. No bill number. Discussed home health, hospice, and long-term care. No bill number. Discussed falls prevention. No bill number. Discussed social isolation. No bill number. Discussed HUD Assisted Living Requirements No bill number. Discussed family caregiving. No bill number. Discussed AARP paper on Medicare Caregiver Training Services. No bill number. Discussed Medicaid community engagement interim final rule, including the family caregiver exemption. No bill number. Discussed the paid direct care workforce in long-term care. No bill number. Discussed the unaffordability of long-term care. No bill number. Discussed Money Follows the Person Rebalancing Demonstration Program and Medicaid HCBS spousal impoverishment protections. No bill number. Discussed Medicaid fraud and family caregivers, Medicaid self-direction programs. No bill number. Discussed sandwich generation family caregiver hearing and submitted a statement for the record discussing family caregivers and sandwich generation caregivers, programs that support them, AARP caregiving resources, and federal policies to support sandwich generation caregivers and caregivers more broadly. No bill number. Discussed long-term care. No bill number. CMS-2453-NC; Medicaid Program; 2028 Medicaid Home and Community-Based Services Quality Measure Set Submitted comments No bill number. Discussed expanding access to home care. No bill number. Discussed the increasing cost of home care No bill number. Discussed HSA use for telehealth chronic care management services/subscriptions. No bill number. Discussed artificial intelligence and technology

Discoveries

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift90% confidence

Operational Funding Conflict

The AAS highlights a structural issue where the operational costs of new, large-scale telescopes are being carved out of existing research grant budgets, effectively reducing the pool of money available for individual scientists.

Connected Entities

organizationNational Academy of SciencesConducts decadal surveys to set scientific priorities.Map →
organizationNASAFederal agency for space exploration and science.Map →
organizationCoalition for National Science FundingA coalition of 100+ organizations advocating for NSF funding.Map →
locationGreen Bank ObservatoryObservatory in West Virginia.Map →
organizationNational Science FoundationFederal agency supporting fundamental research and education.Map →
organizationAmerican Astronomical SocietyProfessional organization representing over 7,000 members submitting testimony.Map →
locationArecibo ObservatoryObservatory in Puerto Rico.Map →

Sources

Open source document

www.govinfo.gov

Analysis Score

0–100
  • Significance65
    How much this matters to a regular citizen
  • Controversy20
    Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
  • Entertainment5
    Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
  • Buzz10
    Current news / social attention level

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