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Long-Shot GOP Budget Proposal Would Slash Science Funding

The thriftiest of Republican budget proposals for the current yearwould chop $500 billion from the federal budget and make dramatic cuts tofederal agencies with science missions, cutting the National Science Foundation'sbudget by 62 percent, for example.

Tea Party support helped Rep. Rand Paul, R-Ky., win a seat in the Houseof Representatives in November, and his austere proposal spreads the painaround, with $4.5 billion in cuts from NASA and the elimination of theDepartment of Energy.

"According to the Congressional Budget Office, this will be thethird year in a row which the U.S. Government runs a budget deficit near - orgreater-than $1 trillion. These deficits are far greater than what iseconomically sustainable, and far outpaces the political duty to producebudgets that are economically responsible," his proposal reads.

But this plan is far from set in stone, said Patrick Clemmins, directorof R&DBudget and Policy Program at the American Association for the Advancementof Science.

"Rand Paul's is definitely the most dramatic of any of theproposals that are out there now, so the implications are devastating forscience (but) there is no chance these cuts are going to take place at thisdramatic a level," Clemmins said. "While these cuts might be anexample of what a Republican is looking at doing, I don't think they are adirect representation of what the majority of the party is thinking."

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention would also take a hit,with a budget reduction of 28 percent, in Paul's spending plan.

When asked about specifics of Rand's proposal, CDC spokesperson TomSkinner said, "It's premature for us to comment on budget proposal thataren't actually signed into law."

He added, "I think we at CDC recognize that we live in a time of aneed for fiscal constraint and tight budgets, we feel very strongly about our missionwhen it comes to protectingthe nation's health and we will obviously work with the administration andcongress to do the best we can to protect the nation's health with whatever ourbudget ends up being."

Regarding Paul's proposalto slash the NSF budget, Maria Zacharias, NSF spokeswoman, declined commentsaying, "Our policy is not to discuss proposed spending bills as opposedto enacted legislation." (Spokesperson William Duval of the NationalInstitutes of Health, whose budget would see a cut of 37 percent under Paul'splan, also declined comment saying they also don't comment on pendinglegislation.)

Multiple budget-cutproposals have been put forward - all much less aggressive - but the onewith the most official weight came on Thursday when Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., thechair of the House Budget Committee, called for $74 billion in cuts relative towhat Pres. Obama requested a year ago.

Clemmins noted that the final budget must also pass the Senate, whichis controlled by Democrats.

Congress is still working to tie up the current year's budget, whileObama prepares his proposal for 2012. The White House is expected to releasethat proposal on Feb. 14.

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LiveScience senior writer Stephanie Pappas contributed reporting to this article. You can follow LiveScience writer Wynne Parry on Twitter @Wynne_Parry.

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