nasa budget and the political processlasp.colorado.edu/~espoclass/4800_spring_2018_notes...apr 12,...
TRANSCRIPT
DISCLAIMER:
“Thestudyofpolicy-makingis,infact,itsownscienceandart.Athoroughunderstandingcanneverbeachievedunlesswestudyhumannatureincontext:policymakers’motivations,andthusthepoliciestheyproduce,wouldnotnecessarilyappearrationalwhenconsideredwithoutreferencetothepoliticalworldofwhichtheyareapart.”
Neal’sbook,chapter4
Sciencepolicy
Likeothertypesofpolicy,sciencepolicycanbemadeinmanydifferentways:bylegislative andfederalentities,orthroughadministrative,legislative,andjudicialmechanisms
Itspluralistnatureandtheinvolvementofmanydifferentexecutiveagencies,congressionalcommittees,andexecutivebranchofficesmakeitsformationmoredifficulttounderstandthanmanyotherareasofpublicpolicy.
Onceapolicyiscreated,itsinterpretationmaygreatlyinfluenceitsreal-worldimpact.Complicatingthematterfurther,thejudiciarymaybecalledontoresolvedisputesovertheinterpretationofspecificpolicies.
Aslowprocess
IncrementalismUndertheincrementalmodel,policymakershavelimitedtimeandabilitytobethorough;theydonotundertakecomprehensiveanalysisandthereforeavoidsweepinginitiatives.Instead,they“muddlethrough”bymakingsmalladjustmentstoexistingpoliciesasneeded.Theseincrementaladjustmentsamounttonotablechangeonlyifonecomparesonedecadetothenext.
Vs.punctualequilibrium
Topicspreviouslyinvolvedinsciencepolicy:
• reproductivecloning,• strategicmissiledefense,• climatechange,• healthcare(e.g.,AIDS),• projects(suchastheSpaceStationortheSuperconducting
SuperCollider)
• involveinternationalagreementsorlargesumsofmoney
• Decisionsthatrequirethepresident’sdirectparticipationarefewandfarbetween
TheActors• Congress canadoptbroadpositionsonpolicy,sometimesin
responsetothepresident’sstatements.Atothertimes,Congressisfirsttoact,withthepresidentbecominginvolvedbydecidingtosupportoropposethecongressionalposition.
• AtthenextlowerleveldecisionsaremadebytheOfficeofScienceandTechnologyPolicy(OSTP)andtheOfficeofManagementandBudget(OMB)incooperationwithfederalagencies,orbykeycongressionalcommittees.Suchdecisionsusuallyhaveasizableimpactonthescientificcommunity.
• Atathird,federalagencies,Congress,andthescientificcommunity worktogethertosetprioritiesforspecificfieldsandsubfieldsofscience.
TheActors
• Finally,thefourthlevelistheindividual.Policyatthislevelisperhapsbestunderstoodasadecisionmadebyanindividualwhoindependentlyinterpretsalaw,regulation,oragencypolicy.Theseindividualscanbegrant,contract,orprogramofficers,orofficialsbasedinregulatoryand/orenforcementagencies.Theyarecivilservants.
Challenges to the decisions made by theses civil servants aregenerally resolved by moving to a higher level within the agency.
AuthorizingCommittees
• Congresshasthepowertoproposeandpasslegislationinordertoaffectpublicpolicy,includingsciencepolicy.TheConstitutiongrantsCongresstheresponsibilitytoformulateandpasslaws.
• Congressmustapproveagencybudgetsannually,beforefundscanbedispensed.Ifanappropriationsbilldoesnotpass,thenlegallytheagencyhasnofundingforthatfiscalyear…thegovernment’sspendingauthoritysimplyranout,leadingtoapartialgovernmentshutdown.
• MembersofCongress,fromeithertheHouseortheSenate,aretheonlypeoplewhocanformallyintroducelegislation.
Executiveorders• Theoldestandperhapsbest-knownkindofpresidentialdirectiveistheexecutive
order.Thepresidentcanuseanexecutiveordertoguidegovernmentoperations,encouragingorprohibitingagenciesfromtakingpartinspecificactivities.
• PresidentClinton’sdirectiveofMarch4,1997,whichbannedtheuseoffederalfundsforhumancloning.
• Inadditiontopowerstomakeannualbudgetproposals,draftlegislation,andissueexecutiveordersanddirectives,thepresidentalsohasconstitutionalauthoritytomakeinternationaltreaties(withtheadviceandconsentoftheSenate);appointambassadorsandothertop-levelexecutiveandjudicialofficials,includingSupremeCourtjusticesandfederaljudges(againwithSenateapproval);andtomakerecommendationstoCongress.
• Thepresident’sinfluenceonsciencepolicyisoftenexertedthroughthepowertonominatekeyofficials,includingthedirectorsoftheOSTP,NSF,andtheEPA;theadministratorofNASA;andthesecretariesofHealthandHumanServices,Defense,Energy,State,andCommerce.NominationsputforwardbythepresidentaresubjecttoSenateapproval.
Thebudgetprocess• Inmodern-daypolitics,thebudgetprocessneverreallyends.By
thetimeCongresscompletesonefiscalyear’sbudget,thenextisbeingdevelopedbyfederalagencieswithinputfromtheOMBandOSTP.Furthercomplicatingtheprocess,budgetdiscussionsbegintwoyearsinadvance
• FederalagenciesusuallysubmitaninitialbudgetrequesttotheOMBforreviewinmid-September,morethanayearinadvanceofwhenthefiscalyearbudgetbeingplannedforissettobegin.
• Afterthisfinalroundofpoliticaldecisionshasbeenmadeandthepresidenthasapprovedthebudget,theproposalissenttotheGovernmentPrintingOffice.Thepresident’sbudgetfortheupcomingfiscalyearisusuallyreleasedduringthefirstweekinFebruary
Thebudgetprocess
• “thepresidentproposes,andtheCongressdisposes.”Inotherwords,thepresidentproposesabudget,whichCongresseitheracceptsorrejects.Congressionalconsiderationofthepresident’sbudgetrequestbeginswiththeHouseandSenateBudgetcommittees.
• TheNationalAeronauticsandSpaceActwaspassedon July29,1958,disestablishingNASA'spredecessor,theNationalAdvisoryCommitteeforAeronautics(NACA).Thenewagencybecameoperationalon October1,1958.Asafederalagency,theNationalAeronauticsandSpaceAdministration(NASA)receivesits funding fromtheannualfederalbudgetpassedbytheUnitedStatesCongress.
AfewlinksonSciencePolicyfromthePlanetarySociety:
Theplanetarysocietyonadvocacy– CaseyDreier
http://www.planetary.org/multimedia/video/the-space-advocate/how-nasas-budget-is-made.html
http://www.planetary.org/multimedia/planetary-tv/the-space-advocate.html
NASABUDGET
Robert Lightfoot became the acting NASA adminstrator on Jan. 20, 2017. Since 2012, he has been the the associate administrator, the agency's highest-ranking civil servant.
NASA Leadership
Acting Administrator Robert M. Lightfoot Jr.
11/13/09&
Note: Administrator may delegate direct reports to Deputy Administrator at his/her discretion. * Center functional office directors report to Agency functional AA or Chief. Deputy and below report to Center leadership. ** NMO oversees the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and other Federally Funded Research and Development Center work
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
November(2015(
Human Exploration and Operations
Mission Directorate
Chief, Safety and Mission Assurance
Kennedy Space Center
Marshall Space Flight Center
Langley Research Center
Stennis Space Center
Johnson Space Center
Armstrong Flight Research Center
Goddard Space Flight Center
Glenn Research Center
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Ames Research Center Mission Support
Directorate
Administrator Deputy Administrator
Associate Administrator
Chief of Staff Deputy Associate Administrator Associate Deputy Administrator
Associate Administrator for Strategy and Plans
Chief Engineer
Chief Health and Medical Officer
Chief Financial Officer*
Chief Information Officer*
Chief Scientist
Chief Technologist
Diversity and Equal Opportunity
Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs*
International and Interagency Relations
Education Communications*
Small Business Programs
Advisory Groups NAC and ASAP
Inspector General
Human Capital Management
Strategic Infrastructure
Headquarters Operations
NASA Shared Services Center
Procurement
Protective Services
Aeronautics Research Mission
Directorate
www.nasa.gov
Repor&ng))Structure)Administrator&
Associate&Administrator&
Space Technology Mission Directorate
Office of Strategy and Policy
Office of Agency Council Staff
NASA Management Office**
General Counsel
Science Mission Directorate
Does It Matter That NASA Still Doesn't Have a Permanent Leader?• NASAhasbeenwithoutapermanentadministratorformorethan14months,whichisarecord.
• Earlierlastmonth,NASA'sactingadministrator,RobertLightfoot,announcedthathewillretirefromNASAonApril30.
• IfnopermanentNASAchiefisappointedbeforethen,theassociateadministrator,SteveJurczyk,willtakethereins
• The White House did not nominate a permanent successor: former Rep. Jim Bridenstine, until Sept. 1, 2017.
• The NASA administrator position has to be confirmed by the Senate.
CURRENT LANDSCAPE
FY 2018 – FUNDING IS A GO! (23 March 2018)• After seven months and five continuing resolutions (a “CR” is a
short term spending bill that maintains funding at previous fiscal year levels), Congress at last passed a spending bill for fiscal year (FY) 2018 early in the morning on 23 March 2018.
• President Trump signed the $1.3 trillion spending bill into law. Now, federal agencies will be out of funding limbo through 30 September 2018.
• With the protracted FY2018 process behind them, members of Congress can turn their full attention to developing and negotiating federal spending for FY2019. The President already released his budget request for FY2019 on 12 February 2018.
NASA 2018 budget deal• NASA—andscienceingeneral—didverywellinthislegislation.Congress
thoroughlyrejectedeverymajorcutproposedtoNASAandotherscienceagenciesbytheTrumpAdministration,oftenprovidingthemwithfundingincreasesinstead.Thisisarguablythebestbudgetfornationalscienceinvestmentinadecade
• TheroboticMarsExplorationProgramreceivesa$75millionincreasewithspecificdirectionsto"supporttheMarsSamplereturnmissionandorbiter”
• Planetarydefense:NEOCam—aproposedspacetelescopefordetectingnear-Earthobjects—isfundedat$35million
• TheEuropamissionstandstoreceive$595millionin2018,notjustfortheClipperspacecraft,butforworkonalanderaswell
• EarthScienceisPreserved;NASA'sEarthScienceDivisionwouldremainat$1.9billion
CurrentbudgetforFY2018FYgoesfromOct1st toNov30
Trump's2019NASABudget• Thebudgetrequestallocatesabout$19.9billiontoNASA,anincreaseof$370
millionoverlastyear'srequest• TheproposalzeroesoutfundingfortheInternationalSpaceStation(ISS)in2025
andallocates$150million"toencouragedevelopmentofnewcommerciallow-EarthorbitalplatformsandcapabilitiesforusebytheprivatesectorandNASA,"accordingtotheagency's budgetoverview
• Onthescienceside,thebudgetcontinuessupportforhigh-profileplanetarymissions,suchasthelife-hunting2020Marsroverand EuropaClipper,whichwillinvestigatethehabitabilityofJupiter'socean-harboringmoonEuropa
• Buttheproposedbudgetwouldcuttheagency'splanned WideFieldInfraredSurveyTelescopes(WFIRST),whichwastargetedforlaunchinthemid-2020stostudymysteriousdarkenergy,alienplanetsandarangeofothercosmicphenomena.WFIRSTwasthetop-prioritylargeprojectinthemostrecentU.S.NationalResearchCouncilDecadalSurvey ofAstronomyandAstrophysics
• Thebudgetrequestisjustaproposal;itmuststillbeapprovedbyCongress• Theproposalwouldalsomakedeepcutstopopulareducationandscience
programs
TakeoutontheFY2019budgetrequest
HotTopics:• ReturnHumanstotheMoon• CancelWFIRST• ReducedfundsfortheISS• Reducedfundsforeducation!
PodcastonFY2019budgetreview:https://www.panoply.fm/podcasts/PPY3921129017/episodes/2frTsCQp1GksGe6sE4cW8k
Summary• Spacepolicyhasmanyplayers:it’saweb• Dominatedbypoliticsnotlogicorscience• Itisintenselysocialandevenpersonal(JFK,LBJ)• Internalandexternaladviceforscienceinput• Processtakesmanyyearstoapprovalandthenmoretocompletion
• Advocacy,selection,legislation,management,deliveryandexecution