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Affected groups are debating some provisions of the new Clean Water Act being rewritten in Congress as a replacement for the 1987 law. The chemical industry, as well as other regulated communities, is objecting to the expansion of the pollutant discharge permit program to cover groundwater, saying that the proposals are redundant. Other issues involved include the high costs of state and local government compliance, the designation of wetlands and the application of risk assessment to specific provisions to weigh their costs and benefits.

Financial constraints are changing the research environment in the US. Government is adopting a policy of prioritizing applied research to spur scientists and engineers towards work with immediate commercial application. At the same time, downsizing and reorganizations are forcing companies to reduce their budgets for research laboratories and to form alliances with research universities and federal laboratories.

The Department of Energy's fiscal 1994 proposed budget includes $7.4 billion for research and development. Energy research spending is slated at $3.36 billion compared to the estimated $3.09 billion in fiscal 1993. The new budget for the Energy Department demonstrates its efforts toward less defense oriented spending and more spending in areas of environmental concerns. The new budget emphasizes the need to develop a renewable, clean, economically possible energy source that would meet the country's consumption needs. The new proposed budget also includes some $78 million for the Federal Coordinating Council on Science, Engineering & Technology.

The National Institutes of Health received the biggest boost in financing in the 1999 fiscal policy with a 14.6% increase from the 1998 budget. Science research spending for 1999 is up by an average of 2.2% with energy, NASA, EPA, NSF, Commerce science and technology and USDA all receiving funding increases between 0.1% and 6.3%. Defense research spending is similarly down by 3%.

Science envoys Elias A. Zerhouni, Bruce Alberts, and Ahmed Zewail share their views on areas such as science education where the U.S. could play a leading role in assisting the development of Muslim countries. In 2009, President Barack Obama appointed these envoys to represent U.S. science in an outreach initiative to Muslim countries. Other recommendations from the envoys are given.

Speakers at the conference sponsored by the Council for Chemical Research and the National Science of Foundation have examined how research and development (R&D) in the United States is valued. For example, University of California, Berkeley economics professor Bronwyn D. Hall believes the models used for calculating productivity from R&D do not work very well.

The U.S. Congress has passed an appropriations bill which provides funds for fiscal 2010 for Congress itself. Congress allowed federal agencies and departments to continue operations until October 31, 2009 at the same level of spending they had for fiscal 2009. Information about research and development (R&D) bills is also provided.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission has determined which materials in children's products will have to be tested for lead under the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008. Items made with metals and plastics, especially toys and books, must meet the stricter standards. Other products that were exempted under the new rule are also given.

A new report released on June 3, 2008 from the American Academy of Arts and Sciences that focuses on grants for early-career faculty and transformative research is reviewed. The report highlighted the critical issues related to improvement in Advancing Research in Science & Engineering (ARISE) and need to increase support and encourage performance of high-risk, high reward research.

The Senate and the House of Representatives are planning to enact a legislation that will strengthen the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) with more personnel and resources. This will help protect consumer interests amid growing concerns of the presence of lead in paint and phthalates in children's toys.

Science policy leaders questioned the Bush administration about the declining federal funding, political interference with science, and government inaction on the issue of global climate change April 2006's Forum on Science & Technology Policy presented by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). It was also criticized for actions that impinge on the integrity of science, particularly as it relates to peer review.

Congress is rapidly nearing completion of the federal budget for fiscal 2006 however, it is concerned about the federal spending to cover the enormous costs of responding to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. To help pay for this huge expense, Congress may impose a 2% across-the-board cut in spending, making most fiscal 2006 R&D funding less than agencies received in 2005.

In July 2001 the U.S. Department of Justice announced an alleged breakthrough in research on alcohol policy. According to the DOJ, a comparison of drinking rates among American and European […]

The actions and policies of the Bush Administration, taken mainly in response to the September 11, 2001 attacks, have affected federal support for research and development and US competitiveness around the world. Lower federal support for basic scientific research, a continuing struggle with national security regulations, and increasing competition from the Asia-Pacific region are expected to pose problems for the US science and technology companies over the next few years.

Both houses of Congress are fighting for the majority position and it appears as if control will be held by the slimmest of margins.