It’s a good day to look ahead to politics and science as we enter the fall. This is not only the day that Congress went “back to school”; it was also the day many kids in the U.S. did the same. The President addressed schoolkids today. We’re about to leave the days of false controversies (e.g. the President addressing schoolkids) and enter the days of over-focus on healthcare. While there are a thousand reasons to worry about healthcare, it’s not the only responsibility of the Congress. They also have this pesky responsibility to . . . you know . . . pass a budget for the United States by Oct. 1.
To start this look ahead at the fall, let’s begin with the nuts and bolts. A glance at the THOMAS search engine summary of appropriations bills [1] tells me what I need to know about how Congress is doing on passing the FY10 budget. Not a single bill has made it to conference committee (I don’t count the budget resolution). Only 4/12 of the appropriations bills have passed the Senate; of the 8 that have not, we see two of the bills containing science: Commerce/Justice/Science and Labor/HHS/Education. The Energy and Water bill has passed the Senate and needs to be conferenced. While this may be the furthest along the Congress has been on a budget in years, it’s painfully close to being forgotten in the health care debate.
More important, we cannot let these other debates blind us to what’s in these bills. We have to be prepared to respond quickly as the other bills make it through the Senate and go to conference. We also need to be aware of what differences exist. Of those differences, we must know which are to the disadvantage of science. Science is one of the critical ingredients that has been neglected for too long, cut to the bone by bad decisions throughout government. We’re finally seeing muscle put back on the bone, and it would be a shame to let it slip due to distraction.
We also must not forget to be thankful for stimulus plan money. However, we must treat stimulus money like a starving refugee would treat an apple pie. Thanks for the sugar, now give me some protein. We mustn’t let the government forget that stimulus is not long-term funding for science; just because you pump millions into science, you have not solved the problem of long-term stability for scientific funding. Science needs stability, not stimulus. Ideas flourish on stable ground, where no more is the fear of losing the earth beneath your feet.
Let’s bring this back to today. Today was the first day of school for many kids, and the President took the opportunity to encourage children to make a commitment to education. I was pleased to see science mentioned in several ways. For instance,
Maybe you could be a great writer — maybe even good enough to write a book or articles in a newspaper — but you might not know it until you write that English paper — that English class paper that’s assigned to you. Maybe you could be an innovator or an inventor — maybe even good enough to come up with the next iPhone or the new medicine or vaccine — but you might not know it until you do your project for your science class. [2]
(Science and writing – two things near and dear to my heart)
Later, he tied the little lessons in school to the big issues facing the U.S.
You’ll need the knowledge and problem-solving skills you learn in science and math to cure diseases like cancer and AIDS, and to develop new energy technologies and protect our environment. You’ll need the insights and critical-thinking skills you gain in history and social studies to fight poverty and homelessness, crime and discrimination, and make our nation more fair and more free. You’ll need the creativity and ingenuity you develop in all your classes to build new companies that will create new jobs and boost our economy.
So far, science has done well in the Executive branch. The President takes opportunities to mention it every chance he gets; the Energy Secretary is a research scientist with leadership and vision; the science advisor is truly grounded in research. Now it’s time for the representatives of the People to do their part. Fund science. Avoid the dangerous omnibus process that has plagued us for years. Think about FY11, and FY12. Don’t be blinded by the glitzy and painful healthcare debate, by the chance to jab at your opponent. Focus on what matters to this nation. You want to help save this nation? Fund it. Fund education. Fund research. Give scientists the resources they need to play their part in the future.
