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EMERGENCY ACTION ALERT-NSF FUND
David W. Beer (dbeer@UIC.EDU)
Tue, 16 May 1995 13:09:07 -0500
I AM FORWARDING THE FOLLOWING DOOMSDAY ANNOUCNEMENT RE NSF FUNDING CUTS FOR
SOCIAL AND BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES FOR YOUR INFORMATION. PLEASE ACCEPT MY
APOLOGY IF IT IS A REPEAT POSTING.
Dave Beer <dbeer@uic.edu>
>>Return-Path: <owner-apasln@GWUVM.GWU.EDU>
>>Date: Tue, 16 May 1995 09:19:00 LCL
>>Reply-To: APA Science Leaders Network <APASLN@GWUVM.BITNET>
>>Sender: APA Science Leaders Network <APASLN@GWUVM.BITNET>
>>From: "Hanley, Mary Beth" <MBH.APA@EMAIL.APA.ORG>
>>Subject: EMERGENCY ACTION ALERT-NSF FUND
>>X-To: - <APASLN@GWUVM.GWU.EDU>
>>To: Multiple recipients of list APASLN <APASLN@GWUVM.BITNET>
>>
>>EMERGENCY ACTION ALERT
>> From the Federation of Behavioral, Psychological and Cognitive
>>Sciences
>>
>>The House Budget Committee has recommended the complete elimination of
>>NSF research funding for Psychology, Anthropology, Sociology,
>>Linguistics, Political Science, Economics, Geography, Cognitive Science,
>>Decision, Risk and Management Sciences, History of Science, and
>>Statistical Research for the Behavioral and Social Sciences-- as NSF's
>>contribution to balancing the Federal budget.
>>
>>There is no doubt that NSF funding will be cut in the effort to balance
>>the budget. But to selectively wipe out the behavioral and social
>>sciences goes far beyond simply saving money. This is the most important
>>crisis these sciences have faced since Ronald Reagan attempted to
>>eliminate the same sciences in the early 1980s. Action on this will
>>happen very quickly. The Budget Committee approved the budget package on
>>May 11. The vote on the package by the full House will happen sometime
>>between the 15th and 18th of May. In all likelihood, the budget
>>resolution will pass the House unaltered. The Appropriations Committee
>>will be bound by the spending limits imposed by the Budget Committee.
>>But it need not be bound by the particular cuts recommended by the Budget
>>Committee! Unfortunately, the House leadership has also made it known
>>that no program that lacks a current authorization will be funded. The
>>National Science Foundation is not currently authorized. Efforts to pass
>>its authorization failed last year in the Senate. The House Science
>>Committee Chair, Robert Walker (R-PA) has said that as soon as the budget
>>is passed, the Science Committee will proceed to report its
>>authorizations which include, among other things, NSF, NASA, and the
>>research programs of the Department of Energy. Robert Walker is also the
>>Vice-Chair of the Budget Committee, and he played a key role in
>>determining the selective cuts at NSF. In a news conference on May 12,
>>Walker said that the Directorate containing the research programs
>>mentioned above was created simply because it was "politically correct"
>>and that it is now time to make a correction. This means that there is
>>little chance the NSF authorization from his Committee will contain an
>>authorization for the Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences
>>Directorate. If the Committee does not authorize the Directorate, the
>>Appropriations Committee cannot fund the research programs it contains.
>>So scientists must pay close attention to actions of the Budget,
>>Appropriations, and the authorizing committee.
>>
>>The only way the course of events can be changed is for concerned
>>citizens to let their elected representatives know that they as voters do
>>not approve of these ideological cuts masquerading as budget balancing
>>measures. You must take it on yourself immediately to
>>
>>1) write or call your own representative and senator's office to express
>>your disapproval
>>
>>2) send a copy of your letter to: Robert Walker, George Brown (ranking
>>minority member of the Science Committee and a likely ally of behavioral
>>and social scientists), Jerry Lewis (Chairman of the House Appropriations
>>Subcommittee that appropriates money for the National Science
>>Foundation). And this next thing is equally important: SEND, FAX OR
>>EMAIL A COPY OF YOUR CORRESPONDENCE TO THE FEDERATION OF BEHAVIORAL,
>>PSYCHOLOGICAL, AND COGNITIVE SCIENCES. We have to be able to monitor how
>>great an impact behavioral and social scientists are having, and the only
>>way we can do that is by keeping track of how many contacts from
>>scientists congressional offices have received. Any letter to Congress
>>may be addressed as follows: Representative's name, U.S. House of
>>Representatives (or U.S. Senate) Washington, D.C. 20515 (House) or 20510
>>(Senate). The Federation email is federation@apa.org. Federation fax is
>>(202) 336-6158. If you need more information, our telephone number is
>>(202) 336-5920.
>>
>>3) Help us get the word out. Please see that the anthropology,
>>sociology, linguistics, economics, political science, cognitive science,
>>and geography departments on your campus receive this action alert as
>>well.
>>
>>4) It is very important that elected representatives do not hear only
>>from the scientists affected. If you have acquaintances in the physical
>>or biological sciences or the university administration who would write a
>>letter or make a phone call to an elected representative, do everything
>>you can to get such a communication sent.
>>*********End of Forwarded
>>Message********************************************
>>
>
David W. Beer <dbeer@uic.edu>
Adjunct Assistant Professor, Department of Occupational Therapy, University
of Illinois at Chicago
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