Even before the appropriations process for Fiscal Year 2018 wrapped up, Congress began working on the budget to fund the government in FY 2019. AERA actively supports strong funding for federal agencies investing in education research and the statistical infrastructure. 

AERA submitted testimony to the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee on April 26, requesting $670 million for the Institute of Education Sciences and $1.531 billion for the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. The testimony also recommended against the elimination of the Statewide Longitudinal Data Systems program, which was proposed in President Donald Trump’s budget.

AERA also submitted testimony to the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Subcommittee on April 27, including a request for $8.45 billion for the National Science Foundation (NSF) and $4.735 billion for the Census Bureau. The testimony highlighted the important work of NSF’s Directorates for Education and Human Resources and for Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences, as well as the need to provide adequate resources for the decennial census in 2020.

In the Senate, members submitted their requests and priorities for FY 2019. A “Dear Colleague” letter for NSF led by Senator Ed Markey (D-MA) garnered 29 signatures. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Jeff Merkley (D-OR) led a “Dear Colleague” letter for IES that received 18 signatures. Both letters aligned with the requests that AERA supported for the respective agencies.

At the same time, the White House is seeking to propose rescissions to the FY 2018 spending bill, cutting funding to already existing spending. Reports have noted that Mick Mulvaney, director of the Office of Management and Budget, is placing a $25 billion ceiling on the amount that could be cut from FY 2018 spending. Any rescissions package from the president would need to be considered by Congress. More information is available in the NDD United fact sheet.

AERA also recently signed on to a Census Project letter, calling on lawmakers to allocate $4.735 billion for the Census Bureau in FY 2019—$933.50 million above the administration’s request for the agency, and $912.5 million above the request of $3.015 billion for the 2020 Census.