Dems & Repubs: What's the record on physical science?

[Astrochimp]

Found this while searching for something else- thought it might be ammo for someone-

http://www.aip.org/tip/INPHFA/vol-10/iss-5/p12.html

With a closely contested election in the United States, and with an electorate increasingly skeptical of candidates’ promises, both parties want to stand on their records—that of the current Bush administration versus that of the Clinton years. Although many factors influence how anyone votes, physical scientists have concerns about how Democratic and Republican administrations and Congresses affect the course of physics R&D. What policies have changed between the two administrations, and which ones have remained constant? What difference does it make for U.S. physics which party holds power in Washington? This special TIP report explores these questions.

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Environmental Protection Agency funding for physical science research, for example, has dropped more than 20% since Bush took office, and similar financial cuts have occurred at the Department of Transportation.
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The National Institute of Standards and Technology’s Advanced Technology Program (ATP)—which funds high-risk, highreward applied research by small and large businesses—is one area where the parties differ. The Clinton administration increased the program’s budget from $68 million to $225 million during its two terms, with most of the increase in the first few years. ATP was conceived as a way to fill the gap left as companies withdrew from long-term applied research. It encourages collaborations among companies, universities, and government laboratories.

The Bush administration has sought to abolish ATP each year. The Democrats’ defense, led by Ernest Hollings (D-SC) in the Senate and aided by several Republicans, has kept the program going, although at a funding level slightly more than half of its peak level in 1998.................

David