Friday, 24 May 1991 Washington, DC

1. HOUSE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE KILLS FERMILAB INJECTOR UPGRADE
and cuts $100M from the Supercollider! High-energy physics is feeling the effects of last fall's budget agreement. The House Appropriations Committee upheld a subcommittee recommendation to kill the Fermilab upgrade rather than make still deeper cuts in the SSC. Many high-energy physicists believe the upgrade is the best hope of finding the elusive top quark. But quark hunting did not enter into the debate--it was Illinois versus Texas. The trouble began in January when OMB Director Richard Darman cut the injector upgrade out of the asking budget. House Minority Leader Bob Michel (R-IL), still smoldering over the loss of the SSC to Texas, went straight to President Bush--and got it reinstated (WN 11 Jan 91). But this time, the Illinois delegation lost in a move to take $43M from the SSC to fund the Fermilab injector upgrade. The Texas delegation argued that further Supercollider cuts could scare off potential foreign participants--if there are any.

2. WHAT WOULD CANCELLATION OF THE SPACE STATION COST YOUR STATE?
No more c--p about "America's destiny." NASA is now explaining what is really at stake. A map of the United States was sent to the Texas Congressional delegation this week bearing the title BUSINESSES GETTING BUCK$. On each state was a number indicating how many businesses had space station contracts. More than half of all the businesses were in the state of Texas alone! If anyone missed the point, large type at the bottom said, "Space Station dollars are spent on the ground!" So too are NSF dollars. Some of the other state delegations may be interested to learn who is getting the bucks--and who is just getting the business. Last week's vote by a House subcommittee to terminate Space Station Freedom is expected to survive fights in the full Appropriations Committee and on the floor. But yesterday, Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), Chair of the Senate HUD/VA/IA Subcommittee, and Jake Garn (R-UT), the ranking minority member, met with President Bush and NASA Administrator Truly to map strategy to restore the station in the Senate. They weren't helped by new shuttle revelations.

3. OMB PROPOSES 26% CAP ON REIMBURSEMENT OF ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS
of university research. Without waiting for Congress (WN 26 Apr 91), the Office of Management and Budget announced that Circular A-21, Cost Principles for Educational Institutions, will be amended to limit administrative overhead charges. The 26% rate is slightly below the national average, but well below the figure charged by many private institutions. Administrators warn that universities will be hurt by the changes, but the immediate effect will be to free more funds for research. The proposed revision has been published in the Federal Register and the dead-line for comments is 14 June 91. New rules governing allowable charges had been announced by OMB a month earlier (country club memberships are out). Both announcements are fallout from the overhead bomb that exploded at Stanford earlier this year.



Bob Park can be reached via email at whatsnew@bobpark.org
THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND
Opinions are the author's and are not necessarily shared by the University, but they should be.