Overview of FY2019 Appropriations for Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (CJS)

Contents

• Overview of CJS
• Department of Commerce
• Department of Justice
• Science Offices and Agencies
• Office of Science and Technology Policy
• The National Space Council
• National Aeronautics and Space Administration
• National Science Foundation
• Related Agencies
• FY2018 Enacted Funding
• The Administration's FY2019 Budget Request
• The House Committee-Reported Bill (H.R. 5952)
• The Senate Committee-Reported Bill (S. 3072)
• Historical Funding for CJS

Summary

This report describes actions taken by the Trump Administration and Congress to provide FY2019 funding for Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (CJS) accounts. It also provides an overview of enacted FY2018 funding for agencies and bureaus funded as part of annual CJS appropriations acts.

For FY2018, Congress and the President provided a total of $72.119 billion in funding for CJS. This included $70.921 billion in regular funding provided in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018 (P.L. 115-141) and $1.198 billion in emergency-designated funding provided in the Further Additional Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Relief Requirements Act, 2018 (P.L. 115-123).

The Administration requests $66.555 billion for CJS for FY2019, which is 7.7% less than total FY2018 funding and 6.2% less than regular FY2018 funding (which excludes emergency-designated funding). The Administration requests $9.797 billion for the Department of Commerce, $28.835 billion for the Department of Justice, $27.372 billion for the science agencies, and $551 million for the related agencies. The Administration's budget proposes eliminating funding for several CJS agencies and accounts, including the Economic Development Administration and the Legal Services Corporation. The Administration's budget proposes moving funding for the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas program from the Office of National Drug Control Policy to the Drug Enforcement Administration, closing the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Office and moving its responsibilities to the Office of Justice Programs (OJP), and a new account structure for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

The bill reported by the House Committee on Appropriations (H.R. 5952) would provide a total of $73.923 billion for CJS for FY2019, an amount that is 4.2% greater than regular FY2018 funding (which excludes emergency-designated funding) and 11.1% greater than the Administration's request. The bill would provide $12.106 billion for the Department of Commerce, $31.113 billion for the Department of Justice, $29.728 billion for the science agencies, and $976 million for the related agencies. The committee largely declined to adopt many of the Administration's proposals to eliminate funding for several CJS agencies and accounts, though the committee-reported bill would move funding for the COPS program to OJP and it includes the Administration's proposed account structure for NASA.

The bill reported by the Senate Committee on Appropriations (S. 3072) would provide a total of $72.648 billion for CJS for FY2019, an amount that is 2.4% more than regular FY2018 funding (which excludes emergency-designated funding) and 9.2% more than the Administration's request. The bill would provide $11.572 billion for the Department of Commerce, $30.699 billion for the Department of Justice, $29.400 billion for the science agencies, and $977 million for the related agencies. The Senate Committee on Appropriations largely declined to adopt many of the proposals put forth by the Administration in its FY2019 budget. Unlike the House committee-reported bill, S. 3072 would fund the COPS program through its own account and the committee did not include the Administration's new account structure for NASA.

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Overview of FY2019 Appropriations for Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (CJS)

This report describes actions taken by the Administration and Congress to provide FY2019 appropriations for Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (CJS) accounts. It also provides an overview of enacted FY2018 appropriations for agencies and bureaus funded as part of annual CJS appropriations.

The dollar amounts in this report reflect only new funding made available at the start of the fiscal year. Therefore, the amounts do not include any rescissions of unobligated or deobligated balances that may be counted as offsets to newly enacted appropriations, nor do they include any scorekeeping adjustments (e.g., the budgetary effects of provisions limiting the availability of the balance in the Crime Victims Fund). In the text of the report, appropriations are rounded to the nearest million. However, percentage changes are calculated using whole, not rounded, numbers, meaning that in some instances there may be small differences between the actual percentage change and the percentage change that would be calculated by using the rounded amounts discussed in the report.

Overview of CJS

The annual CJS appropriations act provides funding for the Departments of Commerce and Justice, select science agencies, and several related agencies. Appropriations for the Department of Commerce include funding for agencies such as the Census Bureau, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Appropriations for the Department of Justice (DOJ) provide funding for agencies such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Bureau of Prisons; the U.S. Marshals; the Drug Enforcement Administration; and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, along with funding for a variety of grant programs for state, local, and tribal governments. The vast majority of funding for the science agencies goes to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the National Science Foundation.¹ The annual appropriation for the related agencies includes funding for agencies such as the Legal Services Corporation and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

Department of Commerce

The mission of the Department of Commerce is to "create the conditions for economic growth and opportunity."² The department promotes "job creation and economic growth by ensuring fair and reciprocal trade, providing the data necessary to support commerce and constitutional democracy, and fostering innovation by setting standards and conducting foundational research and development."³ It has wide-ranging responsibilities including trade, economic development, technology, entrepreneurship and business development, monitoring the environment, forecasting weather, managing marine resources, and statistical research and analysis. The department pursues and implements policies that affect trade and economic development by working to open new markets for U.S. goods and services and promoting pro-growth business policies. It also invests in research and development to foster innovation.

The agencies within the Department of Commerce, and their responsibilities, include the following:

• International Trade Administration (ITA) seeks to strengthen the international competitiveness of U.S. industry, promote trade and investment, and ensure fair trade and compliance with trade laws and agreements;
• Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) works to ensure an effective export control and treaty compliance system and promote continued U.S. leadership in strategic technologies by maintaining and strengthening adaptable, efficient, and effective export controls and treaty compliance systems, along with active leadership and involvement in international export control regimes;
• Economic Development Administration (EDA) promotes innovation and competitiveness, preparing American regions for growth and success in the worldwide economy;
• Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) promotes the growth of minority owned businesses through the mobilization and advancement of public and private sector programs, policy, and research;
• Economics and Statistics Administration (ESA) is a federal statistical agency that promotes a better understanding of the U.S. economy by providing timely, relevant, and accurate economic accounts data in an objective and cost-effective manner;
• Census Bureau, a component of ESA, measures and disseminates information about the U.S. economy, society, and institutions, which fosters economic growth, advances scientific understanding, and facilitates informed decisions;
• National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) advises the President on communications and information policy;
• United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) fosters innovation, competitiveness, and economic growth domestically and abroad by providing high-quality and timely examination of patent and trademark applications, guiding domestic and international intellectual property (IP) policy, and delivering IP information and education worldwide;
• National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) promotes U.S. innovation and industrial competitiveness by advancing measurement science, standards, and technology enhancing economic security; and
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) provides daily weather forecasts, severe storm warnings, climate monitoring to fisheries management, coastal restoration, and support of marine commerce.

Department of Justice

DOJ's mission is to "enforce the law and defend the interests of the United States according to the law; to ensure public safety against threats foreign and domestic; to provide federal leadership in preventing and controlling crime; to seek just punishment for those guilty of unlawful behavior; and to ensure fair and impartial administration of justice for all Americans."⁴ DOJ also provides legal advice and opinions, upon request, to the President and executive branch department heads.

The major functions of DOJ offices and agencies are described below:

• Office of the United States Attorneys prosecutes violations of federal criminal laws, represents the federal government in civil actions, and initiates proceedings for the collection of fines, penalties, and forfeitures owed to the United States;
• United States Marshals Service (USMS) provides security for the federal judiciary, protects witnesses, executes warrants and court orders, manages seized assets, detains and transports offenders who have not been sentenced, and apprehends fugitives;
• Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) investigates violations of federal criminal law; helps protect the United States against terrorism and hostile intelligence efforts; provides assistance to other federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies; and shares jurisdiction with the Drug Enforcement Administration for the investigation of federal drug violations;
• Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) investigates federal drug law violations; coordinates its efforts with other federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies; develops and maintains drug intelligence systems; regulates the manufacture, distribution, and dispensing of legitimate controlled substances; and conducts joint intelligence-gathering activities with foreign governments;
• Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) enforces federal law related to the manufacture, importation, and distribution of alcohol, tobacco, firearms, and explosives;
• Federal Prison System (Bureau of Prisons; BOP) houses offenders sentenced to a term of incarceration for a federal crime and provides for the operation and maintenance of the federal prison system;
• Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) provides federal leadership in developing the nation's capacity to reduce violence against women and administer justice for and strengthen services to victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking;
• Office of Justice Programs (OJP) manages and coordinates the activities of the Bureau of Justice Assistance; Bureau of Justice Statistics; National Institute of Justice; Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention; Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking; and Office of Victims of Crime; and
• Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) advances the practice of community policing by the nation's state, local, territorial, and tribal law enforcement agencies through information and grant resources.

Science Offices and Agencies

The science offices and agencies support research and development and related activities across a wide variety of federal missions, including national competitiveness, space exploration, and fundamental discovery.

Office of Science and Technology Policy

The primary function of the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) is to provide the President and others within the Executive Office of the President with advice on the scientific, engineering, and technological aspects of issues that require the attention of the federal government.⁵ The OSTP director also manages the National Science and Technology Council,⁶ which coordinates science and technology policy across the executive branch of the federal government, and cochairs the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology,⁷ a council of external advisors that provides advice to the President on matters related to science and technology policy.

The National Space Council

The National Space Council, in the Executive Office of the President, is a coordinating body for U.S. space policy. Chaired by the Vice President, it consists of the Secretaries of State, Defense, Commerce, Transportation, and Homeland Security; the Administrator of NASA; and other senior officials. The council previously existed from 1988 to 1993 and was reestablished by the Trump Administration in June 2017.

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) was created to conduct civilian space and aeronautics activities.⁸ It has four mission directorates. The Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate is responsible for human spaceflight activities, including the International Space Station and development efforts for future crewed spacecraft. The Science Mission Directorate manages robotic science missions, such as the Hubble Space Telescope, the Mars rover Curiosity, and satellites for Earth science research. The Space Technology Mission Directorate develops new technologies for use in future space missions, such as advanced propulsion and laser communications. The Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate conducts research and development on aircraft and aviation systems. In addition, NASA's Office of Education manages education programs for schoolchildren, college and university students, and the general public.

National Science Foundation

The National Science Foundation (NSF) supports basic research and education in the nonmedical sciences and engineering. The foundation was established as an independent federal agency "to promote the progress of science; to advance the national health, prosperity, and welfare; to secure the national defense; and for other purposes."⁹ The NSF is a primary source of federal support for U.S. university research. It is also responsible for significant shares of the federal science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education program portfolio and federal STEM student aid and support.

Related Agencies

The annual CJS appropriations act includes funding for several related agencies:

• U.S. Commission on Civil Rights informs the development of national civil rights policy and enhances enforcement of federal civil rights laws;
• Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is responsible for enforcing federal laws that make it illegal to discriminate against a job applicant or an employee because of the person's race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation), national origin, age (40 or older), disability, or genetic information;
• International Trade Commission investigates the effects of dumped and subsidized imports on domestic industries and conducts global safeguard investigations, adjudicates cases involving imports that allegedly infringe intellectual property rights, and serves as a resource for trade data and other trade policy-related information;
• Legal Services Corporation is a federally funded nonprofit corporation that provides financial support for civil legal aid to low-income Americans;
• Marine Mammal Commission works for the conservation of marine mammals by providing science-based oversight of domestic and international policies and actions of federal agencies with a mandate to address human effects on marine mammals and their ecosystems;
• Office of the U.S. Trade Representative is responsible for developing and coordinating U.S. international trade, commodity, and direct investment policy, and overseeing negotiations with other countries; and
• State Justice Institute is a federally funded nonprofit corporation that awards grants to improve the quality of justice in state courts and foster innovative, efficient solutions to common issues faced by all courts.

FY2018 Enacted Funding

For FY2018, Congress and the President provided a total of $72.119 billion for CJS. This included $70.921 billion in regular funding provided pursuant to the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018 (P.L. 115-141) and $1.198 billion in emergency-designated funding provided pursuant to the Further Additional Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Relief Requirements Act, 2018 (P.L. 115-123). For FY2018, the Department of Commerce received $12.137 billion ($11.137 billion without emergency-designated funding), the Department of Justice received $30.384 billion ($30.299 billion without emergency-designated funding), the science agencies received $28.609 billion ($28.511 billion without emergency-designated funding), and the related agencies received $989 million ($974 million without emergency-designated funding).

The Administration's FY2019 Budget Request

The Administration requests $66.555 billion for CJS for FY2019, which is 7.7% less than total FY2018 funding and 6.2% less than FY2018 regular funding (which excludes emergency-designated funding). When comparing the Administration's FY2019 request to the FY2018 funding, it should be considered that the Administration formulated its FY2019 budget request before full-year appropriations for FY2018 were enacted. FY2018 funding levels, for the purposes of this request, were calculated based on FY2017 funding minus a reduction (0.6791%) as extended under a series of continuing resolutions.¹⁰

The Administration requests the following:

• $9.797 billion for the Department of Commerce, which is 19.3% less than total FY2018 funding and 12.0% less than the regular funding;
• $28.835 billion for the Department of Justice, which is 5.1% less than total FY2018 funding and 4.8% less than the regular funding;
• $27.372 billion for the science agencies, which is 4.3% less than total FY2018 funding and 4.0% less than the regular funding; and
• $551 million for the related agencies, which is 44.3% less than total FY2018 funding and 43.4% less than the regular funding.

The Administration's FY2019 budget for CJS proposes eliminating several agencies and programs:

• EDA,
• NIST's Manufacturing Extension Partnership,
• the Community Relations Service (its functions would be moved to DOJ's Civil Rights Division),
• COPS Office (grants managed by the COPS Office would be moved to OJP),
• NASA's Education program, and
• the Legal Services Corporation.

The Administration requested some funding for the EDA and Legal Services Corporation to help provide for an orderly closeout of these agencies.

The Administration's budget also proposes to move funding for the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program to the DEA. Currently, HIDTA funding is administered by the Office of National Drug Control Policy.

The Administration's requested funding for many CJS accounts is below FY2018 levels; however, there are a handful of exceptions:

• the Census Bureau's Periodic Census and Programs account (+$1.007 billion,+39.6%),
• DOJ's Executive Office of Immigration Review (+$59 million, +11.8%),
• ATF (+$23 million, +1.8%),
• BIS (+$7 million, +6.3%),
• NSF's Agency Operations and Award Management account (+$5 million, +1.6%),
• ESA (+$2 million, +2.0%), and
• the State Justice Institute (+$2 million, +35.1%).

The Administration also proposes a new account structure for NASA, with three new accounts: Exploration Research and Technology, Deep Space Exploration Systems, and low Earth orbit (LEO) and Spaceflight Operations. The proposed Exploration Research and Technology account would combine the Space Technology account with some elements of the Exploration account and the proposed Deep Space Exploration Systems account would be the Exploration account minus the elements moved to the Exploration Research and Technology account. LEO and Spaceflight Operations would essentially be a renaming of the Space Operations account.

The House Committee-Reported Bill (H.R. 5952)

The House committee-reported bill (H.R. 5952) would provide a total of $73.923 billion for CJS for FY2019, an amount that is 4.2% greater than regular FY2018 funding (which excludes emergency-designated funding) and 11.1% greater than the Administration's request. The House Committee on Appropriations recommends

• $12.106 billion for the Department of Commerce, which is 8.7% greater than regular FY2018 funding and 23.6% greater than the Administration's request;
• $31.113 billion for the Department of Justice, which is 2.7% greater than regular FY2018 funding and 7.9% greater than the Administration's request;
• $29.728 billion for the science agencies, which is 4.3% greater than regular FY2018 funding and 8.6% greater than the Administration's request; and
• $976 million for the related agencies, which is 0.2% greater than regular FY2018 funding and 11.1% greater than the Administration's request.

The committee-reported bill would increase funding for most CJS accounts compared to regular FY2018 funding. Some of the exceptions include

• ITA (-$2 million, -0.4%);
• NIST's Scientific and Technical Research and Services account (-$5 million, -0.6%);
• NIST's Industrial Technology Services account (-$10 million, -6.5%);
• NIST's Construction of Research Facilities account (-$199 million, -62.4%);
• NOAA's Operations, Research, and Facilities account (-$63 million, -1.8%);
• NOAA's Procurement, Acquisition, and Construction account (-$683 million, -29.8%);
• U.S. Marshals' Construction account (-$28 million, -53.2%);
• FBI's Construction account (-$305 million, -82.4%);
• BOP's Buildings and Facilities account (-$12 million, -7.2%);
• Juvenile Justice Programs (-$71 million, -25.0%); and
• NASA's Education account (-$10 million, -10.0%).

In general, the committee-reported bill would fund CJS accounts at or above the Administration's request, but there are a few exceptions:

• BIS (-$7 million, -5.9%);
• NOAA's Procurement, Acquisition, and Construction account (-$15 million, -0.7%);
• DOJ's General Administration Salaries and Expenses (-$12 million, -10.3%);
• Juvenile Justice Programs (-$18 million, -7.6%);
• NASA's Operations Research and Technology account (-$103 million, -10.2%); and
• the State Justice Institute (-$1 million, -15.9%).

The House Committee on Appropriations did not adopt most of the Administration's proposals. The committee did not eliminate funding for EDA, NIST's Manufacturing Extension Partnership, the Community Relations Service, NASA's Education program, and the Legal Services Corporation. With the exception of NASA's Education program, the committee-reported bill would fund these agencies and programs at a level equal to FY2018 regular funding. Additionally, the committee-reported bill does not provide funding for the HIDTA program under the DEA. However, the committee did adopt two of the Administration's proposals. Funding for the COPS program would be moved to OJP under H.R. 5952. Also, the committee-reported bill includes the Administration's proposed account structure for NASA.

The Senate Committee-Reported Bill (S. 3072)

The Senate committee-reported bill (S. 3072) would provide a total of $72.648 billion for CJS for FY2019, an amount that is 2.4% more than regular FY2018 funding (which excludes emergency-designated funding) and 9.2% more than the Administration's request. The Senate committee-reported bill would provide

• $11.572 billion for the Department of Commerce, which is 3.9% more than regular FY2018 funding and 18.1% more than the Administration's request;
• $30.699 billion for the Department of Justice, which is 1.3% more than regular FY2018 funding and 6.5% more than the Administration's request;
• $29.400 billion for the science agencies, which is 3.1% more than regular FY2018 funding and 7.4% more than the Administration's request; and
• $977 million for the related agencies, which is 0.4% more than regular FY2018 funding and 77.3% more than the Administration's request.

In general, the Senate Committee on Appropriations recommends funding many CJS accounts at or above the regular FY2018 funding amount. A few notable exceptions include

• NIST's Construction of Research Facilities account (-$161 million, -50.5%);
• NOAA's Procurement, Acquisition, and Construction account (-$484 million, -21.1%);
• U.S. Marshals' Construction account (-$18 million, -34.5%);
• DOJ's Interagency Law Enforcement account (-$21 million, -3.9%);
• NASA's Space Operations account (-$112 million, -2.4%);
• NASA's Safety, Security, and Mission Services account (-$77 million, -2.7%); and
• NASA's Construction and Environmental Compliance and Restoration account (-$174 million, -31.0%).

The Senate committee-reported bill would fund nearly every CJS account at or above the level requested by the Administration. The Senate Committee on Appropriations also declined to adopt many of the proposals the Administration put forth in its FY2019 budget. Unlike the House committee-reported bill, S. 3072 would fund the COPS program through its own account and the committee did not include the Administration's new account structure for NASA. The committee did propose changing the name of NASA's Education account to "Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Opportunities." The Senate bill would also fund the Office on Violence Against Women via a transfer from the Crime Victims Fund.

Table 1 outlines the FY2018 funding, the Administration's FY2019 request, and the House and Senate committee-reported amounts for the Departments of Commerce and Justice, the science agencies, and the related agencies.

Historical Funding for CJS

Figure 1 shows the total CJS funding for FY2009-FY2018, in both nominal and inflation-adjusted dollars (more-detailed historical appropriations data can be found in Table 2). The data show that nominal funding for CJS reached a new 10-year high in FY2018, if emergency supplemental funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA, P.L. 111-5) is not counted. Otherwise, peak funding for CJS over the past 10 fiscal years was in FY2009. ARRA provided a substantial increase in funding for FY2009. The $15.992 billion in funding for CJS under ARRA added approximately 25% to the amount Congress and the President provided for CJS through the regular appropriation process that year. While regular nominal funding over the past 10 fiscal years was at its highest in FY2018, in inflation-adjusted terms, funding for FY2018 was lower than it was in FY2010.

Increased funding for CJS coincides with the increase to the discretionary budget caps under the Budget Control Act of 2011 (BCA, P.L. 112-25).¹¹ The BCA put into effect statutory limits on discretionary spending for FY2012-FY2021. Under the act, discretionary spending limits were scheduled to be adjusted downward each fiscal year until FY2021. However, legislation was enacted that increased discretionary spending caps for FY2014 to FY2018. A sequestration of discretionary funding, ordered pursuant to the BCA, cut nearly $4 billion out of the total amount Congress and the President provided for CJS for FY2013. Since then, funding for CJS has increased as more discretionary funding has been allowed under the BCA.

Figure 1. Nominal and Inflation-Adjusted Funding for CJS, FY2009-FY2018 Appropriations in billions of dollars

Sources: FY2009 enacted amounts were taken from H.Rept. 111-149; FY2010 enacted amounts were taken from S.Rept. 111-229; FY2011 enacted amounts were taken from H.Rept. 112-169; FY2012 enacted amounts were taken from H.Rept. 112-463; FY2013 post-sequestration amounts were provided by the Departments of Commerce and Justice, the Office of Science and Technology Policy, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Science Foundation, and each of the respective related agencies; FY2014 enacted amounts were taken from the joint explanatory statement to accompany P.L. 113-76, printed in the January 15, 2014, Congressional Record (pp. H507-H532); FY2015 enacted amounts were taken from the joint explanatory statement to accompany P.L. 113-235, printed in the December 11, 2014, Congressional Record (pp. H9342-H9363); FY2016 enacted amounts were taken from the joint explanatory statement to accompany P.L. 114-113, printed in the December 17, 2015, Congressional Record (pp. H9732-H9759); FY2017 enacted amounts were taken from the joint explanatory statement to accompany P.L. 115-31, printed in the May 3, 2017, Congressional Record (pp. H3365-H3390); FY2018 enacted amounts were taken from the joint explanatory statement to accompany P.L. 115-141, printed in the March 22, 2018, Congressional Record (pp. H2084-H2115). Notes: Inflation-adjusted appropriations are presented in FY2018 dollars. Appropriations were adjusted using the Gross Domestic Product (Chained) Price Index presented in Table 10.1 of the Historical Tables in the President's FY2019 budget submission. The amounts do not include rescissions of unobligated balances or scorekeeping credits (e.g., the balance on the Crime Victims Fund). The amounts include any rescissions of current-year budget authority and any supplemental appropriations.

Figure 2 shows total CJS funding for FY2009-FY2018 by major component (i.e., the Departments of Commerce and Justice, NASA, and the NSF). Increases in CJS funding in FY2009 (not including ARRA funding) and FY2010 largely resulted from more funding for the Department of Commerce in support of the 2010 decennial census, though there were small increases during that same time in funding for DOJ, NASA, and NSF.

Although decreased appropriations for the Department of Commerce mostly explain the overall decrease in CJS appropriations from FY2010 to FY2013 (a 47.4% reduction), cuts in funding for DOJ (-8.7%) and NASA (-9.8%) also contributed. Funding for NSF held relatively steady from FY2010 to FY2013.

Overall CJS funding has increased since FY2014, and this is partially explained by more funding for the Department of Commerce to help the Census Bureau prepare for the 2020 decennial census. However, over this time period there have also been steady increases in funding for DOJ (+9.5%), NASA (+18.0%), and NSF (+8.5%), as higher discretionary spending caps have been used to provide additional funding to these agencies. Also, the increase in funding for the Department of Commerce is not solely due to more funding for the Census Bureau. Funding has increased for other agencies within the department, such as NOAA (+18.7%) and NIST (+$41.0%).

Figure 2. Nominal Total CJS Funding, by Major Component, FY2009-FY2018 Appropriations in billions of dollars

Source: FY2009 enacted amounts were taken from H.Rept. 111-149; FY2010 enacted amounts were taken from S.Rept. 111-229; FY2011 enacted amounts were taken from H.Rept. 112-169; FY2012 enacted amounts were taken from H.Rept. 112-463; FY2013 post-sequestration amounts were provided by the Departments of Commerce and Justice, the Office of Science and Technology Policy, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Science Foundation, and each of the respective related agencies; FY2014 enacted amounts were taken from the joint explanatory statement to accompany P.L. 113-76, printed in the January 15, 2014, Congressional Record (pp. H507-H532); FY2015 enacted amounts were taken from the joint explanatory statement to accompany P.L. 113-235, printed in the December 11, 2014, Congressional Record (pp. H9342-H9363); FY2016 enacted amounts were taken from the joint explanatory statement to accompany P.L. 114-113, printed in the December 17, 2015, Congressional Record (pp. H9732-H9759); FY2017 enacted amounts were taken from the joint explanatory statement to accompany P.L. 115-31, printed in the May 3, 2017, Congressional Record (pp. H3365-H3390); FY2018 enacted amounts were taken from the joint explanatory statement to accompany P.L. 115-141, printed in the March 22, 2018, Congressional Record (pp. H2084-H2115). Notes: The amounts do not include rescissions of unobligated balances or scorekeeping credits (e.g., the balance on the Crime Victims Fund). The amounts include any rescissions of current-year budget authority and any supplemental appropriations.

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Key Policy Staff

Footnotes

1.	Note that the science agencies funded in the CJS bill are not the only federal science agencies.
2.	U.S. Department of Commerce, "About Commerce: Mission," at https://www.commerce.gov/page/about-commerce#mission.
3.	Ibid.
4.	U.S. Department of Justice, "About DOJ," at http://www.justice.gov/about/about.html.
5.	National Science and Technology Policy, Organization, and Priorities Act of 1976 (P.L. 94-282).
6.	Executive Order 12881 established the National Science and Technology Council.
7.	Executive Order 13539 established the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology.
8.	National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958 (P.L. 85-568).
9.	The National Science Foundation Act of 1950 (P.L. 81-507).
10.	The initial continuing resolution (P.L. 115-56) was extended by P.L. 115-90, P.L. 115-96, P.L. 115-120, and P.L. 115-123. For more information on the initial continuing resolution, see CRS Report R44978, Overview of Continuing Appropriations for FY2018 (P.L. 115-56).
11.	For more information on the BCA, see CRS Report R44874, The Budget Control Act: Frequently Asked Questions.