Dive Summary:
- An amendment attached to a budget stalemate compromise, which passed the Senate Wednesday by a vote of 73 to 26, would restrict the National Science Foundation from approving grants for anything involving political science unless the foundation can prove the grants promote U.S. national security or economic interests.
- The amendment was proposed by Oklahoma Senator Tom Coburn, who last week sent a critical letter to NSF director Subra Suresh listing agency-financed projects that he considered a waste of taxpayer money--several of which involved political science.
- The bill is expected to pass the House of Representatives and also does little to restore the 5% sequestration budget cuts to the National Institutes of Health and the NSF.
From the article:
... The Senate vote drew condemnation from Michael Brintnall, executive director of the American Political Science Association, who called it a dangerous act of political interference in science.
"Basically, it's shutting down a whole mode of independent federally funded research on the behavior of the government," Mr. Brintnall said. ...