U.S. science advocates face a new political landscape in Congress. Voters yesterday handed Republicans control of the Senate, ending a brief era of divided government and putting President George W. Bush in a strong position to advance policies--from a ban on human cloning to a permanent tax break for corporate research spending--that have implications for scientists. The switch could also delay large funding increases for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and other major science funding agencies.
Until yesterday, Democrats held a single-vote majority in the 100-member Senate. Now, after a string of underdog victories and razor-thin wins, Republicans will hold at least 51 seats, and perhaps as many as 53, when Congress reconvenes in January. Republicans also strengthened their majority in the House of Representatives, essentially giving the party control of the legislative process.
The shift could restrict the flow of grants to researchers--at least temporarily. That's because Republican leaders could postpone final action on a host of stalled measures, including spending bills that fund NIH, the National Science Foundation (NSF), and other science agencies, until the new Congress convenes. Those bills, which cover the fiscal year that began on 1 October, currently call for double-digit increases for NIH and NSF. Lobbyists don't see a major impact on the government's long-term spending on science, although the Bush Administration has been skeptical of proposals to double NSF's budget over 5 years.
Republican control does worry biomedical research groups opposed to a ban on both human reproductive cloning and the replication of embryos for research purposes. Both the White House and the House of Representatives have backed the total ban, but outgoing Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle (D-SD) helped a bipartisan group of allies block the idea in the Senate. The expected new majority leader, Trent Lott (R-MS), is believed to be more supportive. "It certainly will be easier to get [a cloning ban] on the floor" for a vote, says Tony Mazzaschi, a lobbyist with the Association of American Medical Colleges in Washington, D.C.
Republican leaders may also speed up action on a slew of other bills of interest to researchers. One is a massive energy bill that authorizes extensive new research programs. Another creates a new Department of Homeland Security, which would house a major new research program. The Bush Administration has also discussed making permanent an existing tax break for corporate spending on R&D--an idea popular with many science groups.
--DAVID MALAKOFF
