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Flake Amendment to Prohibit NSF Funding of Political Science Passes House
Legislative Alert Update: May 10
Last night, the House of Representatives passed an amendment to the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act to prohibit NSF political science funding. The amendment passed by a roll call vote, 218 to 208. The vote divided along party lines; five Democrats voted in support and 27 Republicans vote in opposition to the amendment.
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Flake Amendment Threatens Political Science NSF Funding
Legislative Alert: May 9
APSA has learned that Representative Jeff Flake (AZ) may imminently introduce an amendment to the NSF appropriations bill now on the House floor (HR 5326: the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2013) to defund the political science program at the NSF.

Flake may introduce the amendment today. Please take steps right away that you feel appropriate to alert your Congressional Relations staff and to contact your Representative not to cut political science funding at NSF. APSA will forward more information as we can obtain it.

In Memoriam: James Q. Wilson, Influential Scholar & Former APSA President.
Professor James Q. Wilson, influential political scientist and former APSA president, passed away on March 2, 2012 at age 80. Read Wilson's 1992 Presidential Address, "The Moral Sense" (PDF) »  and the Tribute to Wilson in The Washington Post »

Advisory Committee on Human Research Protections
The protection of human research subjects is again on the federal government’s agenda. Read more »

Update on Programs Following Passage of FY 2011 Funding

• July 2011 Update: The House Committee on Appropriations approved the FY 2012 Commerce, Justice, Science (CJS) Appropriations bill, which includes NSF funding. Neither the CJS subcommittee nor the full appropriations committee offered amendments affecting NSF. However, all programs in the bill took a 0.001 percent cut. Both subcommittee chairman Frank Wolf (R-VA) and subcommittee ranking member Chaka Fattah (D-PA) talked about the importance of science in their opening comments. NSF funding has many more hurdles to overcome, and APSA will monitor its progress.
• Read APSA's response to Senator Coburn's Report on NSF funding.
• The National Science Foundation (NSF) research budget was reduced $43 million from FY10 levels and the NSF Education and Human Resources budget was reduced by $10 million from FY10 levels. (The President had requested a $444 mil. increase for NSF; and Houst Republicans in HR 1 had proposed a $360 mil.) NSF has 30 days to respond with a plan on where to allocate the cuts. Usually, the reductions are proportionate to the budget proposal, and NSF has signaled in the past that this is what they will do. If allocated proportionately this would mean, by rough calculation, a $1.5 million reduction in the SBE budget this year. APSA is working with COSSA on NSF issues.
• The National Edowment for Humanities (NEH) was reduced by $12.5 mil. (7.5%) with a final level of $155 mil. HR 1 had called for a 13% reduction, and PResident Obama's budget for FY12 proposed a 12% reduction, so the outcome for FY2011 is relative plus.
  APSA Executive Director Michael Brintnall testified on April 14, 2011, before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on the Interior that has jurisdiction for NEH, in support of restoring funding for FY2012. The next test is how the NEH allocates its cut, since the pass-through funding to the State Humanities Councils is very popular with Congress. Chairman Leach said he is committed to retaining the balance between that and the competitive research grants, though there are different ways to calculate it. APSA is working with the National Humanities Alliance on addressing this.

Luis Fraga Appointed to President Obama's Commission on Education Excellence for Hispanics
President Barack Obama announced his appointment of Luis Ricardo Fraga to his Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanics. Luis Ricardo Fraga currently serves on the APSA Council as vice president. He is also Associate Vice Provost for Faculty Advancement at the University of Washington in Seattle where he serves as Russell F. Stark University Professor, Director of the Diversity Research Institute, and Professor of Political Science. Read the White House release here. 

Centennial Center for Political Science & Public Affairs Research Space Available
Members planning research visits to Washington, D.C. should consider making use of the Centennial Center for Political Science & Public Affairs. The Center can host scholars for short or extended stays, providing office space, computers, and other necessary resources. Applications are accepted at any time.