Congressman Austria Includes Language in Appropriations Bill to Spur Innovation and Job Creation

Press Release

Today, the House Appropriations Committee approved the fiscal year 2013 Commerce, Justice, Science (CJS) Appropriations bill. Congressman Steve Austria (OH-Beavercreek), a member of the CJS Appropriations Subcommittee, secured specific language in the bill to promote innovation and American competitiveness.

"During these difficult budget constraints tough decisions must be made and federal programs prioritized accordingly to promote competitiveness and economic growth. As a member of the CJS Subcommittee, I was pleased to see an appropriations bill that reins in the out-of-control spending in Washington while supporting research and development that is critical to ensuring the competitiveness of our nation and creating jobs here at home," said Congressman Austria.

In the state of Ohio, the Aerospace industry employs approximately 100,133 full-time workers, and according to the Ohio Aerospace and Business Aviation Advisory Council, the number of aerospace-related jobs in the Dayton area is expected to grow.

"The University of Dayton Research Institute, Wright State University Research Institute, and other Ohio higher education institutions are leading the aerospace industry with cutting edge research and technology. It is critical to continue the support for National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and National Science Foundation (NSF) research and development programs," Congressman Austria said.

"Investment in research is critical to support innovation and training the next generation of scientists that will keep America competitive. In this challenging budget environment, the fact that the committee has shown strong support for the NSF is very forward-looking, since some of the most important innovations of the modern era were supported by the NSF," said Carol Whitacre, Vice President for Research, The Ohio State University.

"NSF funding is vital for support of the critical research at the intersection of engineering, science, and medicine and for building synergies between these disciplines. The support of university based research in partnership with industry and government organizations promises technological advances and applications that will benefit society in many ways," Robert Fyffe, Vice President of Research, Wright State University.

"This legislation will help to put our country back on a fiscally-sustainable path that will create jobs in the private sector and strengthen the economy while ensuring safety for our children and grandchildren," Congressman Austria concluded.

The bill funds programs within the Department of Commerce, the Department of Justice (DOJ), NASA, NSF, and other related agencies.

CJS Bill Highlights:

NASA-- NASA is funded at nearly $18 billion in the bill. Ohio specific funding within the bill includes:

Maintaining sufficient funding for NASA's aeronautics work will continue to encourage Ohio's growing aerospace industry, support our defense contractors, and further emerging fields utilizing unmanned aerial systems technologies.

NSF-- The legislation funds the NSF at $7.3 billion, which is $299 million above fiscal year 2012. Specific funding within the bill includes:

NSF's entire increase is provided to core research and education activities, which are critical to innovation and U.S. economic competitiveness, including funding for an advanced manufacturing science initiative and for research in cyber-security and cyber-infrastructure.
NSF funding is critical to support Ohio's universities, which rely on NSF to help further their scientific research, promote STEM education, and keep America competitive into the future.
DOJ-- The bill funds DOJ at $27 billion, an increase of $11 million above fiscal year 2012 and $44 million below the President's request. Specific program funding in the bill includes:

Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) -- Provides $8.3 billion for the FBI programs to prevent and investigate state-sponsored, terrorist and criminal cyber intrusions.
Debbie Smith Backlog Program-- Will be funded at fiscal year 2012 levels. This funding is used for state and local entities to test conduct DNA samples from victims and criminals that are currently backlogged due to lack of resources.
Victims of Child Abuse Act-- Will receive funding after the President's budget request zeroed out this program. This funding is used by numerous programs and specifically several child advocacy centers in the 7th Congressional District and around Ohio.
Missing and Exploited Children Program-- Responsibly dispenses grant money to programs with proven results to effectively train Internet Crimes Against Children task force members and other law enforcement officials, such as the Xenia Police Department, on new technologies to track and investigate internet crimes against children, such as child pornography.

Other Provisions -- Incorporated in the bill are additional general provisions, including:

The development of vocational and post-secondary training programs in economically distressed rural areas with high unemployment rates in order to address the shortage of skilled workers in various industries.
Strengthening Second Amendment Rights with the following provisions:
- A prohibition on the use of funds to require an export license for small firearms parts valued at less than $500 for export to Canada.

- A prohibition on the use of funds to facilitate the transfer of firearms to any individual that is a known or suspected agent of a drug cartel as part of a law enforcement operation.

- A prohibition on the use of funds to arbitrarily deny importation of qualifying curio and relic firearms.

- A prohibition on the use of funds to deny a Federal Firearms License or renewal of a Federal Firearms License on the basis of business activity.

- A prohibition on the use of funds to impose a ban on imported shotguns.

- A prohibition on the use of any funds to maintain any record on multiple rifle or shotgun sales to an individual.

- A prohibition on the use of funds to transfer a duty or responsibility of the BATFE to any other agency or department.

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