The federal government recently avoided a complete shutdown largely due to the work of U.S.Rep. David Price, D-District 4, who, as the chairperson of the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Subcommittee, helped secure funding for valuable national and statewide programs.
Price is North Carolina's only member of the appropriations subcommittee.
In the wake of a Feb. 15 deadline to pass a new funding bill, the subcommittee created seven appropriations bills. These bills were then signed into law, denying suggested budget cuts and preventing another government shutdown.
“Federal research funding spurs innovation to give the United States a competitive edge. As a member of the conference committee that negotiated the funding agreement to avert another government shutdown, I helped prevent devastating cuts proposed by the Trump administration and protect critical investments including funding for the Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Research and Development in Research Triangle Park and National Science Foundation grants that support innovative research at local universities,” Price said in a statement.
The legislation guarantees funding for the Environmental Protection Agency’s facility in Research Triangle Park. This bill rejects previously suggested budget cuts and provides $706.5 million in investments for the EPA Science and Technology account.
"This rejects cuts in Trump’s budget and protects the EPA research facility in North Carolina’s Fourth Congressional District, which supports critical lab research and methodologies testing for the entire agency," Price said in a press release announcing the bills.
This collection of bills was the continuation of funding of university research. This bill is especially relevant to universities in the RTP like North Carolina State University and UNC. This is because had the bill not been created, budget cuts imposed by President Donald Trump would have greatly reduced funding for the NSF, which funds research at universities.
This bill, largely created by Price, includes $8.1 billion in funding to support the continuation of research. The shutdown would have indirectly affected the University and its ability to educate its students and staff through research.
Ranked fifth in the nation, UNC conducts federally funded research, securing almost $676 million annually from federal agencies. UNC Vice Chancellor for Research Terry Magnuson highlighted the centrality of the research for the University.
