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Summary:
Science, technology, and medicine are an integral part of many of the policy issues that might come before the Congress this second session. This report provides an overview of several of these issues and identifies CRS reports that treat them in more depth. Legislative action in certain areas will directly affect the progress of science, technology, and medicine. For FY1999, the administration requested a 3% increase for federal R& D funds. While congressional support ap-pears strong for more funding for R& D, appropriation action thus far shows that not all of the increases will be realized, although a real increase over FY1998 is likely. Principal beneficiaries of the increase will be the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation. Legislative implementation of the proposed settlement between several state attorneys-general and the tobacco industry is appears unlikely in this Congress. The Administration had requested that some of the funds collected from any settlement be used for R& D, but the demise of any settlement makes that improbable. Growing use of encryption and its potential effects on law enforcement and national security activities is an important congressional issue. A critical question is government access to keys to read encrypted information. The ''year 2000'' computer problem is seeing increased congressional attention as concern grows that efforts by many federal agencies to solve the problem may be inadequate. The use of a surcharge on customer long-distance phone bills to pay for access to the Internet by schools and libraries, called the E-rate, is generating a great deal of activity in Congress. The provision was part of telecommunications deregulation legislation enacted in 1996, and efforts are being made for its repeal or modification. While the Kyoto conference treaty committing the U.S. to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is unlikely to be submitted to the Senate this year, congressional review of the Administration's Climate Change Technology Initiative (CCTI) has been substantial. In particular, Congress is concerned that funding all of the CCTI provisions may commit to the Kyoto accords before the Senate has a chance to consider the treaty. The future of the space station, in view of continued problems with Russian participation and growing costs, is being called into question, and the station's first launch has been delayed to November 1998. While congressional support remains strong, new estimates of significant cost overruns have prompted intense scrutiny of the program. The slight decline in defense RDT& E requested for FY1999 has generated some debate about the adequacy of the technology base to support the nation's defense posture in the next century. Congressional action thus far has provided small increases above the request. DOE has requested a substantial increase in funds for nuclear weapons Stockpile Stewardship and Maintenance programs for FY1999. Most of the funds are being granted, but there is some concern that parts of the program are moving faster than justified.
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