Congressional Fellow applications are due

ASME currently has an opening for a Congressional Fellow to serve a one-year term in the office of a United States representative or senator, or in the office of a Congressional Committee. Applications are due April 1.

ASME was the first engineering society to establish a Federal Government Fellows Program. Since then, other engineering and scientific societies have used ASME's program as a model in developing their own federal government fellow programs.

The program enables selected ASME members to devote a year to providing engineering and technical advice to policy makers in Congress, federal agencies and the White House. Federal government fellowships offer a valuable public service to the nation, while providing engineers with a unique opportunity to participate directly in the policy-making process.

Previous fellows have described their year in Washington as the most exciting, rewarding and educational period of their professional careers. This enriching experience enables fellows to bring back to their employers an insider's perspective on government decision making that can contribute significantly to the mission and vision of the organization.

A fellowship applicant must be a U.S. citizen and an ASME member at the time of application. The following credentials are encouraged: at least five years of professional experience, an advanced engineering degree, professional engineer registration and some public policy experience.

For additional information, contact Francis Dietz at dietzf@asme.org. Applications are available online at www.asme.org/gric.

New budget to be long on discipline, short on funds

When President Bush submits his fiscal year 2006 budget to Congress on Feb. 7, it is likely to be a gloomy day in Washington, and not because of winter weather. The White House has told Congressional leaders that they can expect very little growth in spending for programs other than defense and homeland security, and that the president likely will seek substantial funding reductions and even total elimination of some programs.

The president has stated his goal is to cut the federal budget deficit in half in his second term, and to do that while protecting defense and homeland security funding will require "very, very strong discipline," according to White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card. Overall non-defense, non-homeland security spending in the current fiscal year grew at a minuscule eight-tenths of a percentage point, and budget staff on Capitol Hill have been told to brace for even tighter spending requests for the next fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1.

Although both Houses of Congress and the presidency were controlled by Republicans for the past two years, spending discipline has been lacking, and despite his victory in November, the president took heat on that from conservatives. This year, several influential members of Congress have told the media that they expect Congress to tighten its spending belt, including for some agencies that have been popular in recent years. For example, House and Senate Appropriations Committee staff members have suggested that funding for the National Science Foundation, which took a hit in the current fiscal year, could be frozen at current levels in the next year. Also, funding for the National Institutes of Health — a budget darling for the past several years — can expect to see its funding increases end.

— Francis Dietz
ASME Government Relations

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