<div dir="ltr"><h1 style="box-sizing:border-box;font-size:16pt;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif">Proposed WWV cuts ignored by Congress</h1><p style="box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:16px">In February, NIST proposed drastic cuts to its FY2019 budget, including shutdown of time-and-frequency stations WWV, WWVB and WWVH. <br style="box-sizing:border-box">This has raised concerns on social media, echoed by the ARRL.</p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:16px">However, the U.S. Congress, which appropriates all funds for the Federal budget, has so far turned a deaf ear to the proposal. Though it is early in the annual budget process, both the House and Senate seem inclined to increase NIST&#39;s funding for cybersecurity, limit NIST&#39;s big construction budget to one year, and otherwise make only minor changes in the agency&#39;s funding.</p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:16px">Measurement dissemination by the WWV stations falls under &quot;Laboratory Programs,&quot; part of the awkwardly named Scientific and Technical Research and Services division. Multi-agency appropriations bills reported out of committee to the floor of each chamber, H.R. 5952 and S. 3072,call for no changes in lab program funding. A separate NIST reauthorization bill, H.R. 6229, calls for increases to expand lab programs into new area.</p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:16px">For several years, Congress has passed budget bills months after the October 1 start of the government&#39;s fiscal year. This year looks to be no exception. So far, though, Congress has shown little appetite for cuts to any science or technology program.</p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:16px"><a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/5952" target="_blank" style="box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(0,51,102);text-decoration-line:none;word-wrap:break-word">https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/5952</a></p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:16px"><a href="https://science.house.gov/news/press-releases/sst-committee-approves-nist-reauthorization-act-2018" target="_blank" style="box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(0,51,102);text-decoration-line:none;word-wrap:break-word">https://science.house.gov/news/press-releases/sst-committee-approves-nist-reauthorization-act-2018</a></p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:16px"><a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/3072/text" target="_blank" style="box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(0,51,102);text-decoration-line:none;word-wrap:break-word">https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/3072/text</a></p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:16px"><strong style="box-sizing:border-box"><em style="box-sizing:border-box">Wes, AC8JF</em></strong></p></div>