Today President Trump revealed a budget request for Fiscal Year 2021, which seeks a $590 billion for nondefense spending (a 5 percent cut) and $671.5 billion for defense spending (almost a 1 percent increase). Decreased funding levels, especially for nondefense spending, are typical in the second year of a two-year budget deal.
Under the administration’s request, total DOE spending would be decreased by over $3 billion for a total of $35.4 billion. The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), however, would see another increase to $19.8 billion, a 19 percent increase above the current level.
The Office of Environmental Management (EM) would be funded at $6.2 billion (defense and non-defense). Several site budgets would be decreased under this request.
The Office of Nuclear Energy (NE) would be funded at $1.18 billion and the Office of Science funded at $5.8 billion. The Office of Legacy Management would be funded at $317 million (a 95 percent increase).
After President Trump tweeted last week that he plans to seek alternatives to the Yucca Mountain repository, he did not request any funds for licensing the project in Nevada for FY 2021. Instead, the administration is "initiating processes to develop alternative solutions and engaging States in developing an actionable path forward."
At ECA’s annual conference on January 31, several speakers indicated that it is unlikely for the FY 2021 budget to be passed this year prior to the presidential election.
Recent presidential election years suggest the FY 2021 budget will likely be passed several months late. In 2016, only one appropriations bill was passed before November, with the remaining bills passed the following April. In 2012, no
appropriations bills were passed until the following April.
View the President’s FY 2021 budget request here. Detailed funding tables are available in the appendix here.
