AUTISM IN THE NEWS
$19 Million in Federal Funding for Autism Research Might be in Jeopardy
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
An analysis issued by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) says that federal agencies that fund autism research are in danger of facing an eight percent budget cut in January. This means that federal funding for autism research could be hit by as much as $18.9 million.
If the Obama Administration and the U.S. Congress cannot find a way to agree on spending cuts to specific programs, an automatic $109 billion cut to the federal budget will go into effect. This automatic cut was mandated in the Budget Control Act last year. The agencies that this would affect include the National Institute for Health (NIH), which funds autism research, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which monitors autism statistics, and the Human Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), which funds the Autism Treatment Network.
According to Autism Speaks, the federal budget, which has $238 million appropriated for autism initiatives, is due to expire on September 30, 2012.
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