Congress is on track to increase federal spending for
research and development programs by at least $ 3.1 billion in fiscal 2017 over the previous year, a noteworthy boost at a
time when overall federal
discretionary spending is slated to remain flat, according to AAAS» latest analysis of federal spending programs.
«Friendships are
discretionary while family relationships are obligatory,» she says, «and past
research shows that obligatory relationships can be less beneficial than
discretionary relationships during
times of stress.»