[The Duke]

And let me guess...they can do this if we'll just fund them X number of dollars for the next 25 years(?)

The headline could just as easily, and credibly, have said "Cancer researchers expect to find cancer cure within the next 25 years".

[RightWhale]

they can do this if we'll just fund them X number of dollars for the next 25 years

SETI is privately funded now. It wasn't always, but for many years it has been privately funded.

Both NASA and ESA are actively searching for life with our tax dollar, but not through SETI.