The House appears to be preparing itself for a vote on the first of the 12 FY13 appropriations bills this week. First up is the Commerce, Justice, Science bill, likely to be on the floor for amendments and votes starting today. Concerns remain as the House has an open rule on amendments, which could lead to major changes in the drafted legislation by Representatives who want to see substantially less funding invested in research. Attached you will find the current full committee draft of the House legislation.
Senate releases summary of their drafted Farm Bill Reauthorization
The U. S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry has released a summary of its proposed reauthorization of the Farm Bill – the Agriculture Reform, Food and Jobs Act of 2012
Transportation bill looming on collapse
As of today, Congress (in particular, the House) has 16 days to come up with a solution to the ongoing debate about federal transportation spending. On Wednesday, March 14th, the Senate passed a bi-partisan 2 year bill, that would keep our transportation infrastructure/and public transit in operation. The House has to find a way to come to an agreement with Tea Party republicans who initially insisted on cutting public transportation funds. Our University Transportation Center at UD is funded through this authorization bill. We are keeping close tabs on this as it will have an impact on our transportation research, but also how it will impact each employee & students commute.
~Angie Anderson, Director of Federal Relations
Obama Administration releases fiscal year 2013 budget proposal
On Monday, February 13th, the White House released its annual budget blueprint for FY13 to be reviewed for Congressional approval. The map outlines the Administration’s funding priorities for the upcoming fiscal year within the federal agencies. It appears that overall research funding comes out relatively unscathed, with slight increases across the board in many critical programs, although there are some cuts to a handful of critical programs as well. It is important to note that this is considered the Administration’s “suggestion” on how to allocate funds, and will likely be altered as Congress, who holds the purse strings, proceeds forward in their budgeting process through September 30th. Attached you will find a variety of documents that break down the budget request by Agency. As more information is released, the documents will be updated accordingly. If you should have any questions please feel free to contact me at your convenience, at 302-540-9342 or in the comments section.
~Angie Anderson, Director, Federal Relations
FY2013 Budget Summary (part I)
DOE FY13 Appropriations Table (1)
Senate Appropriations Committee Extends Earmark Moratorium
Today, the Senate Appropriations committee, chaired by Senator Inouye, (D-HI) announced that the Senate will extend its earmark moratorium through the fiscal year 2013, shortly before a Chamber vote was scheduled on a permanent ban. The House has a ban in place through the duration of the 112th Congress. The press release from the Senate Appropriations Committee can be found at this link. Senate Appropriations Committee Announces Extension of Earmark Moratorium (2)
President addresses university issues in SOTU
In his State of the Union address, President Obama discussed three issues of particular interest to universities: basic research, college costs and the DREAM Act.
Basic Research. During his speech, the President also reiterated his support for maintaining the federal investment in research, “Innovation also demands basic research. Today, the discoveries taking place in our federally financed labs and universities could lead to new treatments that kill cancer cells but leave healthy ones untouched. New lightweight vests for cops and soldiers that can stop any bullet. Don’t gut these investments in our budget. Don’t let other countries win the race for the future. Support the same kind of research and innovation that led to the computer chip and the Internet; to new American jobs and new American industries.” There were also a few remarks made regarding federal investments in renewable energy sources, as well as the importance of medical research.
College Costs: During the SOTU, the President put the nation’s colleges and universities “on notice” that the government could not continue to “subsidize skyrocketing tuition.” He urged state governments to elevate higher education in their budget priorities and called on Congress to double the number of work-study jobs over five years, permanently extend the American Opportunity Task Credit, and prevent interest rates on subsidized federal student loans from rising from 3.4 percent to 6.8 percent on July 1, as scheduled. A follow up blog post will be made to delve into greater details of this initiative.
DREAM Act: The President also touched on the DREAM Act, noting that Congress should approve legislation to allow young people brought to this country illegally at a young age to qualify for in-state tuition after attending high school (the DREAM Act) and to allow foreign students who earn college degrees in business and STEM fields to remain in the U.S. for work.
Welcome to the Federal Relations Blog
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As the 112th Congress reconvenes after the winter break, the University of Delaware’s office of Federal Relations has created this blog to keep UD faculty and staff up to date on the actions of Congress & the Administration. The goal is to highlight most of the federal action that will have an impact on higher education and federally funded research. If there is a topic or area you would like additional focus please feel free to contact me and make your request.