- Congressional Schedule Update
- COVID-19 Phase Four Legislation
- FY21 Appropriations Outlook
- Updated NDAA Timeline
- AAU, Associations Urge Treasury Department Not to Tax CARES Act Student Grant Aid
- AAU Joins Organizations to Submit Comments on Main Street Lending Program
- CNSF Offers Recommendations for Future COVID-19 Relief Legislation
- ESC Sends COVID-19 Relief Requests to House Space, Science and Technology Committee
- ESC Encourages DOE to Continue Summer Student Research Programs
- AAU Endorses COVID-19 Licensing Principles
- AAU Recommends Increased Relief for Research and Infrastructure
- AAU, Associations Support Legislation to Aid Student Veterans During COVID-19
- Ad Hoc Group for Medical Research Requests at Least $44.7 Billion for NIH in FY21
CONGRESSIONAL SCHEDULE UPDATE
Congress will not return to Washington until May 4 at the earliest, NPR reports. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (R-MD) on Monday announced the House would stand in recess until May 4, and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) on Tuesday announced an extension of the Senate’s recess to May 4. Both chambers of Congress are currently holding pro forma sessions twice weekly to permit floor consideration of non-controversial legislation. However, under the rules of each chamber, a single lawmaker’s objection can prevent passage of any legislation during these sessions. This was the case for legislation that would provide $250 billion in COVID-19 relief for small businesses, which “Senate Democrats blocked last week after insisting on more money for hospitals and local governments,” according to Politico. Lawmakers are not expected to take up “Phase Four” COVID-19 relief and stimulus package until their return to Washington, but they continue working to identify and develop key components of the package.
Meanwhile, House appropriators are working to move FY21 appropriations forward and have set preliminary subcommittee spending figures to begin drafting legislation, Bloomberg Government reports. The 302(b) allocations for each of the 13 spending bills have been shared with subcommittee leaders but have not been publicly released. House Appropriations Chair Nita Lowey (D-NY) has announced that the committee will hold markups “when Congress returns to Washington.”
The pandemic and resulting scheduling changes have also impacted the NDAA. Last week, House Armed Services Committee Chair Adam Smith (D-WA) said that “the likelihood that [NDAA completion] slips past Oct. 1 is obviously increasing by the day,” according to Politico Pro. Smith had scheduled a markup of the measure for April 30, which was cancelled and has not yet been rescheduled. The committee aims to have its version of the bill ready May 1.
AAU, ASSOCIATIONS URGE TREASURY DEPARTMENT NOT TO TAX CARES ACT STUDENT GRANT AID
Yesterday, AAU joined NACUBO and six other associations on a letter to the Treasury Department to ensure that the CARES Act’s emergency grant aid for is not treated as taxable income or traditional educational grant aid. The letter urges the department instead to treat it as “nontaxable qualified disaster relief payment made by Congress to students in response to an ongoing nationwide disaster.”
AAU JOINS ORGANIZATIONS TO SUBMIT COMMENTS ON MAIN STREET LENDING PROGRAM
AAU yesterday joined ACE and 44 other organizations to submit comments to the Federal Reserve about the Main Street Lending Program, a new loan program created by the CARES Act. The program is designed to support businesses with fewer than 10,000 employees by providing loans of $1 million to $25 million and additional lending, added to existing loans, of up to $150 million. The program does not include guidance on the eligibility of nonprofit organizations – such as colleges and universities – which has led some lawmakers to conclude that nonprofit organizations are not eligible to participate. In the letter, the organizations encouraged the Federal Reserve to clarify that these nonprofits are eligible to receive credit and loans under the Main Street Lending Program.
CNSF OFFERS RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FUTURE COVID-19 RELIEF LEGISLATION
The Coalition for National Science Funding, of which AAU is a member, recently sent a letter to the House Space, Science, and Technology Committee to offer recommendations for future COVID-19-related stimulus and relief efforts. The coalition recommended the committee provide additional funding for the NSF’s ongoing and future coronavirus research; research grants for students, faculty, and facilities; mid-scale research programs; and for the NSF’s role in the nation’s post-pandemic economic recovery.
ESC SENDS COVID-19 RELIEF REQUESTS TO HOUSE SPACE, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COMMITTEE
Earlier this week, Energy Sciences Coalition, which includes AAU, sent a letter to the House Space, Science, and Technology Committee in response to the committee’s request for recommendations for COVID-19 related stimulus and relief efforts. The coalition requested at least $10 billion to help support “response, recovery, and economic stimulus activities for Office of Science.” The group also suggested increased investments in the construction and operation of new science facilities to create jobs and expand research and education initiatives essential to the future of the scientific workforce, based on the group’s July 2019 Infrastructure Statement to Congress .
ESC ENCOURAGES DOE TO CONTINUE SUMMER STUDENT RESEARCH PROGRAMS
Today the ESC sent a letter to Department of Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette urging that he continue to offer the department’s 10-week “summer research experience” for summer 2020. The letter encourages the department to develop “alternative, remote programs as necessary to ensure safe working environments,” and emphasizes that these internships are critical to provide students with credentials necessary for their future in the scientific enterprise – especially those who are underrepresented in STEM.
AAU ENDORSES COVID-19 LICENSING PRINCIPLES
On Wednesday, AAU endorsed COVID-19 Licensing Principles , led by the Association of University Technology Managers, that encourage expediting the transfer of groundbreaking university innovations to industry for rapid development into COVID-19 medical treatments and technologies. Among other things, the principles encourage intellectual property owners to adopt time-limited, non-exclusive, royalty-free licenses for COVID-19 inventions.
AAU RECOMMENDS INCREASED RELIEF FOR RESEARCH AND INFRASTRUCTURE
AAU on Monday sent a memo to House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology staff to offer input on future economic stimulus packages to provide relief during the COVID-19 crisis. The memo was sent in response to the committee’s request for stakeholder input. In addition to the recommendation from AAU and the higher education community of $26 billion in relief funding to sustain the workforce, the memo requests support for infrastructure needs and specifically highlights the needs of DOE, NSF, and NASA.
AAU, ASSOCIATIONS SUPPORT LEGISLATION TO AID STUDENT VETERANS DURING COVID-19
On Monday, AAU joined ACE and 16 other higher education organizations on a letter to Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee leaders Sen. Jerry Moran (R-KS) and Jon Tester (D-MT) to express their strong support for H.R. 6322, the “Student Veteran Coronavirus Response Act of 2020.” According to the letter, the legislation “would provide the Department of Veterans Affairs important flexibility to address disruptions to veterans’ education benefits caused by COVID-19 through December 21, 2020.” The measure includes provisions to provide flexibility that would allow the VA to continue providing work-study allowances; distribute monthly housing allowances; restore education entitlements if veterans need to withdraw due to the pandemic; and provide extensions for expiring benefits.
AD HOC GROUP FOR MEDICAL RESEARCH REQUESTS AT LEAST $44.7 BILLION FOR NIH IN FY21
The Ad Hoc Group for Medical Research, which includes AAU, recently sent a letter to congressional appropriations leaders urging them to “significantly boost” the FY21 302(b) allocations for the Labor-Health and Human Services-Education spending bill. According to the group, a significant increase will ensure the subcommittee’s full investment in NIH and other health agencies and programs that collaborate to protect the nation’s health – funding that is especially important during a global health pandemic. The letter concludes with a request at least $44.7 billion for the NIH in FY21.