- Budget and Appropriations Update
- Senate Budget Chair Reveals Plan to Fix Broken Budget Process
- House SST, Energy Chairs Introduce AAU-endorsed ARPA-E Reauthorization
- AAU, Associations Thank Sponsors of College Student Hunger Act
- Senate Confirms Kratsios as OSTP Director
- Education Dept to Review California’s Online College Financial Aid Plan
- Upcoming Events
BUDGET AND APPROPRIATIONS UPDATE
The Senate yesterday approved the bipartisan budget agreement to raise the Budget Control Act’s budget caps for two years and suspend the federal debt limit until July 31, 2021. The House passed the measure July 25. The president has expressed his support for the deal and is expected to sign.
Lawmakers have just 13 combined legislative days until September 30 to agree on 12 appropriations measures and fund the government. The House will need to cut $15 billion in non-defense spending and increase defense spending by $5 billion in their appropriations measures. Senate Appropriations Chair Richard Shelby (R-AL) reportedly plans to assign spending figures to all 12 appropriations subcommittees early next week.
Defense-Labor-Health and Human Services-Education and Energy-Water may be packaged together and passed before September 30. However, it is reportedly likely that departments and agencies funded by the remaining 10 appropriations bills will begin the fiscal year funded by a stopgap spending bill.
RESOURCES AVAILABLE: AAU President Praises Passage of Budget Agreement, Urges Swift Appropriations Action
SENATE BUDGET CHAIR REVEALS PLAN TO FIX BROKEN BUDGET PROCESS
Retiring Senate Budget Committee Chair Mike Enzi (R-WI) Wednesday revealed his bipartisan plan to overhaul the “broken down” budget process. The plan includes four proposals: to establish a two-year budget and appropriations cycle; to boost enforcement and accountability for members of Congress and committee leaders; increase transparency in the Congressional Budget Office’s estimating methods; and improve the Senate’s budget approval process. Enzi’s plan would replace the Senate Budget Committee with a Fiscal Control Committee that would include leaders of the appropriations and finance committees and would create a measure to set discretionary spending and extend the debt limit in two-year cycles.
HOUSE SST, ENERGY CHAIRS INTRODUCE AAU-ENDORSED ARPA-E REAUTHORIZATION
House Science, Space, and Technology Chair Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) and Energy Subcommittee Chair Conor Lamb (D-PA) this week introduced H.R. 4091 , the “ARPA-E Reauthorization Act of 2019.” The measure would increase funding for ARPA-E to $1 billion by FY24. AAU endorses this legislation.
The Energy Sciences Coalition, of which AAU is a member, yesterday wrote to Reps. Johnson and Lamb to thank them for this critical investment in maintaining America’s global leadership in energy technologies and security. The letter notes ARPA-E’s impressive track record of “success in advancing high-risk, high-reward energy technology solutions,” including 145 projects which have received over $2.9 billion in private sector funding.
RESOURCE AVAILABLE: Department of Energy (DOE) AAU FY20 Funding Brief
AAU, ASSOCIATIONS THANK SPONSORS OF COLLEGE STUDENT HUNGER ACT
AAU, together with ACE, APLU, and 31 other higher education associations, yesterday sent a letter to Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Rep. Alfred Lawson Jr. (D-FL) to thank them for introducing S. 2143 and H.R. 3809 , the “College Student Hunger Act of 2019.” This legislation would remove barriers preventing low-income students from accessing SNAP benefits by expanding the program to include Pell Grant-eligible students and students with an expected family contribution of $0, and requires the Education Department to notify these students that they may be eligible for these benefits and provide information on how to apply. In the letter, the organizations said the measure “will provide needed tools and resources aimed at ensuring that students will not go hungry as they pursue higher education.”
EDUCATION DEPT TO REVIEW CALIFORNIA’S ONLINE COLLEGE FINANCIAL AID PLAN
The Education Department recently announced it would enforce Obama-era rules to regulate online colleges, a move which limits available options to address financial aid cuts for California residents.
To comply with the rule change, the California Consumer Affairs Department Monday announced it would develop a complaint process for students enrolled in out-of-state online college programs. This would and potentially save some 80,000 students from losing financial aid. Soon after, the Education Department announced it would review the state’s efforts to comply with the federal standards.
RESOURCE AVAILABLE: AAU, Associations Advise Education Department on Title IV Funding Fix
SENATE CONFIRMS KRATSIOS AS OSTP ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR
The Senate yesterday confirmed Michael Kratsios as Associate Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and U.S. Chief Technology Officer. In his previous role as Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy U.S. Chief Technology Officer, Kratsios engaged a broad cross-section of leaders from academia, government, and the private sector to help ensure our nation’s continued leadership in areas critical to our economic and security interests.
RESOURCE AVAILABLE: AAU President Supports Kratsios for OSTP Associate Director, U.S. Chief Technology Officer
UPCOMING EVENTS
SEPTEMBER 9 FY20 INFRASTRUCTURE FUNDING EXAMPLES DUE; For more information, see memo here. To submit examples, use this form. Contact Amy Scott with questions.
SEPTEMBER 10 GOLDEN GOOSE AWARDS; 5:30 p.m. at the Library of Congress. See the Save the Date for more information.