- Budget and Appropriations Update
- AAU, Science Community Comment on Shutdown Harm
- President Trump Signs Artificial Intelligence Executive Order
- Senators Reintroduce Title VI Reauthorization Legislation
- Upcoming Events
BUDGET AND APPROPRIATIONS UPDATE
Congress Thursday passed a seven-bill funding package that would avert a second partial government shutdown. The package would fund through September 30 nine departments and many agencies including: NSF, NASA, NEH, and USDA’s Agriculture and Food Research Initiative.
After signing the funding package this morning, the president declared a national state of emergency for America’s southern border and immediately redirected $8 billion to erect or repair as much as 234 million miles of border barriers. The move comes amid opposition from activists, advocates, and lawmakers who have promised legal action which could stall the project.
ICYMI: President Mary Sue Coleman today issued a statement praising lawmakers for ending the FY19 funding impasse and encouraging them to begin FY20 appropriations immediately.
AAU, SCIENCE COMMUNITY COMMENT ON SHUTDOWN HARM
AAU President Mary Sue Coleman, together with 30 Nobel Laureates and science community leaders, Tuesday submitted a letter to congress and the administration calling attention to the harm government shutdowns cause American science. The letter says “Shutting down parts or all of the federally funded scientific enterprise, which enjoys support across the entire political spectrum, serves only our foreign competitors. Continued strong support for science benefits us all.”
PRESIDENT TRUMP SIGNS ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE EXECUTIVE ORDER
The president Monday signed an executive order to expand the administration’s efforts to foster public trust and research and development for artificial intelligence without slowing innovation. The order does not offer additional funding but instead calls on agencies to allocate resources for artificial intelligence research and improve quality and access to agency data.
Science Magazine has more.
SENATORS REINTRODUCE TITLE VI REAUTHORIZATION LEGISLATION
Senator Todd Young (R-IN) and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) last week reintroduced S. 342, the “Advancing International and Foreign Language Education Act,” to reauthorize Title VI of the Higher Education Act. The bipartisan bill will “improve and encourage innovation” by authorizing funding for the Education Department’s foreign language and international education programs.
ICYMI : AAU previously sent a letter to congressional leaders to support Title VI funding for Foreign Language Studies programs.