CONTENTS:
- Budget and Appropriations Update
- AAU President Issues Statements on Research, Higher Ed Priorities
- Updated FY19 AAU Priorities Table Available
- Immigration Legislation Update
- Senate Likely to Vote on NDAA Next Week
- Innovation: An American Imperative Releases Progress Report
- Associations Express Concerns to USCIS on Proposed Unlawful Presence Policy
BUDGET AND APPROPRIATIONS UPDATE
Several FY19 appropriations bills advanced this week. Below are highlighted research and higher education funding levels, statuses, and related AAU statements.
- The House Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations Subcommittee today approved its FY19 funding bill* which would fund NIH at $38.3 billion, an increase of $1.25 billion over FY18. The House bill would provide level funding for the following for Education Department programs:
- $6,095 for the maximum Pell Grant award;
- $613 million for the Institute of Education Sciences; and
- $117 million for the Office for Civil Rights.
*AAU priority student aid appropriations are not yet available.
- The Senate Appropriations Committee yesterday advanced its FY19 Commerce-Justice-Science funding bill (S. 3072) which would fund the National Science Foundation at $8.069 billion, $301 million above the FY18 enacted level but $106 million less than its House counterpart. The Senate bill would also provide $6.3 billion for Research and $915 million for Education and Human Resources, and $89.2 million for the design and construction of three Regional Class Research Vessels.
- The Senate FY19 CJS bill would fund NASA at $21.3 billion, $587 million above the FY18 enacted level but $220 million less than the House Appropriations Committee-passed bill. The Senate bill would also fund:
- The Space Technology Directorate at $933 million, a $173 million increase over FY18, and keeps Space Technology as an independent directorate, rather than incorporating it into the Exploration Research Directorate, as proposed in the administration’s budget.
- Space Grant at $44 million, a $4 million increase over FY18.
- AAU President Mary Sue Coleman issued a statement commending the Committee and Subcommittee leaders for their efforts. AAU staff has posted updated FY19 NSF and NASA appropriations tables.
- The House Appropriations Committee advanced its FY19 defense appropriations bill Wednesday, which would fund Research, Development, Test & Evaluation at $91.2 billion, an increase of $2.9 billion over FY18. Science & Technology accounts would each be funded below FY18 and 6.1 basic research would receive $2.29 billion, a 2 percent cut below FY18.
- AAU President Mary Sue Coleman released a statement expressing concern with the short-sighted cuts to Defense Science & Technology programs.
- On Tuesday, the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies approved its FY19 spending bill, which would provide $155 million for the National Endowment for the Humanities, a $2 million increase above FY18.
- AAU President Mary Sue Coleman issued a statement commending Senate appropriators for proposing increased NEH investment.
AAU has updated the various FY19 Funding Priorities tables, which can be viewed here.
IMMIGRATION LEGISLATION UPDATE
The House is scheduled to vote on two immigration bills next week – the conservative legislation sponsored by Chairman Goodlatte and the bill crafted by GOP leadership and moderate Republicans. President Trump today indicated he would not sign the immigration bill crafted by House leaders and moderate Republican representatives. The “compromise” bill incorporates President Trump’s four immigration pillars, outlined earlier this year, which includes a new merit-based visa program for Dreamers, provides border security funds, ends the diversity visa lottery program, and curtails family-based migration.
SENATE LIKELY TO VOTE ON NDAA NEXT WEEK
The Senate National Defense Authorization Act (S. 2987) is scheduled for floor consideration Monday after clearing several procedural hurdles during debate yesterday. Senators voted 83-14 to invoke cloture on a substitute amendment to the bill (H.R. 5515) that includes the Senate Armed Services Committee’s version of the defense bill and 40+ bipartisan amendments. The Senate NDAA authorizes $707.7 billion for the Pentagon and other defense efforts.
INNOVATION: AN AMERICAN IMPERATIVE RELEASES PROGRESS REPORT
In 2015, a coalition of industry, higher education, science, and engineering leaders issued a call to action urging Congress to enact policies and make investments that ensure the U.S. remains the global leader in innovation. The organizers today released a progress report on Innovation: An American Imperative, detailing the status of several key science, research, and innovation policy priorities, including areas of recent success and those requiring increased attention.
Campuses are encouraged to join AAU and the other organizers in using social media to promote the progress report beginning today through June 23 - the three-year anniversary of the call to action. Campuses should use #InnovationImperative.
ASSOCIATIONS EXPRESS CONCERNS TO USCIS REGARDING PROPOSED UNLAWFUL PRESENCE POLICY
AAU and several other higher education associations today wrote to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to express concerns with a May 10 policy memorandum that proposes changes to visa overstay policies. The letter says that as written, the policy "obscures and conflates the important distinction between 'unlawful presence' - illegal presence in the United States - and the 'maintenance of status' - as defined under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA)." The letter also asks the Department of Homeland Security to engage the higher education community and other stakeholders through the standard rulemaking process before implementing such a drastic policy change.
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