CONTENTS:
- Mary Sue’s Desk: Diversity and Inclusion are Fundamental to the Mission of Higher Education
- Budget and Appropriations Update
- FY19 Senate Appropriations Bills, FY19 Minibus Package Advance
- House Announces Minibus Conferees
- AAU President Comments on FY19 Senate Labor-HHS-Education, Defense Appropriations Bills
- Joint Select Committee on Budget Process Reform Meets Again
- Immigration Bill Fails on the House Floor
- AAU President Again Urges Congress to Protect DACA Students and Dreamers
- SCOTUS Upholds Travel Ban on 5-4 Vote
- AAU President Expresses Disappointment in Trump v. Hawaii Decision
MARY SUE’S DESK: DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION ARE FUNDAMENTAL TO THE MISSION OF HIGHER EDUCATION
AAU President Mary Sue Coleman yesterday released a new blog post to discuss the importance of university discretion in admissions decisions. She writes, “This academic autonomy has allowed U.S. universities to offer opportunities for students to learn from and interact with peers with different backgrounds and perspectives, which is essential to educating and training future leaders in the 21st Century global economy.”
Share her post on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook.
BUDGET AND APPROPRIATIONS UPDATE
After approving both the FY19 Defense and FY19 Labor-HHS-Education spending bills in subcommittee earlier this week, Senate appropriators have now advanced all 12 FY19 funding bills through their respective subcommittees. Continuing the momentum, the Senate Appropriations Committee yesterday marked up both the FY19 Defense and FY19 Labor-HHS-Education spending bills. AAU President Mary Sue Coleman weighed in on both spending bills, commending appropriators for boosts to NIH and the Pell Grant program. She also applauded their efforts to increase defense science & technology program investments.
On Monday, the Senate approved a three-bill FY19 “minibus” package which includes the FY19 Energy and Water appropriations bill. The House approved the spending bill earlier this month 235-179. The House Appropriations Committee yesterday announced the following conferees: Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-NJ), Mike Simpson (R-ID), John Carter (R-TX), Ken Calvert (R-CA), Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE), Charles Fleischmann (R-TN), Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-WA), and Scott Taylor (R-VA).
Also happening week, the Joint Select Committee on Budget Process Reform held what is expected to be its final hearing, which featured testimony from 25 members of Congress, including House Speaker Ryan (R-WI) and Democratic Whip Hoyer (D-MD). There was some agreement for biennial budgets that set discretionary spending totals but little support for 2-year appropriations. The committee is required to report reform recommendations and legislative text by November 30, 2018.
IMMIGRATION BILL FAILS ON THE HOUSE FLOOR
After last week postponing a vote on the GOP leadership-backed compromise immigration bill (H.R. 6136), the House voted it down Wednesday, 121-301. The bill would have allocated $16.6 billion in border wall funds, ended the diversity visa lottery program, limited family-based migration, and put in place a renewable merit-based visa program and pathway to citizenship for DACA-eligible individuals.
AAU President Mary Sue Coleman released a statement again calling for a swift bipartisan solution.
SCOTUS UPHOLDS TRAVEL BAN ON 5-4 VOTE
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday upheld the administration’s third travel ban. Lower courts had previously stuck down each of the three ban iterations. Issued last fall, the current ban bars citizens from Syria, Libya, Iran, Yemen, Somalia, North Korea, and Venezuela from entering the U.S.
AAU President Mary Sue Coleman issued a statement to note her deep disappointment in the ruling.
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