- Budget and Appropriations Update
- Senate Budget Chair Introduces FY20 Budget Resolution
- White House Releases additional FY20 Budget Request Materials
- Congress to Hold Budget and Appropriations Hearings
- President Trump Issues Free Speech Executive Order
- House Education Committee to Hold Admissions Briefing
- Labor Department Publishes New Overtime Rule
- Administration Reveals Plans for Higher Education Reform
- AAU, Associations Call for Swift Action on House Dream and Promise Act
- SAA Urges Congress to Raise BCA Budget Caps
- ESC Urges Increased FY20 Funding for the DOE Office of Science
- SoAR Seeks $445M for AFRI in FY20
- Friends of IES Request $670M for Ed Dept’s Institute of Education Sciences
- Upcoming Events
BUDGET AND APPROPRIATIONS UPDATE
Senate Budget Chairman Mike Enzi (R-WY) today introduced his FY20 Budget resolution which sets defense spending at $576 billion and non-defense spending at $543 billion, amounting to a $125 billion drop from current spending caps. These requests are well below the figures in the president’s budget request. A two-day markup is scheduled for Wednesday March 27, and Thursday March 28.
The administration Monday released additional materials related to its FY20 budget recommendations, including the appendix, analytical perspectives, and “Major Savings and Reforms.” The $4.75 trillion budget plan is the largest in history and calls for sharp cuts to non-defense discretionary programs and agencies. AAU has posted analysis of this budget and will continue to engage in the FY20 budget process in support of raising the discretionary spending caps to permit increased investments in our higher education and research priorities.
House Appropriators have scheduled hearings next week to begin consideration of FY20 spending decisions.
PRESIDENT TRUMP ISSUES FREE SPEECH EXECUTIVE ORDER
President Trump yesterday issued an Executive Order on “Improving Free Inquiry, Transparency, and Accountability at Colleges and Universities.” The order states that it is the policy of the federal government to “encourage institutions to foster environments that promote open, intellectually engaging, and diverse debate, including through compliance with the First Amendment for public institutions and compliance with stated institutional policies regarding freedom of speech for private institutions.” The president stated at the signing event “if the university doesn’t allow you to speak, we will not give them money.”
The order requires that federal education and research grant agencies coordinate with the Office of Management and Budget “to take appropriate steps, in a manner consistent with applicable law, including the First Amendment, to ensure institutions that receive Federal research or education grants promote free inquiry, including through compliance with all applicable Federal laws, regulations, and policies.”
Additionally, the order requires the Education Department to publish data on student outcomes at the program level, including earnings, debt, default rates, and loan repayment rates. It also directs the department by January 2020 to submit policy recommendations on risk-sharing proposals for colleges participating in the federal student loan program.
President Mary Sue Coleman immediately issued a statement to again reaffirm our commitment to free speech on college campus. She asserted that this order is a “solution in search of a problem,” because “the free and open exchange of ideas and information is already a fundamental cornerstone of the educational mission of America’s leading research universities, and our institutions are fully committed to the protection and preservation of this proud heritage of debate and discussion.”
HOUSE EDUCATION COMMITTEE TO HOLD ADMISSIONS BRIEFING
The House Education and Labor Committee will Thursday at 1:00 p.m. ET hold a briefing in response to “Operation Varsity Blues,” the recent investigation into college admissions fraud. Hosted by Representative Dona Shalala (D-FL), the briefing is set to occur in 2261 Rayburn House Office Building and will feature a panel discussion on college admissions practices and accessibility, moderated by Politico’s Benjamin Wermund. Speakers include; National Association for College Admission Counseling executive director for educational content and policy David Hawkins; former Notre Dame college admissions officer Daniel Saracino; The Education Trust director of higher education policy Tiffany Jones, and Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the workforce director Anthony P. Carnevale.
LABOR DEPARTMENT PUBLISHES NEW OVERTIME RULE
The Department of Labor today published a rule that would increase the annual salary threshold that determines which employees qualify for overtime pay. The rule would raise the current threshold from $23,600 per year to $35,304, far short of the Obama administration’s proposed increase to $47,476. The proposed rule could face challenges by some labor advocates who say the rule doesn’t go far enough and businesses worried about increased labor costs.
AAU will work with other higher education organizations on potential comments, due May 21.
ADMINISTRATION REVEALS ITS PLANS FOR HIGHER EDUCATION REFORM
The White House Monday released its principles for Higher Education reform, including simplifying student loan repayment, expanding the Pell grant program, and improving student outcome transparency. The administration will also encourage “responsible borrowing” for student loans and call on congress to “reinstitute limits” on federal PLUS loans for parents and students. Ivanka Trump, who is spearheading the plan, said the administration’s goal is to “modernize our higher education system to make it affordable, flexible and outcome-oriented so all Americans young and old can learn the skills they need to secure and retain good paying jobs.”
The House and Senate Education Committees have started to work on reauthorizing the Higher Education Act and have held hearings to work on a bipartisan bill. Senate Education Chair Lamar Alexander (R-TN) stated that he “shares the administration’s goals,” but Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-WA) has spoken out against the proposal, saying it “would end up hurting students by reducing the amount of federal aid for students and taking billions out of the pockets of borrowers.”
AAU, ASSOCIATIONS, CALL FOR SWIFT ACTION ON HOUSE DREAM AND PROMISE ACT
AAU, together with 38 other higher education associations, Wednesday submitted a letter to House leadership in support of H.R. 6, the Dream and Promise Act of 2019. The legislation would establish a ten-year conditional permanent residency status for DACA-eligible individuals, restore states’ ability to grant in-state tuition to undocumented students on the basis of residency, and extend previously terminated protections to immigrants with Temporary Protected Status and Deferred Enforced Departure.
The letter says, “these bright and talented young people often have to overcome significant barriers to graduate from high school, and we should do all we can to remove them from an unacceptable political and legal limbo.”
RESOURCES AVAILABLE: AAU President Calls for Swift Action to Protect DACA Students and DREAMers | AAU, Associations Express Appreciation To House for Efforts on DACA
SAA URGES CONGRESS TO RAISE BCA BUDGET CAPS
The Student Aid Alliance, a coalition of 85 higher education organizations including AAU, Tuesday sent a letter to House and Senate Labor, Health, and Human Services Committee leadership thanking them for their efforts to support student aid programs in FY19 and request they continue this commitment into FY20. The letter requests work together toward a bipartisan deal that raises the Budget Control Act budget caps in FY20 and FY21, and outlines amended FY20 funding requests for federal student aid programs including Pell Grants, campus-based aid programs, TRIO, GEAR UP, GAANN, and LEAP Grants.
ESC URGES INCREASED FY20 FUNDING FOR DOE OFFICE OF SCIENCE
The Energy Sciences Coalition, which includes AAU, Tuesday sent a letter to Congress asking they continue their strong, bipartisan support of the DOE Office of Sciences into FY20. The letter requests Members of Congress lift the non-defense discretionary budget caps and appropriate $7 billion for the DOE Office of Sciences in FY20, four percent above FY19 levels. This funding level would enable the DOE Office of Sciences to sponsor vital research, prepare the next generation of scientific and engineering talent, steward world-class scientific facilities, support U.S. economic growth, and ensure national security.
SOAR SEEKS $445M FOR AFRI IN FY20
The Supporters of Agricultural Research Foundation, of which AAU is a member, Wednesday wrote to House and Senate Agriculture Committee leadership to request $445 million for the USDA’s Agriculture and Food Research in FY20. The letter says, “Funding AFRI with $445 million in FY 2020 will support research that strengthens rural economies, improves public health, and enhances our ability to compete in a global economy for generations to come.” The letter also underscores the importance of regaining America’s position as the top global funder of public agricultural research and development from China, and overcoming the challenges facing our nation’s farmers.
FRIENDS OF IES REQUEST $670M FOR ED DEPT’S INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION SCIENCES
The Friends of the Institute of Education Sciences, consisting of 30 organizations including AAU, last week sent a letter to House and Senate LHHS leadership to request $670 million for the Education Department’s Institute of Education Sciences. In the letter, the coalition requests that lawmakers first negotiate a bipartisan deal to raise the non-defense discretionary funding for FY20. They say, “This budget deal and its increase are vital for IES to maintain and build the investment made in education research and data to enhance instruction and student learning.”
UPCOMING EVENTS
APRIL 10 AAU AND APLU UNIVERSITY INNOVATION AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP SHOWCASE ; 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. ET, 2060 Rayburn House Office Building. RSVP here. More information here.
APRIL 30 CNSF EXHIBITION AND RECEPTION; 5:30 p.m. ET, 2043-2045 Rayburn House Office Building. Register by April 29 here. For more information, see the invitation here.