- Democrats and White House Continue Negotiations; Republicans Propose “Skinny” COVID-19 Aid Package
- House “Dear Colleague” Letter Urges DHS to Reconsider Proposed Duration of Status Rule
- White House Releases “National Strategy for Critical and Emerging Technologies”
- Upcoming Events
DEMOCRATS AND WHITE HOUSE CONTINUE NEGOTIATIONS; REPUBLICANS PROPOSE “SKINNY” COVID-19 AID PACKAGE
According to congressional Democrats and the administration, negotiations continue on the next round of pandemic aid. Lawmakers have less than three weeks before the election to agree on and advance a deal to provide stimulus for Americans affected by the pandemic. However, it has become increasingly likely that, if a relief package is passed before Nov. 3, it will not include AAU’s recommendations for students, institutions, and research.
On Tuesday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) announced that the Senate will vote on a $500 billion pandemic aid package as early as Oct. 19. The proposal mirrors the bill proposed by Republicans last month and includes more money for unemployment insurance, the Paycheck Protection Program, and for schools and hospitals. Minutes after McConnell announced the measure, the president indicated that he was not supportive of the smaller measure, tweeting “STIMULUS! Go big or go home!!!”
Meanwhile, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) has continued to call for $2.2 trillion in stimulus funding – identical to the figure in H.R. 925, which the House passed Oct. 1. In a Democratic “dear colleague” letter released yesterday, Pelosi said the administration’s $1.8 trillion aid proposal “amounted to one step forward, two steps back.”
HOUSE REPUBLICAN “DEAR COLLEAGUE” LETTER URGES DHS TO RECONSIDER PROPOSED DURATION-OF-STATUS RULE
Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-WA) is circulating a sign-on letter to express concerns with the Department of Homeland Security’s recent notice of proposed rulemaking on “Establishing a Fixed Time Period of Admission and an Extension of Stay Procedure for Nonimmigrant Academic Students, Exchange Visitors, and Representatives of Foreign Information Media.” The letter says that the proposed rule would “be detrimental to the United States’ ability to attract the best and brightest international students and exchange visitors from around the world.” The rule would modify the department’s longstanding duration-of-status policy to a fixed duration policy which, depending on several factors, would allow F, J, and I visa holders two or four years to complete their degree. Under the proposal, a student who needs additional time to complete their degree would need to petition DHS for an extension of stay.
WHITE HOUSE RELEASES “NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR CRITICAL AND EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES”
The White House yesterday released its “National Strategy for Critical & Emerging Technologies,” a report which outlines the administration’s plan to ensure the United States remains a global leader in key science and technology areas. The report includes a list of 20 critical and emerging technologies that departments and agencies have identified as priorities for their research missions. It is unclear what, if any, implications this report will have on the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security’s ongoing effort to define “emerging” and “foundational” technologies that should be subject to export controls.
UPCOMING EVENTS
NOVEMBER 12 OFFICE OF SCIENCE GRADUATE STUDENT RESEARCH PROGRAM NOMINATIONS DUE; Nominations can be submitted by 5:00 p.m. ET Thursday, Nov. 12. More information and nomination instructions can be found here.
DECEMBER 1 GOLDEN GOOSE AWARD VIRTUAL CEREMONY; 4:00 p.m. ET. More information available here.