CONTENTS:
- Budget and Appropriations Update
- Higher Education Associations Urge Congressional Action to Protect DACA Participants
- AAU Supports Employer Participation in Student Loan Assistance Act
- Reminder: Golden Goose Award Ceremony and Reception
BUDGET AND APPROPRIATIONS UPDATE
The House yesterday passed a 12-bill $1.2 trillion FY18 spending package (H.R. 3354), setting the stage for final spending negotiations in December. This marks the first time all 12 appropriations bills have cleared the chamber on time since 2009. The spending package, passed by a vote of 211-198, includes $510 billion for non-defense discretionary spending and $621 billion for defense spending. For most of the 12 bills in the package, funding levels come in below current spending but above the administration’s FY18 budget request. The departments of Defense, Homeland Security, Veterans Affairs, and the legislative branch would see increased funding.
Reports indicate Senate Democrats are likely to block the spending bill via procedural votes, barring the legislation from enactment by the October 1 start of the new fiscal year. The government will instead be funded at current levels through December 8 per the continuing resolution (CR) (H.R. 601) Congress cleared last week, leaving Congress until December to produce either a second CR or a bicameral funding package.
The Senate has been slower in approving its appropriations bills. None have reached the Senate floor and four have not received subcommittee consideration. The Senate Appropriations Committee announced it will not mark up any spending bills next week because of the three-day work week. The House is out until September 25.
HIGHER EDUCATION ASSOCIATIONS URGES CONGRESS TO PROTECT DACA PARTICIPANTS
On Tuesday, 75 higher education associations, including AAU, sent a letter urging Congress to permanently protect Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) participants. The letter notes that since the Dream Act was introduced sixteen years ago, the higher education community has supported each iteration of the bill, and urges Congress to work in a bipartisan manner to address this issue as quickly as possible.
AAU SUPPORTS EMPLOYER PARTICIPATION IN STUDENT LOAN ASSISTANCE ACT
Last Thursday, AAU wrote to House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady (R-TX) and Ranking Member Richard Neal (D-MA) to urge the inclusion of H.R. 795, the Employer Participation in Student Loan Assistance Act, in any upcoming tax package. The bill would extend the tax exclusion for employer-provided educational assistance to include payments of an employee's qualified education loans. Employer-sponsored tuition or loan assistance, the letter asserts, will help employers attract and retain top talent to build a skilled workforce.
REMINDER: GOLDEN GOOSE AWARD CEREMONY AND RECEPTION
The 2017 Golden Goose Award ceremony and reception will be held September 27 at 5:30 p.m. at the Library of Congress in the Coolidge Auditorium. This year, the award honors three teams of distinguished researchers for their work, which was silly-sounding or obscure at its outset but has gone on to yield enormous societal impact. Awardees will be announced the day of the ceremony. RSVP no later than September 25 – space is limited.
The Golden Goose Award is supported by a bipartisan group of members of Congress, including Rep. Jim Cooper (D-TN), who originally conceived of the award. AAU is among the nine founding organizations of the award, which was created in 2012.
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