- Resources Available: CFR Virtual Meeting Materials
- Appropriators Work to Finalize 302(b) Allocations, Omnibus Likely
- Lawmakers Discuss Extending Pandemic Relief Measures in FY21 Appropriations
- AAU, Associations Call on Education Department to Extend Federal Student Loan Relief
- AAU Joins Letter Highlighting Priority Regulatory Changes for Biden Administration
- AFRI Coalition Requests $435 Million for Program in Final FY21 Appropriations
- Nominations Requested: 2021 Golden Goose Award and COVID-19 Recognition
- Upcoming Events
APPROPRIATORS WORK TO FINALIZE 302(b) ALLOCATIONS, OMNIBUS LIKELY
Lawmakers have just eight combined legislative days to agree on all 12 FY21 appropriations measures before the current continuing resolution runs out Dec. 11.
Appropriators are working to finalize 302(b) subcommittee allocations, which would give appropriations committees guidelines for how to divide $1.4 trillion in discretionary spending as early as the end of this week, Roll Call reports. However, the House and Senate versions of the bills differ in several ways that could prove to be sticking points for negotiations on final bills, including funding for the border wall, emergency pandemic relief funds for departments and agencies, and differences in agency funding levels.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) have directed appropriators to package appropriations into an “omnibus” measure that Congress could pass before the current continuing resolution to fund the government at FY20 levels expires on Dec. 11. Despite previously claiming that he would “never sign another bill like this again,” Roll Call reports that President Donald Trump has signaled he would sign a full-year omnibus measure.
RESOURCE AVAILABLE: AAU FY21 Funding Priorities Table
LAWMAKERS DISCUSS EXTENDING PANDEMIC RELIEF MEASURES IN FY21 APPROPRIATIONS
Yesterday, Pelosi, McConnell, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) met to discuss the possibility of including a provision in the final FY21 omnibus appropriations bill that would extend the deadlines of pandemic-related relief measures that will soon expire, ABC News reports. Later today, Pelosi and Schumer are scheduled to meet with President-elect Joe Biden to discuss challenges related to the transition and future administration – which could include COVID-19 relief, the Associated Press reports.
However, neither Democrats nor Republicans seem willing to budge from their goals for pandemic relief – $2.4 trillion and $500 billion, respectively. Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH) announced he is working on a bipartisan proposal for a narrow COVID-19 bill, that would provide funding for priorities where there is currently bipartisan support, including small businesses, unemployment insurance, and vaccine development. Additionally, both President Trump and President-elect Biden have tweeted their support for coronavirus aid – Trump recently called for a “big and focused” deal and Biden on Monday requested a “COVID relief package like the HEROES Act.”
AAU, ASSOCIATIONS CALL ON EDUCATION DEPARTMENT TO EXTEND FEDERAL STUDENT LOAN RELIEF
Today, AAU joined ACE and 44 other higher education associations on a letter to Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, urging her to extend past Dec. 31 the current suspension of payment, interest accrual, and collections for federal student loan borrowers. “Borrowers who continue to be financially impacted by the pandemic need more time to get back on their feet in the form of extended relief from required repayments coupled with zero percent interest,” the letter says. The letter also calls for a “comprehensive communications plan” to help borrowers prepare to resume scheduled payments.
AAU JOINS LETTER HIGHLIGHTING PRIORITY REGULATORY CHANGES FOR BIDEN ADMINISTRATION
AAU on Wednesday joined ACE, APLU, and 44 other higher education associations on a letter to President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris to highlight priority regulatory actions the new administration should take to modify previous executive branch actions that affect students, educators, and institutions. The associations’ requests include: reinstating Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals protections; rolling back changes to Title IX regulations; halting expanded, burdensome, and unneeded reporting requirements; terminating several politically-motivated investigations; and withdrawing the June 2020 interim final rule that restricts students’ eligibility to receive CARES Act funding. These changes will help “ensure that federal policy works to benefit the millions of students, faculty, and staff in our nation’s colleges and universities,” the letter concludes.
AFRI COALITION REQUESTS $435 MILLION FOR PROGRAM IN FINAL FY21 APPROPRIATIONS
The Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Coalition, which includes AAU, today sent a letter to House and Senate Agriculture appropriations leaders to urge them to include $435 million for AFRI in the final FY21 appropriations measure. These funds, the letter says, represent an increased investment that would help “further AFRI’s ability to support cutting-edge research on bioenergy, nutrition, climate adaptation and resiliency, agricultural technology, economic prosperity in rural communities, and food safety and quality.” Both the House and Senate appropriations measures include $435 million for the program.
NOMINATIONS REQUESTED: 2021 GOLDEN GOOSE AWARD AND COVID-19 RECOGNITION
Nominations are requested for the 2021 award cycle for both the Golden Goose Award and the Golden Goose COVID-19 Recognition. The Golden Goose Award honors federally funded researchers whose work may sound silly, odd, obscure, wasteful of taxpayer funding, or serendipitous but has had a major, if unexpected, positive impact on society. The Golden Goose COVID-19 Recognition recognizes individuals and teams whose federally funded research is contributing significantly to the response to COVID-19 and highlights outstanding scientific and technological research, originally focused elsewhere, that is now being redirected to address the COVID-19 pandemic.
More information, including nomination criteria and the submission form, can be found here. Nominations should be submitted by Dec. 17, 2020.
UPCOMING EVENTS
DECEMBER 1 2020 GOLDEN GOOSE AWARD VIRTUAL CEREMONY; 4:00 p.m. ET. To attend, RSVP here by Monday, Nov. 30.
DECEMBER 17 2021 GOLDEN GOOSE AWARD AND COVID-19 RECOGNITION NOMINATIONS DUE; More information, including nomination criteria and the submission form, can be found here.