CGA NEWS
(11-13-13)
To: CGA
From: A۰P۰L۰U Congressional and Governmental Affairs Staff
On Monday, APLU joined the Association of American Universities (AAU) and The Science Coalition in a press conference (video) releasing the results of our most recent survey on the budget sequestration’s impact on university research and students. The press conference was held in conjunction with the APLU Annual Meeting. The results show that in the first seven months of sequestration, 70% of responding universities cited delays in research projects, 70% experienced reductions in the number of new research grants, and 58% of respondents reported that sequestration had a negative effect on research-related personnel – researchers, staff and students. CGA are encouraged to use this information (press release, survey results) in your communications about sequestration and the budget negotiations.
Today, House Appropriations Committee Chairman Hal Rogers (R-KY) announced four changes in the Chairs of the subcommittees for the 113th Congress due to the passing of Rep. Bill Young (R-FL), and the retirement of Rep. Rodney Alexander (R-LA). The Chair changes include the following:
§ Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-NJ) will head the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee (formerly Chairman of the Energy and Water Development Subcommittee)
§ Rep. Mike Simpson (R-ID) will now head the Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development (formerly Chairman of the Interior and Environment Appropriations Subcommittee)
§ Rep. Ken Calvert (R-CA) will move up to Chair the Subcommittee on Interior and the Environment.
§ Rep. Tom Cole (R-OK) will also move up to Chair the Subcommittee on the Legislative Branch.
The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released an over 300 page report, Options for Reducing the Deficit: 2014-2023, today to offer a compendium of policy options to Congress that would affect the federal budget as well as separate reports that include policy options in particular areas. The report offers 103 options that would decrease spending or increase federal revenues over the next decade. There are several options of interest to the higher education community, including reducing/eliminating subsidized undergraduate loans, eliminating the mandatory Pell Grant “add-on,” restricting Pell eligibility further, reducing funding for the arts and humanities, curtailing the charitable deduction, and eliminate higher education tax credits, among others.
According to the CBO, this options are “based on proposed legislation or on the budget proposals of various Administrations; others came from Congressional offices or from entities in the federal government or in the private sector.” These are “intended to reflect a range of possibilities, not a ranking of priorities or an exhaustive list. Inclusion or exclusion of any particular option does not imply endorsement or disapproval by CBO, and the report makes no recommendations.”
The non-defense discretionary group, NDD United, released their report, Faces of Austerity: How Budget Cuts Have Made Us Sicker, Poorer, and Less Secure, this week highlighting stories of how the budget sequester is having an impact across sectors—education, job, training, public health, safety and security, housing, science, natural resources, infrastructure, and international affairs. Details are available at www.nddunited.org.
As mentioned at the CGA strategy session at the APLU Annual Meeting, APLU has a draft discussion paper, attached, on college value, accountability, and the government partnership. This draft paper was considered partially in response to the Administration’s recent College Affordability proposal, but also in the context of the upcoming Higher Education Act reauthorization. APLU Presidents and Chancellors have received this paper and have discussed the concepts during the recent Council of Presidents meeting. APLU is soliciting feedback on the draft paper’s ideas and concepts, please send any comments to Kari McCarron at kmccarron@aplu.org.
Attached is the community sign-on letter the Ad Hoc Group for Medical Research sent to the hill yesterday. The letter, addressed to Budget Chairs Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) and Representative Paul Ryan (R-WI) urges “ Congress and the Administration to work together on a responsible FY 2014 budget that replaces sequestration with a balanced plan that recognizes the significant cuts already made to discretionary programs, preserves the nation's investment in medical research, and protects the health of the American people.”
Attached is the statement that several higher education and research associations sent to the House Judiciary Committee last Friday regarding Chairman Bob Goodlatte’s (R-VA) patent troll legislation, H.R. 3309, The Innovation Act (press release, summary HR 3309).
For those CGA that use the THOMAS website at the Library of Congress, THOMAS will replaced on November 19 with the free legislative information website, Congress.gov. Congress.gov is transitioning into its permanent role as the official site for federal legislative information from the U.S. Congress and related agencies. THOMAS.gov will remain accessible from the Congress.gov homepage through late 2014 before it is retired.
Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU)
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AHG Community signon letter 1113.pdf 40K View Download |
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AAU ACE AAMC APLU AUTM and COGR - Comment letter to House Judiciary - HR....pdf 52K View Download |
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100813_APLUValueAccountabiltyGovtPship.pdf 346K View Download |