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• Federal Relations E-Newsletter- 6.12.2015

  Jun 12, 2015 3:30 pm by Federal Relations
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  Both chambers were in session to deliberate appropriations and a major trade bill. However, Members took a quick break Thursday night to engage in a friendly game of baseball.

  LEGISLATIVE OUTLOOK

  Appropriations Process Coasts Along

  Again, this week yielded some activity on appropriations. The Senate Appropriations Committee passed two Fiscal Year (FY) 2016 bills—one to provide funding for NASA and NSF and another to provide funding for Department of Defense programs. NSF received a fractional reduction below the FY 2015 level, with cuts directed at Major Research Equipment. DOD basic research received a modest 1.7 percent increase over the FY 2015 level. The House considered two spending bills on the floor: transportation and defense. Unlike the Senate defense bill, the House bill cuts basic research by 7.1 percent. AAU issued a statement criticizing the defense basic research reductions. It was just announced that the House subcommittee with jurisdiction over the Labor-HHS-Education funding bill will be marking-up their bill next Wednesday.

  The House Takes its Turn on Patent Reform

  Following last week's mark-up by the Senate Judiciary Committee, the House Judiciary Committee took up their own version of patent litigation legislation—H.R. 9, the Innovation Act. As expected, the bill passed. The vote was 24 - 8. Prior to the mark-up, six higher education associations—including AAU and APLU—issued a jointstatement of opposition, which outlined concerns with the bill's presumptive and mandatory fee shifting provisions.

  New Athletics Scrutiny Bill

  A bill was filed in the House this week which aims to reform athletic associations like the National Collegiate Athletic Association. The National Collegiate Athletics Accountability (NCAA) Act would establish a commission to "identify and examine issues of national concern related to the conduct of intercollegiate athletics." It would prevent universities from receiving Title IV funds if they participate in athletic associations that fail to meet certain requirements. Illinois Rep. Bobby Rush is one of the original co-sponsors.

  DC VISITORS

  Professor John Hanlon speaking at the UIS "Network and Learn" event.     The University of Illinois Springfield (UIS) had a strong presence in DC this week, as Chancellor Susan Koch, Joan Sestak, Chuck Schrage, Jeff Lorber, and Professor John Hanlon came in for UIS' "Network and Learn" event. Chancellor Koch delivered remarks about the tremendous success that UIS has experienced this past academic year, as well as its exciting plans for the future. She highlighted the continual growth of the campus' student body, the addition of a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree, as well as two graduates who recently received the Pulitzer Prize—Mitch Pugh and Kathy Best. Talk of UIS' achievements did not end there. As the keynote speaker, Professor Hanlon gave an insightful presentation about the remarkable work that the UIS Illinois Innocence Project (IIP) has accomplished. Professor Hanlon stated that, in total, IIP has exonerated six former inmates whose prison time equals over 150 years. He grants IIP's success to the hard work of his team, including their student workers, as well as the passage of federal legislation that allows for DNA exoneration. There were over 50 DC-area alumni and Congressional staff who attended.

  Rep. Cheri Bustos and UIS Chancellor Koch     Chancellor Koch later took to the Hill to update Illinois delegation members on campus initiatives and priorities. She met with UIS' local rep, Congressman Rodney Davis. She also met with Congresswoman Cheri Bustos, a UIS alumna. It was a great chance for Chancellor Koch to inform these members about the recent study that was conducted on UIS' economic impact on Sangamon County. Additionally, UIS Director of Community Relations Joan Sestak stayed in DC to represent UIS during the Springfield Chamber of Commerce annual fly-in.

  GRANT ANNOUNCEMENT

  The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that Urbana was selected to establish a Critical Infrastructure Resilience Center of Excellence (COE). The purpose of this center is to strengthen the resiliency of critical infrastructure, such as the power grid, telecommunications networks, and transportation systems. The proposal was a joint effort between Urbana's Information Trust Institute (ITI) and Applied Research Institute(ARI). The DHS grant is anticipated to be $20 million over five years. Congratulations to ITI Director David Nicol, the principal investigator, and ARI Director Jeff Binder!

  ONLY IN DC

  President Barack Obama shakes hands with IL Rep. Rodney Davis at the Congressional Baseball game. Image by Getty via Politico.     The annual Congressional Baseball Game was held yesterday at the Nats Stadium, an annual event which pits Democrats and Republicans from both chambers against one another in a friendly competition. From Illinois,Representatives Rodney Davis, John Shimkus, and Bob Dold threw on uniforms to play. Members went in under a tied record of 38-38-1. The Democrats were triumphant this year, pulling in 5 runs while Republicans only pulled in 2. President Barack Obama made a surprise appearance.

  Thank you, Melissa Haas | Acting Director | OGR Federal Relations

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