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  • Federal Relations E-Newsletter- 6.19.2015

    Jun 19, 2015 3:30 pm by Federal Relations

    Although no appropriations bill made it to the House or Senate floor this week, there was ample movement at the committee level. University of Illinois President Tim Killeen was in DC to meet with other institution presidents and chancellors, as well as the leader of the the world’s largest general scientific society. 
     

    LEGISLATIVE OUTLOOK
     

    NIH, ED Appropriations on the Table
     

    The House Labor-HHS-Education Subcommittee unveiled and marked up its Fiscal Year (FY) 2016 appropriations bill. The measure would boost the budget of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to $31.2 billion—$1.1 billion more than the FY2015 level. While it cuts overall funding for the Department of Education (ED) by $2.8 billion compared to FY2015, it contains increases for programs we care about, like TRIO and GEAR UP. And although the maximum Pell Grant would rise to $5,915, it calls for redirecting $370 million in anticipated surplus Pell funds to areas outside of the program. 

    Republicans used the bill as a chance to signal their signal their opposition to several of ED's initiatives. The bill includes language to block funds from being used to "implement, administer, or enforce" ED's gainful employment regulations and credit hour definition. It also prohibits funding for ED's college rating system, state authorization regulations, and teacher preparation regulations.

    The subcommittee's counterpart in the Senate is scheduled to release and mark up their bill next week. 
     

    Enthusiasm Growing for 21st Century Cures Bill
     

     
    Ranking Member Rep. Diane DeGette speaks at the 21st Century Cures event. Photo via the office of Rep. Diane DeGette.  
     

    Earlier this week, leaders of the House Energy and Commerce Committee held a press conference to continue promoting the 21st Century Cures Act, bipartisan legislation intended to jumpstart medical innovation. The bill would considerably bolster funding for NIH. Committee Chairman Fred Upton reiterated his hope to deliver this bill to the President by the end of the year.

    Having been recently unanimously approved by the Committee, the legislation is expected to be brought to the House floor soon. More than 170 Members have already co-sponsored the bill, including thirteen Illinois Representatives—John Shimkus, Peter Roskam, Jan Schakowsky, Bobby Rush, Cheri Bustos, Rodney Davis, Adam Kinzinger, Mike Quigley, Randy Hultgren, Bob Dold, Luis Gutierrez, Mike Bost, and Robin Kelly. We appreciate their support.

    Just this week, the University of Illinois joined other institutions and organizations in signing on to a letter organized by United for Medical Research that expresses support for the bill's NIH funding provisions. 
     

    This Week's HEA Spotlight: Accreditation
     

    As part of an ongoing series of hearings related to the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act (HEA), the Senate education committee held a hearing to evaluate the role of accreditation in quality assurance. Accreditation reform has been a dominant focus area for the committee—it was the subject of a white paper issued earlier this spring, as well as the subject of a recently established committee working group. Chairman Lamar Alexandernoted that the committee's next HEA hearing will center around innovation and be held after the July 4 recess. The committee still plans to have a full reauthorization proposal drafted by September. 
     

    DC VISITORS
     

    Dr. Tim Killeen came to DC this week for the first time in his official capacity as the president of the University of Illinois. He joined other university presidents and chancellors for the APLU Summer Council of Presidents Meeting, where speakers such as the Chairman of the National Endowment for Humanities were brought in.

    Afterward, he introduced himself to the new Chief Executive Officer of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), Dr. Rush Holt. President Killeen and Dr. Holt explored ways that the University of Illinois and AAAS can support one another's interests and efforts.
     

    Thank you,

    Melissa Haas | Acting Director | OGR Federal Relations
     

        

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