November 4, 2010
The mid-term congressional elections that took place on Tuesday, resulting in a Republican House majority and diminished Democratic Senate majority, will have a significant impact on issues of concern to the higher education community (FY11 appropriations, DREAM Act, COMPETES Act, tax policy) that were previously slated for consideration during the coming “lame-duck” session. The current… Read More
September 15, 2010
After reporting on this site yesterday that the DREAM Act was all but dead for this year, the Senate Majority Leader announced that they will try to pass this measure that would grant citizenship to young adults in the country illegally. Senate leadership hopes to attach the DREAM Act to the FY11 defense authorization bill, which is… Read More
September 14, 2010
Congress returns to work this week for a final few weeks of work before the November elections. While there is plenty of legislating to do, I don’t expect that we’ll see much action with most major issues being delayed until the post-election lame-duck session. The only thing that Congress MUST act on before October 1st… Read More
June 30, 2010
House Democrats intend to bring a scaled back version of the FY10 supplemental spending bill to the floor by the end of this week, with aid to school districts to prevent teacher layoffs reduced from $23 billion to $10 billion. The teacher funding is intended to help prevent layoffs for 140,000 school employees next year. … Read More
June 30, 2010
On Tuesday, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Justice-Science approved its FY11 draft bill, which would provide $60.5 billion in discretionary spending. The draft measure would provide $3.9 billion (6 percent) less than 2010 levels, mostly because of the significant increase provided last year to perform the census, and just $2.7 million less than President Obama… Read More
June 28, 2010
Members of Congress face a busy week as they attempt to advance some major bills before the start of the July Fourth recess. At the same time, the FY11 appropriations process may also begin to gear up this week and move forward after the July recess period. House Democrats would like to approve the FY10… Read More
June 28, 2010
Early this morning, US Senator Robert Byrd (D-WV) passed away at a hospital in Virginia. Byrd was 92. Byrd, who was first elected to the Senate in 1958, was President Pro Tem, a largely ceremonial post but one that put him third in succession to the presidency. On November 18th of this year, his 20,774th day… Read More
June 25, 2010
On Thursday, Senate Democrats failed for a third time to pass a jobs and economic relief bill (tax extenders bill). Republicans rejected the $100 billion-plus package, which included payments to states to cover for Medicaid costs and an extension of unemployment benefits. This latest version of the bill reduced the original $24 billion in new… Read More
June 17, 2010
The Gulf oil spill continues to complicate negotiations on a legislative pathway for energy and climate legislation. While many agree, including the President, that Congress must take action on an energy bill this year, several moderate senators remain unconvinced that a climate bill can garner the necessary votes in the Senate. The Senate continues to… Read More
June 7, 2010
Congress returns this week from its one-week Memorial Day recess with the Senate ready to take up the House-passed “extenders” bill, while the House determines their next move on the FY10 supplemental bill. Tax Extenders: The tax extenders measure (HR 4213) under consideration in the Senate includes a number of important program authorities that expired… Read More
