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House Passes Omnibus, FY22 Chart Now Available

Yesterday the House passed an omnibus appropriations package for FY22, following negotiations between House and Senate appropriators. The final package includes modest increases for key scientific and higher education accounts. The Senate is expected to vote on the package quickly to send it to the President’s desk. Current government funding is set to expire on Friday, so another short continuing resolution will be necessary to allow the Senate to clear procedural steps.

A chart tracking key accounts relevant to UW is available here. Our office will post detailed updates as information becomes available. We will also discuss appropriations in more detail during our town hall on March 24th at noon PT (register here).

UW President’s Statement on Violence at the US Capitol

University of Washington President Ana Mari Cauce released the below blog post following yesterday’s events in Washington, DC. You can read her blog here.

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Misinformation, disinformation and the assault on democracy

Ana Mari Cauce

The peaceful transition of power based on the results of our electoral process, whether we like those results or not, is the cornerstone of representative government.

That’s what makes today’s insurrection at the United States Capitol so outrageous. As U.S. senators and representatives counted the Electoral College votes, extremists stormed the Capitol. While holding American flags, they undermined the very values and ideals the flag stands for by forcing elected officials to stop the electoral counting process and go into hiding, as the insurrectionists broke into congressional offices and the House and Senate chambers.

This is appalling. But sadly, it is the result of months and years of lies and misinformation spread too often by others in positions of power. As Congressman Adam Kinzinger, a Republican and Air Force veteran, said of today’s attack, “When you don’t tell people the truth, you end up getting people to believe the conspiracies and the false proof, and you get Capitol storms like the one today.”

As a University, we are dedicated to the pursuit of the truth – no matter how uncomfortable that truth is, or what power structures or belief systems it challenges. Our Center for an Informed Public and countless faculty across the UW are advancing truth around issues ranging from the election and the coronavirus to the continuing scourge of racial inequities. Our duty in pursuing truth is to serve all members of our society by shedding light on reality, rationality and possibility.

A second major responsibility we have in higher education is to provide students not only with the knowledge and credentials to get good jobs, but also with the intellectual tools and ethical values that will allow them to constructively carry out their civic duties and obligations. And while our students will pursue their paths in a society where we may not always agree on solutions, it is crucial they be part of encouraging our society to again embrace a shared commitment to facts, rational discourse, and respect for intellectual and scientific pursuits.

We must denounce violent extremism and condemn this “assault on the citadel of liberty” and the continued assault on our democracy. It is long past time to acknowledge the results of our free and fair election so that we can tackle the immense challenges we face, which can only be overcome through shared action.

I took my oath as a U.S. citizen at the age of 18, well aware that our country has too often not lived up to its ideals, but with a sincere belief in its promise. Despite all our challenges, I still believe in that promise – and that we all have a role to play in making it real.

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Joe Biden Elected President

After several days of post-election vote tabulation, Joe Biden is President-elect of the United States of America. Kamala Harris becomes the first woman to be Vice President-elect.

Pennsylvania’s 20 electoral votes went to Joe Biden according to CNN, NBC, Fox, and AP, giving him 273 electoral votes even without the uncalled states Georgia, Arizona, and Nevada.

SCOTUS Hears DACA Today

The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) will hear oral arguments for Department of Homeland Security v. Regents of the University of California (18-587). Consolidated with similar cases, the Court will hear arguments related to the Administration’s decision to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. Considered one of the major cases of this term, the arguments before the justices will concern two key issues;

  1. Whether the Department of Homeland Security’s decision to wind down the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals policy is judicially reviewable; and
  2. Whether DHS’s decision to wind down the DACA policy is lawful.

While the Court will hear arguments today, a decision is not expected until the Spring of 2020. To hear the oral arguments, SCOTUS posts the audio file each Friday following the arguments. The audio may be accessed here.

For a deep dive round up of how the case might be argued and rule, the SCOTUS blog has a round up here.

Federal Relations is monitoring the progress of the case and the federal responses on DACA closely and will continue to provide updates.

EPA Administrator Resigns

President Donald Trump tweeted today that he has accepted the resignation of EPA chief Scott Pruitt. Pruitt had been the subject of numerous ethics investigations involving his travel, spending, use of staff, and favors by industry lobbyists.

The agency’s Deputy Administrator, Andrew Wheeler, will act as the agency’s leader until a new administrator is nominated by Mr. Trump and confirmed by the Senate.