The FY09 omnibus appropriations bill was signed into law today, following a 62-35 Senate vote last night and a statement by President Obama that the earmark process needs to be reformed during the FY10 appropriations process. According to the President, many congressionally directed appropriations (also known as earmarks) serve legitimate public needs, but a few suspect projects have brought about a negative view of the practice. Most of the President’s suggestions on earmark reform center around transparency, like requiring Members of Congress to publically post their earmark requests on a website. Additionally, the President stated that earmarks directed to private for-profit organizations should be subject to the same competitive bidding process as other federal contracts. It is expected, as stated recently by the President’s budget chief Peter Orszag, that future appropriations bills will have fewer requests for earmarks. Continue reading “Fiscal Year 2009 Appropriations Signed Into Law”
Month: March 2009
President Obama Reverses Stem Cell Research Ban, Issues New Research Guidelines
Yesterday, President Obama lifted a ban on the use of federal funds for research on embryonic stem cell lines created after August 2001. The executive order directs the National Institutes of Health to develop appropriate guidelines for the research. President Obama’s decision reverses the order issued by President Bush on August 9, 2001, which limited federal research funding to embryonic stem cell lines already in existence on that date. The new order does not lift the congressional ban on the use of federal funds to create new embryonic stem cell lines, but it does allow scientists to use federal funding to study the hundreds of new cell lines that have been created since 2001. Continue reading “President Obama Reverses Stem Cell Research Ban, Issues New Research Guidelines”
The Week at a Glance: March 9 – 13, 2009
The Senate will vote Monday evening on amendments to the fiscal 2009 omnibus spending package, with a new goal of finishing the bill by Tuesday.
The Senate Finance Committee holds confirmation hearings on the nomination of Ron Kirk to be U.S. trade representative.
Later in the week, the Senate may turn to a House-passed bill of mortgage-related provisions, and the House may try to return to a postponed bill to expand House membership for the District of Columbia and Utah.
Source: CQ
Research Funding Overview Available
The Office of Federal Relations has drafted an overview of the research funding provided in the various funding vehicles (i.e. FY09/FY10/FY11 appropriations, American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009) currently circulating in Congress and/or the federal agencies. Please contact the Office of Federal Relations with any questions on the document.
Department of Education to Distribute $44 Billion in Stimulus Funds in 30 to 45 Days
Department of Education Press Release
FOR RELEASE: March 7, 2009
U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan today announced that $44 billion in stimulus funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) will be available to states in the next 30 to 45 days. The first round of funding will help avert hundreds of thousands of estimated teacher layoffs in schools and school districts while driving crucial education improvements, reforms, and results for students.
“These funds will be distributed as quickly as possible to save and create jobs and improve education, and will be invested as transparently as possible so we can measure the impact in the classroom,” said Duncan. “Strict reporting requirements will ensure that Americans know exactly how their money is being spent and how their schools are being improved.”
Guidelines posted by Duncan today authorize the release this month of half the Title I, Part A stimulus funds, amounting to $5 billion, and half the funds for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), $6 billion, without new applications. Continue reading “Department of Education to Distribute $44 Billion in Stimulus Funds in 30 to 45 Days”