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Month: July 2009

House Approves Labor-HHS Appropriations Bill

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Last Friday, the House voted 264-153 to approve the Labor-Health and Human Services-Education spending bill for fiscal year 2010. Included in the House legislation is $73.7 billion in discretionary funding for Department of Health and Human Services programs. Funding would increase by $92 million for nursing programs, $10 million for children’s hospitals’ graduate medical education programs, $43 million for bioterrorism hospital preparedness grants, and $23 million increase for rural health programs. The measure would increase funding for NIH to $31.3 billion, an increase of $941 million over the FY09 level and $500 million above the Administration’s FY10 request.  Additionally, through a combination of discretionary and mandatory funding, the bill would enable the maximum Pell Grant to increase to $5,550 in FY10, an increase of $200 over the FY09 level.

In response to criticisms that Grants.gov is an inadequate portal for grants application and reporting, the House included language in the Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations bill that directs the Government Accountability Office to review Grants.gov and “recommend a business model that provides an adequate, reliable funding stream and the appointment of a unified administrative body that is delegated both control and resources” for the online grant application system. 

It is expected that the Senate Labor-HHS Appropriations subcommittee will consider an FY 2010 Labor, HHS and Education appropriations bill on Tuesday.

Summary of House Labor-HHS-Education

This Week on Capitol Hill, July 27-31

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LEGISLATIVE BUSINESS:

Monday:

·        The House legislative business begins at 2 p.m.  To be considered, under suspension of the rules, are a number of bills involving veterans’ benefits, flood insurance and housing.

·        The Senate convenes 3 p.m. to consider S 1436, the Energy-Water Spending bill; no roll call votes expected.

 

Tuesday and Remainder of the Week:

·        The House legislative business begins at noon Tuesday; 10 a.m. Wednesday and Thursday; 9 a.m. Friday. Under consideration (under suspension of the rules) will be a food safety bill and a corporate compensation bill.  The House will also attempt to finish its fiscal 2010 appropriations process with the Defense spending bill.

·        The Senate will consider S 1436, Energy-Water Spending bill;  S 1407, Military Construction-VA spending; and S 1406, Agriculture spending.  Roll call votes expected.

 

MARKUPS and HEARINGS:

Tuesday (July 28):

In the House:

·        Energy and Commerce marks up HR 3200, Health Care Overhaul  

·        Financial Services marks up HR 3269, Executive Compensation

·        Natural Resources Subcommittee hearing on Wildlife Conservation

·        Natural Resources Subcommittee hearing on Unconventional Fuels.

·        Select Energy Independence & Global Warming  full committee hearing on Energy Technologies

In the Senate:

·        Judiciary votes on the nomination of Sonia Sotomayor to be associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court and other pending nominations.

·        Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations Subcommittee marks up its draft fiscal 2010 spending bill.

·        Commerce, Science & Transportation full committee hearing on climate services.

 

Wednesday (July 29):

In the House:

·        Natural Resources marks up HR 1916 on migratory birds; HR 481 on scenic trails; HR 1641 on marine trails; HR 905 pm Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary; and HR 1771 and HR 1053 on Chesapeake Bay administration

·        Science and Technology marks up HR 3246 on vehicle technologies; HR 3165 on wind energy; HR 3029 on gas turbines; and HR 3247 on social and behavioral sciences research

In the Senate:

·     Transportation-HUD Appropriations Subcommittee marks up its fiscal 2010spending bill.

·     Select Energy Independence & Global Warming full committee hearing on Technology Property in the Global Climate

 

Thursday (July 30):

In the Senate:

·     Appropriations marks up draft fiscal 2010 Labor-HHS-Education and Transportation-HUD spending bills.

·        Judiciary Constitution Subcommittee marks up S J Res 7, to require that all U.S. senators be elected by the people of their respective states.

·        Environment & Public Works full committee hearing on “Climate Change and National Security”

 

     Friday (July 31):

     In the House:

·        Judiciary Subcommittee markup on Immigration, Citizenship Refugees and International Law Bills.

 

 

Source: CQ Today Print Edition

Update from Washington, DC

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Congress started off this week with the goal of advancing health care reform financing options in preparation for an overall vote on reform measures before their August recess.  By the end of the week, however, it became clear to House and Senate leaders – as well as the President – that they would not meet that deadline.  Instead they plan to continue negotiations through August and into September when they will try again to garner the votes they need to pass a comprehensive health care reform measure.  

This slight “slow down” has allowed everyone to catch their breath and focus on completing the remaining FY10 spending bills. 

The House is currently debating the Labor-HHS-Education spending bill on the floor and will likely vote on that final measure later today.  This follows the passage of the Transportation-HUD bill yesterday.  This leaves the FY10 Defense bill as the final spending measure in front of the House, which they will take action on next week. 

The Senate, meanwhile, continues to trail the House in their progress on spending measures.  On Monday they will take up the FY10 Energy & Water bill followed by action on their Agriculture and Military Construction-VA bills.  In addition to the Senate floor action on Energy-Water, the Senate Appropriations Committee next week plans to mark up another two of its bills: Transportation-HUD and Labor-HHS-Education. That will leave just Defense, which may not occur until after the August recess. 

The House and Senate will also continue negotiations over climate legislation.  The urgency on this issue is not as intense as it has been on health care reform and several members on both sides of the aisle seem to agree that this legislation will move after health care – sometime in the fall.  

While the Office of Federal Relations continues to monitor progress on all of these fronts, we are also beginning to look forward to August when many of our Delegation Members and their staff will return to the state.  They will likely focus their activities on meetings and other events focused on the current health care debate as well as continuing to seek feedback from constituencies on how best to craft climate change legislation.  

At the same time, we are beginning to talk with Congressional staff about their availability to be on campus for various meetings, briefings, and tours.  Please let us know if you are interested in inviting Members or their staff to campus for a particular event or if you would like to help organize a tour/briefing for your program area.  We’re here and happy to help coordinate schedules so that we can maximize the time that Congressional staff will give us for these activities.

Christy Gullion, Director

Secretary Chu Issues Statement on Need for Clean Energy/Climate Change Legislation

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**Note: Earlier this month, the House passed a comprehensive clean energy/climate change bill. The Senate, led by Barbara Boxer (D-CA) in this area, is expected to take up a bill after the August congressional recess. The higher education community is seeking increased funding for research in the Senate version of the legislation.**

NEWS MEDIA CONTACT:                         FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
(202) 586-4940                                        Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Chu: U.S. Can “Lead this New Industrial Revolution” in Clean Energy
 
Richmond Times-Dispatch op-ed highlights economic opportunities in energy and climate bill

WASHINGTON, DC– The Wednesday, July 22, 2009 edition of the Richmond Times-Dispatch includes the following opinion piece from Energy Secretary Steven Chu:
 
Cleaning Up: Energy and Climate Bill Will Boost the Economy
US ENERGY SECRETARY STEVEN CHU
Published: July 22, 2009
Over the next few months, Congress will decide on historic energy legislation that would create a generation of clean-energy jobs here in America, reduce our dependence on foreign oil, and prevent the worst effects of climate change. I believe passing a strong energy and climate bill is the single most important step we could take to secure our economic prosperity and leave a healthier planet for future generations.

The status quo on energy is unsustainable. Today, we import about 60 percent of the oil we use, which is a huge drain on our economy and which weakens our security. When we burn fossil fuels for energy, we emit enormous amounts of greenhouse gases, which have already begun to change our climate. Climate experts predict that, on our current course, the planet could be around 10 degrees Fahrenheit warmer by the end of this century. Such an increase could cause more frequent extreme weather events like droughts, heat waves, and hurricanes; rising sea levels and coastal erosion; serious agricultural losses and water shortages; and many other impacts in the United States. Continue reading “Secretary Chu Issues Statement on Need for Clean Energy/Climate Change Legislation”

Graduate and Professional Loan Subsidy Restored by House

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Yesterday, the House Education and Labor Committee passed HR 3221, Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2009, which was introduced last week. The legislation eliminates the Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) program and utilizes the $87 billion saved to fund increased Pell grant levels for students (indexed to inflation plus 1%, but subject to appropriations), as well as a number of other K-12/community college/ 4 year higher education programs. A provision of the legislation, strongly opposed by the higher education community, to eliminate the graduate and professional student loan subsify was stripped from the legislation.

The Senate is expected to consider its own version of the legislation after the August congressional recess.

Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2009 Summary