Today, the House and Senate aviation committee leaders from both parties agreed on a reauthorization of aviation programs through Sept. 30, 2017, at current funding levels. The current authorization (PL 114-141) expires July 15. The measure includes provisions designed to reduce the risk of drone accidents and establishes a process for the FAA to designate drone no-fly zones. Of note for frequent fliers, the bill boosts airport security and includes provisions aimed at reducing screeing lines.
Author: McKinzie Strait
White House Threatens to Veto House Defense Measure
This week President Obama threatened to veto to House version of the annual defense appropriations legislation in a Statement of Administrative Policy (SAP). Issued by the Office of Management and Budget, the SAP disapproves of the shifting of $16 billion in war funds to the Pentagon’s base budget, funding overseas contingencies only through next April.
The maneuver funds additional procurement, a higher pay raise and more active-duty troops in the Army and Marine Corps, but the administration called the approach dangerous. According to Politico, the White House said: “By gambling with warfighting funds, the bill risks the safety of our men and women fighting to keep America safe, undercuts stable planning and efficient use of taxpayer dollars, dispirits troops and their families, baffles our allies, and emboldens our enemies.”
New Regulations for For-Profits Proposed
This week the Department of Education proposed new regulations to make it simpler for defrauded for-profit college students to have their loans forgiven and bans mandatory arbitration clauses in enrollment agreements. In addition, the proposal provides ED with the ability to require for-profits to post collateral if officials have concern regarding the institution’s financial stability and requires institutions with financials strains to disclose those problems to current and prospective students.
Labor-HHS-Ed Passes Senate Appropriations
This week the Senate Committee on Appropriations took action on the Labor-HHS-Education appropriations measure. Most notably, the measure provides a $2 billion bump for the National Institutes of Health and restores year-round Pell Grants.
National Institutes of Health is funded at $34 billion in the proposal, a 6.3% increase above FY2016. This includes:
- $300 million for the Precision Medicine Initiative, an increase of $100 million;
- $1.39 billion for Alzheimer’s disease research, an increase of $400 million;
- $250 million, an increase of $100 million, for the BRAIN Initiative to map the human brain;
- $333.4 million, an increase of $12.5 million, for the Institutional Development Award;
- $463 million, an increase of $50 million, to Combat Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria;
- $297.3 million for Title VII Health Professions, a 13.3 percent increase above the FY 2016 level.
Notably, the measure would restore the year-round Pell Grant, benefitting an estimated one million students. The reinstated year-round Pell program is modeled after the program included in S. 1062, the “Year-Round Pell Grant Restoration Act,” which does not have a minimum credit requirement or acceleration clause for eligibility.The bill would also raise the maximum Pell Grant award from $5,815 to $5,935. In addition, the provision would provide level funding year-over-year for Federal Work Study at $990 million, TRIO at $900 million, and GEAR UP at $323 million. Title VI International Education is funded at $67 million, which is a $5 million cut to the Fulbright Hayes program and level funding for the domestic programs.
Senate Approves FAA Reauthorization Amendments
Last night, the Senate approved a number of amendments to the FAA reauthorization measure, including amendments that would provide a five-year extension of the unmanned aircraft system test site program and impose criminal penalties for unsafe operations of unmanned aircraft.
The Senate reconvenes this morning and will resume consideration of the FAA reauthorization after morning business.