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Category: Congressional To Do

Bipartisan ARPA-H Legislation Introduced

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US Representatives DeGette (D-CO) and Upton (R-MI) released yesterday bipartisan legislation which would create the new Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health outlined in President Biden’s FY22 budget request. Titled the Cures 2.0 Act, the legislation would provide more than $6.5 billion for US research efforts on health issues such as cancer and Alzheimer’s, as well as improve Medicare coverage, patient access to health information, caregiver training, and diversity in clinical trials.

Draft text is available here.

 

Double the Pell Legislation Reintroduced

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House and Senate Democrats have reintroduced the Pell Grant Preservation and Expansion Act, which would double the maximum Pell award gradually over several years, expand the program to DACA recipients, and make other changes. The bill is sponsored by House Education and Labor Committee Chair Bobby Scott (D-VA) and Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Chair Patty Murray (D-WA).

Read more here.

NSF Legislation Adopted in Senate

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After several weeks on the floor, the U.S. Innovation and Competition Act– formerly known as the “Endless Frontier Act”– was cleared by the Senate yesterday. The final vote was 68 – 32.

The House has its own version of the bill, the NSF for the Future Act.

OSTP Director Confirmed, Sworn In

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Last Friday, the same day as the release of the detailed Biden budget documents, the Senate confirmed Eric Lander as the Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP).  He was sworn in yesterday.  As a result of being elevated to a cabinet-level post, this is the first time that the position of the head of OSTP required Senate confirmation.

More information about Lander and OSTP is available here.

Science Nominees Move Forward

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Earlier this morning, a number of nominees for key science posts in the Biden Administration moved forward.

The Senate Commerce Committee reported out favorably the nomination of Dr. Eric Lander for the position of Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.

The committee also held the confirmation hearing for Dr. Rick Spinrad, the Biden Administration’s nominee for NOAA Administrator, and Col. Pamela Melroy, for the position of NASA Deputy Administrator.