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National Science Board releases report on S&E indicators

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Today the National Science Board released a biennial report that takes a dive into data and trends relevant to understanding the current science and engineering (S&E) environment in the US and abroad. According to the report, knowledge- and technology-intensive (KTI) industries continue to play a larger part in the US economy, though regional and national shares of worldwide KTI production have been shifting toward East and Southeast Asia.

Here are some interesting highlights from the chapter on higher education:

  • Public research universities account for the majority of all enrollments at research universities.
  • The racial and ethnic composition of those earning S&E bachelor’s degrees is changing, reflecting both population changes and increased college attendance by members of minority groups.
  • Over the last decade in the US, tuition and fees for colleges and universities have grown faster than median household income.
  • Women earned 40 percent of S&E doctoral degrees awarded in 2010.

The full report can be found here and the higher education chapter here. A tool to look at state-by-state data pertaining to STEM in education and the economy will be released within the next couple of months.

This Week in Congress

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This week it’s the Senate Budget Committee’s turn to hold a hearing on the Congressional Budget Office’s new economic outlook report, which the House Budget Committee discussed last week and we covered on the blog here.  Meanwhile, the House Budget Committee plans to markup two budget bills, HR 1872 and HR 1869, which would overhaul the budget process.

On Wednesday, Senator Markey will preside over a hearing on fisheries treaties. The panel will include folks from the Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs, NOAA, the US Coast Guard, Alaska Bering Sea Crabbers and more.

Also Wednesday, the Senate Subcommittee on Energy will hold a hearing on state-level efforts to implement energy efficiency and renewable energy policy. The committee will hear from NORESCO, GoodCents, the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy, and more.

Thursday the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions will take a look at minimum wage policy in a hearing titled, “From Poverty to Opportunity: How a fair minimum wage will help working families succeed.” We aren’t sure who will be part of the panel at this time. We’ll keep an eye on this discussion since similar conversations are taking place in the state legislature and the City of Seattle.

TUESDAY, February 11th

Senate Budget Committee
CBO Budget and Economic Outlook
Full Committee Hearing
10:30 AM, 608 Dirksen Building

House Budget Committee
Budget Process Overhaul
Full Committee Markup
10 AM, 210 Cannon Building

WEDNESDAY, February 12th

Senate Energy & Natural Resources
State Energy Efficiency
Subcommittee on Energy Hearing
2:30 PM, 366 Dirksen Building

Senate Foreign Relations
Fisheries Treaties and Port State Measures Agreements
Full Committee Hearing
2:30 PM, 419 Dirksen Building

THURSDAY, February 13th
 
Senate Heath, Education, Labor and Pensions
Minimum Wage Policy
Full Committee Hearing
10 AM, 430 Dirksen Building

Farm Bill Heads to President’s Desk

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Today, the Senate passed the Farm Bill, now titled H.R. 2642 – the Agricultural Act of 2014, by a vote of 68-32. Congress has not approved a new Farm Bill since 2008. The House passed the joint House-Senate conference committee report last week. The final 1,000-page bill reauthorizes hundreds of programs for agriculture, dairy production, conservation, nutrition and international food aid.

After two years of negotiating, the $956.4 billion agreement includes $617 million in mandatory funding (not subject to annual appropriations) for five NIFA-administered programs.

The measure is heading to the President’s desk, where he has expressed his intent to sign it.

Farm Bill Conference Report Announced

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After two years of negotiating, Farm bill conferees announced a sweeping, bipartisan five-year farm bill late Monday. The measure costs an estimated $1.1 trillion and is filled with trade-offs and an estimated savings of nearly $23 billion.

The bulk of savings comes from cutting $19 billion from farm programs, including an end to direct payments to farmers — money that often went to farmers who don’t actually farm. An additional $6 billion is saved by merging 23 separate conservation programs into 13, which is a move supported by conservation groups nationwide. There are $8 billion in cuts tied to the food stamp program which will come largely from increasing the state heating assistance requirement.

The House Rules Committee met late Monday night to fast-track the bill to the House Floor. The bill will come up on Wednesday, before House Republicans depart for their annual policy retreat. The House will consider the conference report well in advance of the House’s Three Day Rule, which requires introduced legislation pend at least three calendar days before it is considered and voted upon by the House. The rule is designed to give Members of Congress and staff time to read and analyze bills.

The text of the bill runs 949 pages and s accompanied by a 186-page managers’ statement.

Already the American Meat Institute and the National Meat Association, who represent cattle, hog and poultry producers, have announced opposition to the conference report and will whip against the bill.

If the House adopts the report, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, said his chamber could take up the legislation sometime during the current three-week work period.

The Office of Federal Relations is tracking this issue and will continue to provide updates.

UW Tacoma Chancellor Debra Friedman

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Last night, University of Washington Tacoma Chancellor Debra Friedman passed away after a long battle with lung cancer. She was 58.

In just two-and-a-half years at UW Tacoma, Chancellor Friedman brought into sharp focus an identity for UW Tacoma as an urban-serving campus, building on the substantial investment the region has always made in its university. That identity and investment is rooted in her unyielding passion: the transformational impact of education—that changes the lives of individuals and the communities of which they are a part. In those two-and-a-half years, she became a key leader in the South Sound region.

Chancellor Friedman was a true daughter of the University of Washington. She received her graduate degrees from UW – a Master’s in Sociology in 1978 and a Ph.D. in Sociology in 1983, during which time she received an Excellence in Teaching award. Her daughter Eliana graduated from UW in 2006 as a Rhodes Scholar.

Debra was a teacher, a scholar and a gifted administrator. She was known for her constant energy, her tenacity, and her persistence.

A formal event to memorialize Chancellor Friedman will be held in the coming days. More information will be available soon.