Washington Congressman Jim McDermott (7th District) joined 87 of his Colleagues in the House of Representatives to sign a Dear Colleague letter addressed to Interior Appropriations Chairman Jim Moran (D-VA) and Ranking Member Mike Simpson (R-ID). The letter, requested $232.5 million in FY 2011 funding for the National Endowment for the Humanities -an increase of approximately 40%. The letter also details the agency’s important work and states that current demand for humanities project support far exceeds funding availability. President Obama has proposed a $7.2 million cut to the agency’s program funds for FY 2011. A copy of the letter can be found here.
Category: Uncategorized
Patent Reform Legislation Re-Crafted in the Senate
The Senate has released an amended version of S. 515, the Patent Reform Act of 2009 that appears to address many of the hopes for a simplified, and increasingly objective and transparent patent system in the United States. Two reforms included in the legislation that are key to the higher education community include: harmonizing U.S. law with that of the international community by adopting a first-inventor-to-file procedure, and improving patent quality and reducing litigation costs by creating a post-grant administrative procedure for challenging patents in their first year. Several higher education associations have expressed support for the amended legislation. In the associations’ letter it is noted that the substitute amendment “represents the successful culmination of a thorough, balanced effort to update the nation’s patent reform system to support more effectively the nation’s innovative capacity in the increasingly competitive global environment of the 21st century.”
At this time, it is unclear when the legislation will advance further in the Senate, and several challenges appear likely on the House side. In the coming weeks, Federal Relations will be briefing WA delegation staffers on the impact of the legislation at UW. Interested members of the UW community are encouraged to contact the Office of Federal Relations.
NSF Dear Colleague Letter: Climate, Energy, and Sustainability
NSF 10-040
Dear Colleague Letter: Climate, Energy, and Sustainability
Directorate for Biological Sciences, Directorate for Computer & Information Science and Engineering, Directorate for Education and Human Resources, Directorate for Engineering, Directorate for Geosciences, Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences, Directorate for Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences, Office of Cyberinfrastructure, Office of Integrative Activities, Office of International Science and Engineering, Office of Polar Programs
March 2010
In FY 2010, NSF is expanding its support for climate research by issuing five new cross-directorate solicitations:
Water Sustainability and Climate (WSC) (NSF 10-524) -closed
Ocean Acidification (OA) (NSF 10-530) -closed
Climate Change Education Partnership (CCEP) (NSF 10-542)
Decadal and Regional Climate Prediction Using Earth System Models (EaSM) (NSF 10-554)
Dimensions of Biodiversity (NSF 10-548)
These solicitations are intended to support innovative research and education that will advance our capability and capacity to understand and predict changes to Earth’s natural and human-dominated systems, to assess the vulnerability and resilience of these systems to change, and to foster workforce development and scientific literacy in these areas. These advances will strengthen the scientific knowledge base for policy decisions at regional and national levels. Continue reading “NSF Dear Colleague Letter: Climate, Energy, and Sustainability”
This Week on Capitol Hill, March 15-19
The House may take up the Senate-passed health care overhaul (HR 3590) bill this week as part of a two-step strategy to complete the legislation. The House schedule also includes:
- a number of lands and government operations bills, including HR 1769, Washington rivers protection;
- bills to simplify language in government documents;
- to put Congressional Budget Office estimates in a separate section of the Congressional Record;
- HR 4825, to require lawmakers to return unused allowances for deficit or debt reduction; and
- HR 1586, FAA reauthorization..
The Senate considers HR 2847, a package of tax breaks and programs intended to create jobs. The chamber may clear the measure for the president’s signature this week. Later in the week, the Senate is likely to take up a bill to reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration, with a long list of amendments pending.
Markups
- House Budget marks up a draft reconciliation bill for a health care overhaul. House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Emerging Threats, Cybersecurity, and Science and Technology marks up a draft bill to authorize science and technology programs.
- Senate Judiciary marks up bills on consumer pricing agreements ( S 148 ), refugees’ residency status ( S 2960 ), immigrants’ right to return ( S 2974 ), medical bankruptcy ( S 1624 ) and hate crimes against the homeless ( S 1765 ); also votes on pending nominations. 10 a.m. Thursday, 226 Dirksen
Hearing Highlights
- House Appropriations hearing on the fiscal 2011 budget, with White House budget director Peter R. Orszag and Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner
- House Commerce-Justice-Science Appropriations Subcommittee hearing on fiscal 2011 funding for the Justice Department, with Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr.
- Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions hearing on reauthorizing the education act known as No Child Left Behind, with Education Secretary Arne Duncan
- Senate Special Aging hearing on rising drug prices and Medicare Part D
- House Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations Subcommittee hearing on fiscal 2011 funding for the Education Department, with Secretary Arne Duncan
- House Interior-Environment Appropriations Subcommittee hearing on fiscal 2011 funding for the Interior Department, with Secretary Ken Salazar
Source: CQ Today Online News
This Week on Capitol Hill, March 1-5
The Senate resumes consideration Monday of a bill that would extend several expiring tax provisions and may also extend unemployment and COBRA health care benefits, as well as Medicaid funding.
A relatively light week is planned in the House, with the main floor action being on a bill intended to reduce the use of physical restraint on students.
Source: CQ Today Online News