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News and updates

News and updates

Immigration, Defense Authorization, and FY14 Appropriations — Oh My!

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Today in the Senate: The chamber meets this morning to continue debating a comprehensive overhaul of immigration laws (S 744).

Today in the House: The chamber is scheduled to begin general debate on a $638.4 billion defense authorization bill (HR 1960) for FY14 that includes funding and/or language for three of UW’s requests: (1) $15 million for awards to academic medical institutions for reconstructive transplants; (2) $15 million for Navy research vessels (to help with the RV Tommy Thompson); and (3) language promoting the National Marine Renewable Energy Centers for ocean renewable energy demonstration activities at or near DOD facilities (tidal energy).

FY14 Appropriations Update: Senate Republican appropriators appear ready to oppose any measures written by Democrats that exceed the discretionary spending cap set by the 2011 deficit reduction law. Next week, they will likely reject a plan from Appropriations Chairwoman Mikulski (D-MD) that would divide up $1.058 trillion among the committee’s dozen annual bills. The Senate plan is about $91 billion higher than the overall level set by House Republicans. Ironically, both plans would trigger a new round of across-the-board spending reductions under sequester because they violate the caps set by the 2011 law (PL 111-25). But the House GOP plan busts the caps in defense and other security measures while the Senate is expected to bust the caps in both defense and non-defense (domestic) bills. All of this is leading to a big fight on spending, which will certainly culminate in a continuing resolution (CR) before the federal fiscal year ends September 30th.

Immigration Reform Moves Forward in the Senate

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The Senate just voted 82-15 to move forward on a comprehensive immigration reform bill. This sets the stage for weeks of debate and considering amendments on a bill that would secure the nation’s borders, enhance the visa system, and set in place a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants.

Senate Passes Bipartisan Farm Bill

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This evening, the Senate passed S. 954, the Agriculture Reform, Food, and Jobs Act of 2013, by a vote of 66 to 27. Eighteen Republican Senators voted for the measure. Last Thursday, the Senate voted 75  to 22 to invoke cloture (limit further debate) on the bill and members of the Senate unanimously agreed that the only amendment remaining in order to the bill would be an amendment regarding rural broadband internet access. Although there were 260 amendments filed to the bill, only a few dozen were actually considered. Thursday’s agreement also precluded Democrats and Republicans from crafting a package of amendments that could be made to the bill prior to final passage.

Title VII of bill, as passed by the Senate this evening, includes most of the reauthorizations and programmatic “tweaks” higher education sought with respect to research, extension, and higher education programs administered by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). It also includes mandatory funding (not subject to annual appropriations) for five NIFA-administered programs and establishes a new Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research with $200 million in mandatory funds for this new 501(c)(3) organization.

For additional information about the Senate bill, see: www.land-grant.org/reports/2013/CLP/05-16.htm

The House is expected to consider H.R. 1947, the Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act of 2013, later this month. Both House Major Leader Eric Cantor and Speaker John Boehner have expressed their willingness to bring the Farm Bill to the floor under a rule that will permit spirited debate. The Speaker issued a news release today, encouraging House members to move the bill ahead saying: “If you have ideas on how to make the bill better, bring them forward. Let’s have the debate, and let’s vote on them.”

The House bill includes most of higher education’s many requests reauthorization requests for the NIFA. It House bill also provides mandatory funds for three programs administered by NIFA. Although major floor amendments to the Research and Extension Title (Title VII) of the bill are not expected at this time, the situation is extremely fluid. There are additional provisions involving NIFA-related proposals (as agreed upon by the BAA’s Committee on Legislation and Policy) that are being monitored for inclusion on the floor or later in the process depending on the situation.

UW’s College of the Environment receives NIFA funds and the Office of Federal Relations is tracking the progress of the Farm Bill closely.

This Week in Congress

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An overview of relevant House and Senate committee hearings and markups on the schedule this week:

TUESDAY, June 11

Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation
Partnerships in Ocean Observations
Subcommittee Hearing
2:30 pm, 253 Russell Building

Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pension
Education Legislation, Pending Nominations
Full Committee Hearing
10 am, 216 Hart Building

WEDNESDAY, June 12

Senate Appropriations
Voluntary Education Programs
Subcommittee Hearing
10 am, 192 Dirksen Building

Senate Veterans’ Affairs
Veterans Benefits Legislation
Full Committee Hearing
10 am, 418 Russell Building

THURSDAY, June 13

House Energy and Commerce
Fiscal 2014 Budget: Department of Energy
Subcommittee Hearing
10 am, 2123 Rayburn Building

Budget Update

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Both the House and Senate are in session this week; just three more weeks of work before they break for the Fourth of July week. This week the House will take up the annual defense authorization bill, while the Senate completes work on its version of the farm bill and considers immigration legislation.

FY14 Appropriations: Last week the House passed its first two FY14 spending bills and should move another two by the end of this month. The House passed the Military Construction-VA and Homeland Security spending bills despite two veto threats, and Senate appropriators are set to mark up funding measures in the coming weeks. But the two chambers are operating off vastly different top-line budget numbers — given that the House and Senate haven’t come close to reaching a budget deal — meaning the measures may not come to the Senate floor and setting the stage for another stopgap spending bill this fall. At this point in the process, it appears that the House wants to pass the defense-related bills up front, leaving the later bills to be rolled up into a continuing resolution (CR) later in the year.

House appropriators are set to move two additional spending bills this week: Defense and Agriculture. House GOP leaders expect the bills on the floor before the July Fourth break. If those bills move through committee and pass the floor as expected, the House will have passed a quarter of its annual spending bills by the Fourth of July. The Senate, meanwhile, may not approve any of their spending bills before the break.

Debt Limit: Republicans continue to demand concessions in the form of deficit-reduction measures in return for increasing the government’s borrowing limit. Discussions are ongoing and there is still time to come to an agreement as the debt limit may not need to be addressed until this fall.