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News and updates

This Week on Capitol Hill, April 12-16

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MONDAY

The House was not in session.

The Senate met to consider HR 4851 — Short-term extensions of various programs

 TUESDAY

  • The House convenes at 2:00 pm to consider some minor bills under suspension of the rules. 
  • Senate Foreign Relations marks up legislation on Peace Corps expansion (S 1382), Torture Victims Relief (S 2839), Water for the World (S 624) and peace efforts in Sudan (S Res 409
  • Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions hearing on the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. 2:00 p.m.

 WEDNESDAY AND THE BALANCE OF THE WEEK

On the House floor:

HR 4954 — Patent law

Subject to a rule:

HR 4715 — Clean Estuaries

  •  House Financial Services hearing on overhauling the housing finance system. 9:30 a.m.
  • House Select Energy Independence and Global Warming hearing on coal’s role in a new energy era. 9:30 a.m
  • House Science and Technology Subcommittee on Research and Science Education marks up a committee print on National Science Foundation programs. 10:00 a.m.
  • Senate Finance hearing on using unemployment insurance to help find work for the unemployed. 10:00 a.m. 
  • House Ways and Means hearing on energy tax policy. 10:00 a.m.
  • House Education and Labor hearing on the use of data systems in schools. 10:00 a.m.
  • Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation hearing on a national broadband plan. 2:30 p.m.

 THURSDAY

Senate Judiciary marks up legislation on Medical Bankruptcy Fairness (S 1624), Freedom of Information Act delays (S 3111), community anti-drug programs (S 3031) and crimes against humanity (S 1346) and votes on pending judicial nominations. 10:00 a.m.  

 Source:  CQ Today online

Rep. McDermott Joins Colleagues in Push for NEH Increase

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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.

House Members Seek 7% Increase for NIH

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A group of 99 members of the House of Representatives, including Washington’s Adam Smith (9th District), signed-on to a letter to House appropriators asking them to provide the National Institutes of Health (NIH) with a 7% budget increase in FY11. The President’s FY11 budget request seeks a 3% increase for NIH. The debate over funding for NIH will play out over much of the sping and summer. The letter initiated by Rep. Edward Markey (D-MA), states that, “NIH research is a critical part of meeting health care challenges, strengthening our economy, inspiring the next generation of scientists and researchers, and maintaining our nation’s leadership in innovation.”

Some within the beltway have speculated that mid-term elections could result in a continuing resolution or level funding for FY11. However, it remains too early in the process to draw such a conclusion, and Congress is moving forward in regular order with the appropriations process.

Patent Reform Legislation Re-Crafted in the Senate

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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.