Today, US Senate Republican leaders released a smaller, targeted COVID-19 package. Titled “Delivering Immediate Relief to America’s Families, Schools and Small Businesses Act”, the legislation focuses on specific priorities including childcare, COVID-19 testing, unemployment insurance, and the USPS. It would cost approximately $500 billion and a vote is expected as soon as this week. A larger relief package remains in limbo as Democratic and Republican leaders failed to reach an agreement on a topline number.
News and updates
What We’re Reading this Week (August 31st-September 4th, 2020)
Keep up with what’s happening in DC. Below is a selection of articles the Federal Relations team read this week.
CDC Guidance to States: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has requested states begin developing plans to distribute a COVID-19 vaccine as soon as late October. More here.
Facebook Counters Voting Misinformation: Facebook said in a press statement it will remove statements from the President urging North Carolina voters to cast their ballot twice, saying it violates their policies on encouraging voter fraud. Statements made with full context, or to correct misinformation, will remain intact. Full story at Politico.
Unemployment Rate Drops: According to the Department of Labor, the US unemployment rate dropped to 8.4% in August, marking another month of decline. However, unemployment remains significantly higher than before the pandemic. More here.
OMB Examines Federal Race Training: A memo from the White House Office of Management and Budget is requesting federal agencies review race-related training given to employees, calling out “anti-American” and “divisive” content. More at Washington Post.
CR in the Works: Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin have reportedly reached an informal deal to pass a continuing resolution, which would prevent a government shutdown at the end of the month. Details, including length, are unknown. As for a 4th COVID supplemental, the two will reportedly not resume negotiations until a topline number is agreed upon. More at Roll Call.
House Hearing on COVID Impacts to University Research
On Wednesday, September 9th, 2020 the US House Committee on Science, Space and Technology, Subcommittee on Research and Technology, will host a hearing on COVID impacts to University Research.
- Title: The Impact of the COVID-19 Crisis on University Research
- Date: Wednesday, September 9th, 2020
- Time: 8:00 am PT/11:00 am ET
Witnesses:
Dr. Joseph Walsh, Interim Vice President for Economic Development and Innovation, University of Illinois System
Dr. David Stone, Vice President for Research, Oakland University
Dr. Theresa Mayer, Executive Vice President for Research and Partnerships, Purdue University
Mr. Ryan Muzzio, Physics Ph.D. Student, Carnegie Mellon University
The link to watch the hearing is here.
New DARPA Director Announced
Yesterday the Department of Defense announced Dr. Victoria Coleman will be the new Director of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). She is an expert in artificial intelligence and has until now been the CEO of Atlas AI. Dr. Coleman is the third woman to ever hold the position. Full story here.
What We’re Reading this Week (August 24th-28th, 2020)
Keep up with what’s happening in DC. Below is a selection of articles the Federal Relations team read this week.
March on Washington: The March on Washington is Friday, August 28th, marking the 57th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s “I Have a Dream” speech on the National Mall. This comes amidst protests following the death of Jacob Blake at the hands of police in Kenosha, WI. Live updates at CNN.
RNC: At the Republican National Convention, President Trump received the Republican nomination for a second term. Updates at CNN.
Russia and US in Syria: The Russian Government and the White House disagreed over accounts of how 4 US service members were injured during a skirmish in Syria. Each side blamed the other for breaching protocol. The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Mike Milley, spoke with his Russian counterpart about the incident. More at Politico.
Presidential Tax Returns: Speaker of the House, Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), has stated that if Democrats take the White House in the election, they will release President Trump’s tax returns, a source of major political contention. Full story here.
House Passes USPS Relief: On Saturday the House passed legislation 257-150 that would reverse operational changes at USPS and provide the Service $25 billion to sustain itself through COVID-19. More at Roll Call.
Pompeo Faces Contempt Charges: The House Foreign Affairs Committee is drafting a resolution holding Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Contempt of Congress, accusing him of misusing government resources and ignoring subpoena requests. Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Eliot Engel (D-NY) said in a statement, “He seems to think the office he holds, the Department he runs, the personnel he oversees, and the taxpayer dollars that pay for all of it are there for his personal and political benefit”. Full story.
COVID Relief Not Moving: White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows and Speaker of the House, Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), resumed talks today on the stalled COVID-19 stimulus package, however they were unable to reach any agreement on a dollar figure. While Pelosi insists that Republicans meet halfway, Senate Majority Leader, Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY), is attempting to move forward with a smaller package consisting of a more narrow set of bipartisan priorities. More at AP.
Aid for Airline Workers: The White House is purportedly considering using executive orders to prevent hundreds of thousands of airline workers from losing their jobs at the end of September. The payroll support program which was signed into law in March expires on 9/30/2020. Without the relief, or a serious rebound in demand for air travel, airlines say they will be forced to furlough staff. Various unions note that executive orders cannot appropriate funds, which means ultimately Congress will have to act, however they appreciate that the White House is seeking action. Full story at Roll Call.