In a letter sent earlier today, higher education associations asked the State Department for further guidance and assistance on the hurdles faced by international students, faculty, and staff at colleges and universities across the nation.
While acknowledging clarity and needed guidance that provided in some areas, the letter also highlights the fact a number of other problems still remain. Read the letter here.
On top of the proposals aimed at direct institutional and student needs as well as needs in the research arena, the higher education community has also pulled together a set of tax proposals that seeks to address additional challenges.
One of the top priorities in the package is the request that public entities, including public universities, become eligible to take advantage of the tax credits available to employers that provide paid sick and emergency family and medical leave for employees who are facing COVID-19-related issues. “Phase 2” required all public employers as well as private employers with fewer than 500 employees to provide paid sick and emergency family and medical leave. At the same time, the bill created tax credits for the same set of private sector employers but explicitly prohibited public employers from being eligible for the credits.
As the push for a “Phase 4” coronavirus bill gains steam, the higher education community has come up with a set of requests for the still-developing package, some of which would augment provisions in “Phase 3” while others would create new sources of funding.
The broader higher education community is jointly advocating for this proposal, which would add approximately $47 billion to the Higher Education Fund that was created in the $2.2-trillion CARES Act. The request is based on a set of assumptions that the community made in order to craft a timely proposal.
The research university community is making another push for research funding in a Phase 4 package. In an effort to address a portion of the problems being caused by the pandemic, the group proposal calls for, among other items, $26 billion in the next legislative package to address the various needs in the research enterprise.
Below is a selection of articles the Federal Relations team read this week.
COVID-19: President Trump extended social distancing guidelines through the end of April, current projections indicate as many as 100,000 deaths, and the CDC now recommends Americans wear masks. Live updates at CNN.
Iran Tensions: President Trump has stated that Iranian-backed militia are planning attacks against US interests in Iraq, and warned that there would be a “heavy price” for any attacks. This comes as attacks against US troops and military interests become more brazen. Full story at Washington Post.
Venezuelan President: The US Department of Justice has filed criminal charges against Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro. The charges accuse Maduro of narco-terrorism and drug trafficking. The US does not recognize Maduro as the President of Venezuela. Full story at New York Times.
Arianne Caoili: Armenian chess master Arianne Caoili died this week after being hospitalized due to a car accident. She was a renowned chess player as well as accomplished dancer, model, and entrepreneur. Read more at New York Times.
Daniel Pearl Case: Pakistani authorities have re-arrested four people acquitted of murdering Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl in Karachi in 2002. The Government of Pakistan has said it will challenge the acquittal. More at Reuters.
NOAA has made available guidance regarding research impacted due to COVID-19 and suspension of campus operations. Researchers with grants funded by NOAA should review the document to determine reporting requirements and the possibility of extensions. The full document is available here.