Congress Highlighting the Value of Behavioral, Social, and Economic Sciences Across Topics

July 9, 2020

Capitol Hill is working tirelessly to address pressing issues such as COVID-19; racism; and balancing international collaboration and security threats while also advancing reauthorization of the National Science Foundation and other perennial priorities. In both chambers, and on both sides of the aisle, members of Congress and witnesses have pointed to the importance of behavior and social science in addressing these priorities.

The House Committee on Energy and Commerce

Representatives Introduce COVID Relief Package for Federal Research Agencies

July 9, 2020

As Congress continues to assess the financial toll of the coronavirus pandemic and anticipate future funding needs, a bipartisan group of Representatives DeGette (D-CO), Upton (R-MI), Johnson (D-TX), Lucas (R-OK), Eshoo (D-CA), and Gonzalez (R-OH) introduced the Research Investment to Spark the Economy Act (RISE Act) (H.R. 7308)

The legislation authorizes approximately $26 billion in supplemental funding for federal research agencies to mitigate the

House Appropriations Subcommittees Markup FY 2021 Budgets with Full Committee Action Expected Next Week

July 9, 2020

This week, subcommittees of the U.S. House of Representatives marked up budgets for federal agencies for fiscal year (FY) 2021, which will begin on October 1. Budget caps previously established for FY 2021 are only slightly higher than FY 2020 spending levels, limiting ability to increase funding across agencies. Several subcommittees used a mechanism within the annual appropriations process to include emergency appropriations aimed at increasing funding for research budgets,

Executive Order Affecting Foreign Students Expected

June 17, 2020

On June 2, a group of 21 Republican House Representatives sent a letter to the Departments of State and Homeland Security outlining the importance of attracting international students to the United States and expressing support for the Optional Practical Training (OPT) program. OPT enables international students to work in the U.S. for one to three years post graduation.

The letter describes how international students make significant intellectual and economic