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

Lawmakers Propose Significant Changes to and Funding for NSF

June 4th, 2020

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Sen. Todd Young (R-IN), with House sponsors Representatives Ro Khanna (D-CA) and Mike Gallagher (R-WI), introduced The Endless Frontier Act on May 21. The legislation (pg 2597) (S. 3832), would make significant changes to the structure of the National Science Foundation (NSF), creating a new Directorate of Technology and renaming NSF to be the National Science and Technology Foundation. S. 3832 authorizes $100 billion for

A Possible Path Forward for FY 2021 and COVID-19 Relief

June 4th, 2020

As states start to reopen and the country approaches the presidential election, Congress is considering how to move forward with any additional COVID-19 stimulus packages and the 12 appropriations bills for fiscal year 2021.

Last month, the House passed, along party lines, the “Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions.” The HEROES Act would provide more than $3 trillion to federal agencies, state and local governments, small businesses, and individuals.