WASHINGTON UPDATE
Actions June 2-6, 2014
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Full Senate Appropriations Committee Approves FY15 CJS Appropriations Bill
Toolkit for Engaging with Members of Congress Regarding Federal Investments in Science
Now Available Online
APLU Congressional and Governmental Affairs Office Seeking Fall 2014 Interns
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Full Senate Appropriations Committee Approves FY15 CJS Appropriations Bill
The Full Senate Appropriations Committee Approved the FY15 CJS Appropriations bill by a
unanimous vote of 30 to 0. The bill now heads to full Senate. Floor action is likely later this
month. Of note, this bill funds NSF at $7.255 billion. At the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration (NASA), the legislation funds the Science Mission Directorate at $5.2 billion and
the Aeronautics Research Directorate at about $551 million. Within the National Oceanographic
and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the bill funds Oceanic and Atmospheric Research
programs at $430 million.
A summary of the bill and Chairwoman Mikulski’s opening remarks are available on the Senate
Appropriations Committee website here. The bill text and report will be posted on the website
shortly. You can also visit here to view the full table of APLU priorities and how they compare
to the FY15 CJS numbers as passed by the full House of Representatives and Senate
Appropriations Committee.
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Toolkit for Engaging with Members of Congress Regarding Federal Investments in Science
Now Available Online
CGA are invited to visit The Science Coalition’s website, www.sciencematters2.me to view their
online toolkit of materials which help explain the importance of federal support for research. The
website serves as a one stop shop for information on federal investments in science, various
advocacy opportunities, Congressional contact information (including each Member’s twitter
handle), sample tweets and hashtags, and other efforts also focused on federal research funding.
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House Subcommittee Chair To Introduce Energy Research Reauthorization Bill
Rep. Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), chair of the House Science Subcommittee on Energy, has
announced that she will soon introduce and mark up in subcommittee a reauthorization bill for
research and development programs at several Department of Energy (DOE) offices.
The measure will incorporate both the EINSTEIN Act (reauthorization of the DOE Office of
Science) and reauthorization of R&D programs in the Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable
Energy (EERE), Nuclear Energy, Fossil Energy, Energy Delivery & Energy Reliability, and
ARPA-E. Highlights of the legislation are included in a one-page document provided by the
subcommittee.
Among other provisions, the bill would:
--authorize a five-percent increase for the DOE Office of Science in FY15, with program-level
authorizations;
--reduce authorized funding for EERE programs by $486 million, or 29 percent;
--reduce authorized funding for ARPA-E by $40 million and remove climate goals and insert
“safeguards to protect taxpayer funds;” and
--provide $232 million in deficit reduction.
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AAAS-AAU-APLU-FBI Group Publishes Report on Personnel Issues in Biosecurity
A group of FBI and association representatives that have been working together on biosecurity
issues has published the report from the last of its five workshops, this one on personnel issues in
biosecurity. Previous reports dealt with security risks of biological research in academia (2010),
dual use review and oversight (2012), implementing select agent and toxin regulations (2013),
and international science and security (2013).
The project, “Bridging Science and Security for Biological Research,” was initiated four years
ago by the FBI’s Weapons of Mass Destruction Directorate (WMD). Working with the American
Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), in collaboration with AAU and the
Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU), the WMD Directorate held a series
of five workshops with the research, policy, and security communities to discuss outreach and
policy issues in biosecurity. The goal was to share and summarize in a series of reports the
lessons learned, challenges faced, and areas for improvement in local and national biosecurity
initiatives.
Activities for Week June 9-13, 2014
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Legislative Activities of Interest This Week
Floor Activities
The Senate reconvenes at 2 p.m. and is in a period of morning business until 5:30 p.m. At that
time, they are expected to hold two confirmation votes. The Senate may consider later this week
a student loan refinancing bill, S. 2432, as well as a veterans’ health benefits bill, which is
expected to also include a provision mandating public universities offer in-state tuition for
recently discharged veterans.
The House reconvenes at 2 p.m., and is expected to consider measures under suspension of the
rules. Roll call votes are postponed until 6:30 p.m.
Committee Activities
Monday, June 9
House Energy and Commerce Committee
Full Committee Markup
Promoting New Manufacturing Act (HR 4795), among a number of other bills
4 p.m., 2123 Rayburn, to be continued Tuesday, June 10 at 10 a.m.
Tuesday, June 10
House Appropriations Committee
Energy and Water Development Subcommittee Markup: FY15 Energy and Water Appropriations
bill
8:45 a.m., 2362-B Rayburn
House Appropriations Committee
Full Committee Markup: FY15 Defense Appropriations bill
9:30 a.m., 2359 Rayburn
Senate Appropriations Committee
Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education (L-HHS-E) Subcommittee Markup: FY15 LHHS-E Appropriations bill
2:30 p.m., 124 Dirksen
Wednesday, June 11
House Science, Space, and Technology Committee
Subcommittee on Energy Markup: “The Department of Energy Research and Development Act”
12 p.m., 2318 Rayburn
House Appropriations Committee
Full Committee Markup: Revised Report on the FY15 302(B) Allocations to the Subcommittees
9 a.m., 2359 Rayburn
Senate Indian Affairs Committee
Full Committee Oversight Hearing: “Indian Education Series: Examining Higher Education for
American Indian Students”.
2:30 p.m., 628 Dirksen
Thursday, June 12
House Science, Space, and Technology Committee
Subcommittee on Oversight and Subcommittee on Research and Technology Joint Hearing:
“Reducing the Administrative Workload for Federally Funded Research”
Witnesses: Dr. Arthur Bienenstock, Chairman, Task Force on Administrative Burden, National
Science Board; Dr. Susan Wyatt Sedwick, Chair, Federal Demonstration Partnership &
President, FDP Foundation; Dr. Gina Lee-Glauser, VP for Research, Syracuse; The Honorable
Allison Lerner, Inspector General, NSF
9 a.m., 2318 Rayburn