Actions Week June 9-13, 2014
From Report Produced by AAU
BUDGET, APPROPRIATIONS, AND TAX ISSUES
SENATE LABOR-HHS-EDUCATION SUBCOMMITTEE INCREASES FY15 FUNDING FOR
NIH, STUDENT AID
The FY15 Labor-HHS-Education appropriations bill marked up June 10 in the Senate L-HHS-Ed
Subcommittee would provide $30.5 billion for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), an increase of
$606 million above the FY14 level. Within that total, the bill would provide $100 million for the second
year of the multi-agency Brain Research through Application of Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN)
initiative, an increase of $60 million.
For student financial aid, the measure would maintain the discretionary portion of the maximum Pell
grant award at $4,860 for the 2015-2016 school year. When combined with mandatory funding, this
would raise the maximum award by an estimated $100, to $5,830. The bill also would increase funding
for several campus-based student aid programs. (See updated AAU Department of Education chart here.)
For the campus-based aid programs, the Senate bill would:
--Raise funding for Federal Work Study by $35 million;
--Raise funding for TRIO by $8.4 million;
--Raise Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants by $15 million; and
--Raise funding for GearUP by $3 million.
In addition, the bill would fund Title VI International Education programs at $81.2 million, an increase of
$9 million. Some $5 million of the increase is for study abroad. The bill also includes $75 million for the
President’s First in the World initiative, with $20 million set aside for minority-serving institutions.
For the Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need (GAANN) program, the bill would provide $31
million, an increase of $1.7 million.
The full committee markup of the bill originally scheduled for yesterday, June 12, has been postponed.
HOUSE FY15 DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS BILL WOULD CUT BASIC RESEARCH
The House Appropriations Committee on June 10 approved the FY15 Defense funding bill with a cut in
defense basic research (6.1) programs of 6.4 percent and a cut in applied research (6.2) programs of 2.4
percent. As shown in AAU’s updated funding chart, basic research funding in the three branches and
Defense–wide would receive less than their FY14 levels. Only the Defense-wide program would receive
more than the Administration’s FY15 request, an added $10 million above that level.
--AAU Issues Statement Opposing Cuts to Defense Basic Research
AAU issued a statement on June 10 criticizing the reduced FY15 funding level for Defense basic research
in the House bill, saying that it was “only a modest improvement” over the President’s proposed cut of
6.9 percent.
The association urged the full House and the Senate to reverse the funding cuts, noting, “DOD basic
research has led to technologies ranging from radar to GPS, from the laser to stealth technology. Congress
should approve this kind of cut only if it wishes to erode our armed forces’ future technological
advantages. “
HOUSE SUBCOMMITTEE PASSES FY15 ENERGY AND WATER APPROPRIATIONS BILL
The House Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee approved its FY15 funding bill on June 10,
with total funding of $34 billion. The allocation is $50 million below the FY14 level, but $327 million
above the President’s request.
The measure would level fund the Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science at $5.1 billion and
level fund ARPA-E at $280 million. Details will be provided when the full Committee issues its report.
The full committee markup is scheduled for Wednesday, June 18.
The Senate FY15 energy and water appropriations bill is scheduled for subcommittee markup on June 17
and full committee markup on June 19.
BUSINESS COALITION HOLDS WASHINGTON FLY-IN TO BOLSTER FEDERAL
RESEARCH FUNDING
A delegation of business representatives from around the country, led by the Greater Boston Chamber of
Commerce, came to Washington, DC on June 9 to meet with legislators about the importance of strong,
sustained support for federally funded research. The Chamber’s press release is available here.
Members of the Business for Federal Research coalition urged Washington lawmakers to support a strong
innovation economy by providing steady growth above inflation for federal research programs across the
government, beginning with the FY15 appropriations process. They cited such agencies as the National
Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, NASA, and the Departments of Agriculture,
Defense, Energy, and Homeland Security.
The Business for Federal Research Funding is a national coalition of 57 chambers of commerce and
business groups that was formed earlier this year through the leadership of the Greater Boston Chamber
of Commerce. The delegation that participated in the Washington, DC fly-in included participants from
the CEO Council for Growth (PA, NJ, DE), the Dayton Development Coalition (OH), and the Atlanta,
Pittsburgh, and Centre County (PA) chambers, in addition to Greater Boston.
OTHER CONGRESSIONAL ISSUES
HOUSE SUBCOMMITTEE FAILS TO MARK UP ENERGY RESEARCH AUTHORIZATION
BILL
The energy subcommittee of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee met June 11 to mark
up a bill to reauthorize DOE basic and applied research programs, but was unable to conduct substantive
business. Following a difference of opinion between Republicans and Democrats over committee
procedures and availability of the bill in advance of the markup, Subcommittee Chairman Cynthia
Lummis (R-WY) ended the session. The bill is now expected to bypass the subcommittee and go straight
to full committee. Chairman Lummis’s follow-up statement is available here.
The measure, which covers just FY15, incorporates the EINSTEIN Act (which would reauthorize 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. It would cut authorized funding by $232 million in FY15.
The bill would increase authorized funding for the DOE Office of Science by five percent to $5.3 billion,
but would significantly cut authorized funding for ARPA-E and eliminate references to “climate” from
that agency’s goals. The bill also would significantly cut authorized funding for biological and
environmental research and for energy efficiency and renewable energy.
Given that the House Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee has already approved FY15
funding for the energy research programs—including holding Office of Science funding at its FY14 level
of $5.1 billion—it is not clear what impact the authorization bill would have on those funding levels.
House Science Subcommittees HOLD Hearing on Administrative Burden on Research
Two subcommittees of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee held a hearing yesterday,
June 12, to examine the administrative workload for those conducting federally funded research.
Oversight Subcommittee Chairman Paul Broun (R-GA) and Research and Technology Chairman Larry
Bucshon (R-IN) both expressed support for efforts to eliminate red tape and harmonize and streamline
requirements, while still preserving research accountability. Rep. Dan Maffei (D-NY) noted that with an
80-percent rejection rate for federal research grants, scientists can spend significant time reapplying for
grant funding. Rep. Daniel Lipinski (D-IL) added that both grant-writing and too-frequent progress
reports delay progress in science, but he said it was important to ensure that researchers are not wasting
the public’s money and are taking appropriate safeguards in their research, such as in protecting human
subjects.
Witnesses for the hearing were Arthur Bienenstock, chair of the National Science Board’s task force on
administrative burden; Susan Wyatt Sedwick, chair of the Federal Demonstration Partnership; Gina LeeGlauser, Vice President for Research at Syracuse University; and Allison Lerner, Inspector General of the
National Science Foundation.
Dr. Bienenstock said that a key recommendation of the National Science Board’s report on reducing
investigators’ administrative workload, was to have research proposals focus only on the science and
delay submission of budgets and mentoring plans until the projects had been approved for funding. He
said the federal government should establish a permanent, high-level, inter-sector, and inter-agency
committee with the goal of reducing the regulatory burden on universities.
Dr. Sedwick said that transparency and accountability are paramount and emphasized the need for a
holistic approach to reform. Dr. Lee-Glauser said the competition for grants between equally qualified
proposals creates a discouraging atmosphere for scientists. She added, in response to a question, that the
administrative workload is a result of both governmental and institutional requirements, and that she
would also like to streamline the latter. Dr. Lerner emphasized the value of effort reporting and audits to
ensure accountability and to combat fraud, waste, and abuse, but she added that having multiple auditors
for the same institution was unnecessary.
SENATE FAILS TO INVOKE CLOTURE ON STUDENT AID REFINANCING BILL
The Senate on June 11 took up the Bank on Students Emergency Loan Refinancing Act (S. 2432), but
supporters failed to secure the 60 votes needed to invoke cloture. The vote was 56 to 38 in favor of
cloture. Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
Committee, issued a statement saying that reauthorization of the Higher Education Act would present
another opportunity to help borrowers with existing student debt.
--Higher Education Associations Endorse Refinancing Bill
On June 9, a group of 12 higher education associations, including AAU, sent a letter to Senator Elizabeth
Warren (D-MA), the primary sponsor of S. 2432, expressing support for the bill.
The letter notes that the bill makes several important reforms to the federal student loan programs, and it
offers some suggestions for improvement. The letter adds, “A greater commitment to students upfront, in
the form of increased grant aid and reduced rates on new loans, would lower their costs and limit debt
burden even more efficiently than refinancing existing debt.”
Activities for Week June 16-20, 2014
Floor Activities
This week, the Senate is expected to consider three appropriations bills bundled together as one, including
Commerce, Justice, and Science (S.2437), Transportations, Housing, and Urban Development (S.2438),
and Agriculture (S.2389).
Committee Activities

Monday, June 16
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 17
Senate Appropriations Committee
Energy and Water Development Subcommittee Markup: FY15 Energy and Water Development
Appropriations bill
10 a.m., 192 Dirksen
Senate Appropriations Committee
State, Foreign Operations Subcommittee: Markup FY15 Department of State, Foreign Operations, and
Related Programs Appropriations bill
4 p.m., 138 Dirksen
House Appropriations Committee
State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Subcommittee Markup: FY15 State and Foreign
Operations Appropriations bill
6 p.m., H-140 Capitol

Wednesday, June 18
House Appropriations Committee
Full Committee Markup: FY15 Energy and Water Development Appropriations bill
10 a.m., 2359 Rayburn
Senate Appropriations Committee
Defense Subcommittee Hearing: FY15 Department of Defense Budget Request
Witnesses: The Honorable Chuck Hagel, Secretary, Department of Defense; General Martin Dempsey,
Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff
10 a.m., 192 Dirksen

Thursday, June 19
Senate Appropriations Committee
Full Committee Markup: FY15 Energy and Water Development Appropriations bill & FY15 State,
Foreign Operations Appropriations bill and FY15 Legislative Branch Appropriations bill
10:30 a.m., 106 Dirksen