The DC Digest

Duke Government Relations

Duke in DC's Top News Today:

Congressional Leaders Announce Potential Bipartisan Funding Deal
Science Advocacy Groups Write Letter Seeking Supplemental Funding
Student Loan Repayments Restarting Facing Bumpy Road
House Education and Workforce Committee to Mark Up Pregnant Students' Rights Act
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The Highlights 📰

Budget & Appropriations

The latest coverage on Fiscal Year 2024 appropriations that are relevant to Duke.

Duke Government Relations' primer on the federal appropriations process.

CONGRESSIONAL LEADERS REACH POTENTIAL BIPARTISAN FUNDING DEAL

Congressional leaders announced over the weekend that they had reached a bipartisan funding deal with just under two weeks left until the first tier of government shutdown. The $1.7 trillion deal sees $886 billion for defense funding and $773 billion for nondefense funding. According to Politico, nondefense allocations would only see about a one percent decrease in funding.

Progress is Progress

Research

The latest updates on legislation and regulations that impact Duke's research enterprise.

NIH WORKING GROUP RELEASES REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR POSTDOCTORAL TRAINING

The NIH Working Group on Re-envisioning NIH-Supported Postdoctoral Training released last month a report that highlights the perceived decline in PhDs pursuing postdoctoral training and recommendations on how to change such trends. The working group includes the participation of Duke University's A. Eugene and Marie Washington Distinguished Professor Kafui Dzirasa, MD, PhD. The recommendations include six items on how to boost support for postdocs both financially and through professional development.

What's Up, Doc?

ADVOCACY GROUPS WRITE LETTER TO CONGRESS FOR SUPPLEMENTAL RESEARCH FUNDING

Five advocacy groups, several of which Duke is a member, have joined together to pen a letter to the House and Senate Appropriations Committees seeking an additional $13 billion in supplemental funding for scientific research and economic development at science agencies. These include the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Department of Energy Office of Science, and NASA.

Science Supplement

Student Aid, Institutional Support and Taxes

The latest updates regarding legislation and regulatory actions related to student aid, higher education institutional support, taxes and more.

NASFAA Student Aid Reference Desk

STUDENT LOAN REPAYMENTS EXPECTED TO SEE BUMPY RESTART

Student loan borroweres will soon restart repayment after being on pause for more than three years. According to the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA), two announcements from the Education Department (ED) and the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau (CFPB) indicate a tough road ahead as student loan borrowers resume payment. The ED announced it would withhold almost $2.2 million from student loan servicers after yet another instance of untimely bills. The CFPB released a report that highlighted issues with billing statements, long wait times and abandoned calls and more.

Borrowing Blues

HOUSE EDUCATION COMMITTEE TO MARK UP PREGNANT STUDENTS' RIGHTS BILL

The House Education and Workforce Committee is set to mark up a bill this week that would require higher education institutions to provide more transparent information about support for pregnant students and their babies. The bill is backed by several antiabortion groups and states that should a student get pregnant in college, they may face "pressure that their only option is to receive an abortion or risk academic failure." The Pregnant Students' Rights Act is set for markup tomorrow at 10:15 a.m. Current expectations do not foresee this being brought up in the Senate, even if it goes before the full House.

Oh Baby

HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT FEDERAL ISSUES? SIGN UP FOR FEDERAL FORUMS

Have questions about federal issues impacting Duke? Duke's Office of Government Relations (OGR) is hosting weekly virtual office hours for members of the Duke community, "Federal Forums." Join us on Fridays at 10:00 AM to hear OGR staff give a quick rundown of the latest news out of DC of most relevance to Duke, answer questions, provide connections to resources and more! Register in advance to receive the Zoom link, and please include any issues you'd like to discuss.

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