The DC Digest

Duke Government Relations

Duke in DC's Top News Today:

White House Requests $100B for Disaster Aid
Duke University Joins Industry and Higher Ed Peers in Urging Congressional Action on AI Policy Proposals
International Student Enrollment Hits Historic High
Court Strikes Down New Overtime Eligibility Rule
Congressional Leadership Elections Update

The Highlights 📰

Budget & Appropriations

The latest coverage on Fiscal Year 2025 appropriations that are relevant to Duke.

Duke Government Relations' primer on the federal appropriations process.

WHITE HOUSE REQUESTS $100B IN DISASTER AID

The Biden administration has requested approximately $100 billion in emergency funding from Congress to aid recovery efforts from hurricanes Helene and Milton, as well as other recent disasters across the country. The proposal includes $40 billion for FEMA’s disaster relief fund and funding for various federal agencies to support housing, transportation, agriculture, nutrition, healthcare, and infrastructure. Lawmakers aim to pass a bipartisan disaster aid bill by Christmas, though it may be bundled with a broader spending package to avoid a government shutdown before the Dec. 20 deadline.

Disaster Aid

Research

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

DUKE U JOINS INDUSTRY AND HIGHER ED PEERS IN URGING CONGRESSIONAL ACTION ON AI POLICY PROPOSALS

More than 75 companies, nonprofits, and universities, including Duke, have signed on to a letter calling on Congress to support the National AI Research Resource (NAIRR) and pass the CREATE AI Act. The bill seeks to foster innovation and ensure that AI development is safe, trustworthy, and inclusive. The NAIRR will provide researchers and engineers with greater access to the resources, data, and tools needed to spur innovation and develop AI technologies. The bipartisan CREATE AI Act will help establish this shared national research infrastructure.

Support Letter

Immigration

The latest updates on legislation and regulatory actions related to immigration that are relevant to Duke.

INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ENROLLMENT HITS RECORD HIGH

According to a new Open Doors report, the number of international students at U.S. colleges reached a record high in the 2023-24 academic year, growing almost seven percent to surpass 1.1 million. Graduate student enrollment hit a new peak, with over 502,000 international students, an almost eight percent increase from the previous year. However, international undergraduate enrollment saw a slight decline of nearly 1.5 percent with approximately 343,000 students. The report anticipates continued growth in international student enrollment for the 2024-25 academic year based on early fall data.

Historic High

Additional Federal Relations Items of Interest to Duke

COURT STRIKES DOWN NEW OVERTIME ELIGIBILITY RULE

A Texas federal judge has struck down the U.S. Department of Labor’s expanded overtime rule, which would have increased the eligibility threshold for overtime pay to $43,888 in 2024 and $58,656 in 2025. U.S. District Court Judge Sean Jordan ruled that the Department of Labor overstepped its authority with the new rule, which would have impacted around 1 million workers. This ruling vacates the changes, which were set to take effect on July 1, 2024. Jordan had previously issued a preliminary injunction blocking the rule before it could be implemented.

Overtime Threshold

CONGRESSIONAL LEADERSHIP UPDATES FOR THE 119TH CONGRESS

As Congress returned to the Hill after the general election, it also held its own election for leadership in both the House and Senate. Reelected to their roles in the House are Speaker Mike Johnston (R-LA), Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY). Senator John Thune (R-SD) was elected as the Senate Majority Leader, taking over the position from Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) who decided not to seek reelection to the leadership role. It is anticipated that outgoing Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) will maintain his leadership position as the Minority Leader, though an official date for that vote is unknown at this time.

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