AAU, Associations Support $40B for Higher Education Pandemic Relief, Remind Lawmakers More is Needed
AAU recently joined ACE and 56 other higher education associations on letters to House and Senate leaders to express their strong support for American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. The group notes that while the $40 billion included in the measure for higher education relief falls short of the $97 billion needed to address student and institutional needs, it “represents the largest federal effort so far to address the crippling impact of the pandemic on colleges and universities.” The groups also applaud lawmakers’ efforts to provide dedicated support to address the disproportionate effect the pandemic has had on Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Tribal Colleges and Universities, Hispanic-Serving institutions, and other Minority-Serving Institutions. ( Association of American Universities - Mar. 3, 2021)
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Federal Lawmakers Push Cardona to Undo DeVos Title IX Rule
More than 100 U.S. representatives urged Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona to prioritize changing the current federal regulations that govern how colleges and universities address campus sexual misconduct under Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, the federal law prohibiting gender-based discrimination at federally funded institutions. In a letter addressed to Cardona Tuesday, the day he was confirmed as education secretary, 115 Democratic members of the U.S. House of Representatives said that the regulations put in place last year by former secretary of education Betsy DeVos “gut protections for survivors of sexual violence and overburden already-strained schools struggling amid a global pandemic.” The letter, organized by Representative Jackie Speier, a Democrat from California, and several other congresspeople, encouraged Cardona to issue temporary federal guidance based on “key portions of earlier guidance addressing Title IX protections against sexual harassment in schools.” ( Inside Higher Ed - Mar. 4, 2021)
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AAU and C4AD Urge Senate to Advance the Dream Act of 2021
AAU today joined the Coalition for the American Dream, a coalition of more than 100 top businesses and trade associations, on a letter to Senate leaders urging them quickly to advance the bipartisan S. 264, the “Dream Act of 2021.” The bill includes a permanent legislative solution for DACA recipients and undocumented children and would provide them with a pathway to citizenship. The coalition highlights that the contributions of these individuals are vital to our nation, “especially now when tens of thousands of them are currently working as essential front-line personnel fighting COVID-19.” ( Association of American Universities - Mar. 3, 2021)
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National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence Releases Final Report
On Monday, the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence released its final report presenting the commission’s “strategy for winning the artificial intelligence era.” Developed over two years, the report outlines how America can prepare to compete on the global stage and defend against artificial intelligence-related threats. One section of the report, “Protecting the U.S. Research Environment,” calls on the federal government to establish and fund an independent entity to assist universities with research security by providing open-source information, risk assessment, and training. It also calls on Congress to pass a modified version of the Academic Research Protection Act. ( Association of American Universities - Mar. 3, 2021)
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House Energy and Commerce Committee Democrats Unveil CLEAN Future Act
Democrats on the House Energy and Commerce Committee introduced the “Climate Leadership and Environmental Action for Our Nation’s Future Act,” or the CLEAN Future Act. According to a press release, the bill would “[ensure] the United States acts aggressively to tackle the climate crisis this decade and achieve net zero greenhouse gas pollution.” The measure includes provisions to create a clean energy and sustainability accelerator to provide $100 billion in funding for research on, and implementation, of low- and zero-emissions energy technology as well as climate resiliency projects and more. The legislation also would direct all federal agencies to use existing authorities to ensure the country reduces greenhouse gas pollution by 50 percent by 2023. ( Association of American Universities - Mar. 3, 2021)
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