Pelosi Outlines House China Bill Strategy on Call with IndustryHouse Speaker Nancy Pelosi will not bring the Senate’s sprawling anti-China bill to the floor of her chamber unchanged, a staffer told industry representatives on a Thursday call. Instead, Pelosi will likely combine a group of bills that House committees have crafted to confront China economically into her own package, aiming to reconcile it with the Senate version in a conference committee . . . The strategy is not unexpected after months of hearings and committee votes that pointed toward the House producing a rival package to the Senate’s version . . . Timing on the House package is still unclear, but the House Science Committee this week advanced five bills that will likely become part of the larger vehicle, including the NIST for the Future Act (H. 4609), which would reauthorize the National Institute of Standards and Technology with enhanced funding and programs. The House package is likely to be anchored by the Ensuring American Global Leadership and Engagement (EAGLE) Act (H.R. 3524), a broad bill that aims to economically confront China. Other expected inclusions are bills to boost funding at the Department of Energy and National Science Foundation with research and development programs meant to make U.S. firms more competitive with China. ( Politico - July 30, 2021)
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AAU, Associations Submit Joint Comment Letter on OSTP’s RFI on Improving Federal Scientific Integrity PoliciesAAU joined AAAS, AAMC, APLU, and COGR in submitting a joint comment letter yesterday in response to the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy’s request for information on improving federal scientific integrity policies. The letter addressed several issues related to how federal agencies can adopt and implement standards for scientific integrity while building public trust in the value and impact of federal science. The letter suggested several measures federal agencies can take to improve scientific communication, including asking scientists to publicly discuss their work, disseminating scientific information through multiple channels, adopting policies that promote public understanding of the scientific process, and informing the public about existing guardrails that protect science from political interference. The letter also urged OSTP to broaden the concept of scientific integrity to include issues that affect research integrity but fall outside the focused definition of “research misconduct.” Finally, the letter asked OSTP to promote consistency in the application and implementation of policies across federal agencies and to be as transparent as possible whenever it acts against violations. ( Association of American Universities - July 28, 2021)
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Judge Strikes Down Provision of Title IX RuleA federal judge largely upheld a controversial 2020 final rule on Title IX promulgated by former secretary of education Betsy DeVos, but he struck down a key provision that prohibits colleges adjudicating sexual misconduct allegations from considering statements not subject to cross-examination. Advocates for sexual assault survivors have argued that the provision prevents previous written or oral statements from police officers, nurses or other witnesses from being considered by an institution in the event that individual is unable to attend a hearing, and also means an accused student’s own statements admitting guilt could not be used if the student chose not to testify at the hearing. Judge William G. Young of the U.S. District Court of Massachusetts ruled that the department had failed to adequately consider such outcomes, and the provision was therefore put forward unlawfully, in an arbitrary and capricious manner. Young upheld the other 12 of the 13 provisions of the final rule that the plaintiffs challenged. Now, under the Biden administration, the Department of Education has said it will issue a new rule next May to replace the 2020 regulations. ( Inside Higher Ed - July 30, 2021)
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Subsidizing Institutions Instead of Students?Though Democratic lawmakers and higher education advocates have been pushing for Congress to double the maximum Pell Grant in recent months, Republicans on the House Education and Labor Committee didn’t seem as enthusiastic about the idea during a subcommittee hearing on the program held Thursday. . . . Republicans were skeptical that doubling the award, as Democrats have proposed, would help make postsecondary education more affordable. [Representative Greg Murphy, ranking member of the Higher Education and Workforce Investment subcommittee] referenced the Bennett hypothesis . . . that suggests increasing financial aid leads to higher tuition costs, though research on whether that’s true has been inconclusive. Representative Diana Harshbarger, a Republican from Tennessee, didn’t explicitly state whether she supported or opposed doubling the Pell Grant but said that some sort of accountability measure for colleges and universities needs to be put into place. Committee chair Bobby Scott, a Democrat from Virginia, . . . championed the Pell Grant Preservation and Expansion Act of 2021 . . . as one step Congress could take to bolster resources for students by doubling the Pell Grant and extending eligibility for it to undocumented students. ( Inside Higher Ed - July 30, 2021)
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Additional $3.2 Billion in Emergency Funds Headed to HBCUs and MSIsThe Department of Education announced it will be adding $3.2 billion in grants to the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund, specifically targeted toward historically underresourced institutions. Most of the funding comes from the American Rescue Plan, signed into law in March. Historically Black colleges and universities will receive $1.6 billion, and tribal colleges and universities will receive $143 million. Another $1.19 billion will be available for other minority-serving institutions, as well as underresourced institutions eligible for the Strengthening Institutions program. More grants from 2020 COVID-19 relief legislation will provide $225 million to public and nonprofit institutions to support both colleges and students with the greatest unmet needs related to the pandemic. A total of 1,800 institutions and their students are expected to benefit from the billions in additional funding. ( Inside Higher Ed - July 30, 2021)
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Sen. Menendez Introduces Bill to Expand the American Opportunity Tax CreditOn Monday, Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) was joined by Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Alex Padilla (D-CA) as well as Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden (D-OR) in introducing legislation to expand the American Opportunity Tax Credit. The AOTC allows eligible students to claim an income tax credit or a refund on qualified higher education expenses. As AAU tweeted, expanding the credit will help put a high-quality college education within reach for hard-working families across the country. Specifically, the American Opportunity Tax Credit Enhancement Act of 2021 will double the maximum value of the AOTC to $5,000, make the credit 100% refundable, increase income thresholds, and expand eligibility to taxpayers convicted of low-level felony drug offenses. AAU President Barbara R. Snyder thanked Sen. Menendez “for his efforts to make higher education more affordable for more Americans” by expanding the AOTC. “In particular, AAU supports updating the credit’s requirements to make far more low- and middle-income families eligible,” she said, in a statement released by the senator’s office. ( Association of American Universities - July 28, 2021)
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