Republicans to Lead Congress in 2015
BU IN DC
Congress may have been out of session, but BU faculty and staff had plenty of reasons to come to Washington, D.C., since the last edition of Beltway BUzz. Here are just a few, stay tuned for more next week:
President Robert A. Brown and Dr. Beverly Brown attended the Association of American Universities fall meeting between October 18 and 21.
Kevin Gallagher of the Pardee School of Global Studies released a report on global capital-account liberalization at the School for Advanced International Studies on October 3.
Linda Bandini of Sargent College attended the White House Summit on Improved Health and Fitness for Americans with Disabilities on October 6 and 7.
Elizabeth Loizeaux of the Office of the Provost participated in an Education Advisory Board forum on October 21.
Kathryn Mellouk of Research Compliance went to the Council on Governmental Relations meeting on October 23 and 24.
REPUBLICANS TO LEAD CONGRESS IN 2015
As a result of Tuesday’s midterm Congressional elections, Republicans will increase their majority in the U.S. House of Representatives and gain control of the U.S. Senate next year, giving the party complete control over Congress for the first time since 2007. The Obama Administration will now need to work with a fully Republican Congress in its final two years; whether this will lead to bipartisan deal-making or further stalemate remains to be seen. Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN) is expected to take over the Senate education committee, focusing on reducing the regulatory burden on universities, while Sen. Jerry Moran (R-KS) is expected to champion funding for the National Institutes of Health as the new leader of the Senate health appropriations subcommittee.
With one exception, the entire Massachusetts Congressional delegation will return to Washington in 2015. Democrat Seth Moulton will represent the northeastern Massachusetts district currently held by Rep. John Tierney (D-Peabody).
CONGRESS TO DECIDE PENDING BUDGET ISSUES
When Congress returns to Washington next week, legislators will need to complete work on the fiscal year 2015 budget prior to the expiration of the continuing resolution that is keeping the government operating through December 11. Conservatives will advocate for a continuing resolution that level-funds government agencies through the remainder of the fiscal year (ending September 30, 2015) in order to keep spending low, while research and federal financial aid advocates will push for an omnibus spending bill that sets higher funding levels.
The Obama Administration has requested $6.18 billion in emergency funding to address the Ebola epidemic, including more than $500 million for therapeutics, vaccine clinical trials, and technologies through research agencies such as the National Institutes of Health, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), and the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Agency (BARDA). Regardless of the outcome, a resolution of the budget dispute during the lame-duck session of Congress will allow federal agencies to plan their spending for the year ahead.
Learn about the President’s request for Ebola funding.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT…
While Congress was busy campaigning, important developments happened in Washington. Here are some highlights:
- The U.S. Department of Education published final regulations to update the Clery Act for reporting campus crimes, ease the credit requirements for the federal PLUS loan program, and enforce the gainful employment requirements for education programs that prepare students for jobs.
- Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) forcefully advocated for increasing federal funding for scientific research in a speech before the New England Council.
- President Barack Obama announced his intention to nominate Michelle K. Lee as the next director for the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
- Obama also announced his intent to nominate Dava Newman as Deputy Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
- The President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology released its report entitled “Accelerating U.S. Advanced Manufacturing,” recommending ways to increase national competitiveness and strengthen the manufacturing workforce pipeline.