Both the House and Senate are in recess until Tuesday, September 8.  The Senate was in session earlier today and approved a number of nominations but conducted no roll call votes.

CONGRESS CONTINUES WORK ON FY10 APPROPRIATIONS BILLS 

Congress continues to make progress on the 12 appropriations bills for FY10, but it seems clear that several of the bills will not be completed before the beginning of fiscal year 2010 on October 1.  In that case, one or more continuing resolutions will be needed to sustain funding for programs funded through those bills until final measures are approved. 

Democratic leaders say they still hope to complete each appropriations bill separately, but with health care reform and cap-and-trade legislation the top issues this fall, it is likely that at least some of the funding bills will have to be rolled into an omnibus appropriations package.

The House has approved all of its 12 FY10 funding bills.  The Senate has approved four—Legislative Branch, Homeland Security, Energy and Water, and Agriculture—and the Appropriations Committee has approved another seven bills.  Senate Democratic leaders hope to complete four of these in September, probably including Commerce-Justice-Science and Interior, and possibly Military Construction-Veterans Affairs and Financial Services.  The other bills reported from the Appropriations Committee are Labor-HHS-Education, State-Foreign Operations, and Transportation-HUD.  Only the Defense bill remains to be considered in committee. 

OTHER CONGRESSIONAL DEVELOPMENTS

SENATE CONFIRMS FRANCIS COLLINS AS NIH DIRECTOR

The Senate today approved Dr. Francis Collins as Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). 

AAU issued a statement today praising the confirmation that said, in part:

“Dr. Collins is the leader NIH needs to pursue today’s extraordinary opportunities in biomedical research.  He is uniquely qualified to lead NIH as a scientist, as an administrator, and as an advocate for science who understands the interplay between science and public policy.  We in the research university community look forward to working with him.”

SENATE CONFIRMS JIM LEACH TO HEAD NEH  

The Senate today also confirmed former Representative Jim Leach (R-IA) as Chair of the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). 

The AAU statement commending the confirmation said, in part:

“Jim Leach understands the role of the humanities at our universities and in American life.  He appreciates the need for strong federal support of the humanities and the role of the humanities in helping Americans understand our history and our culture.  It would be hard to imagine a director better able to deepen the nation’s appreciation of and support for the humanities.”

EXECUTIVE BRANCH

OMB MEMO CHARTS AGENCY PLANNING FOR FY11 BUDGET

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) on June 11 issued guidance to federal departments and agencies about planning for the FY11 budget, which the memo characterizes as “an important step in the President’s effort to change how Washington does business and put our fiscal house in order.” 

The memo offers guidance on four “deliverables:”  identifying a limited number of “high-priority” performance goals, submitting the FY11 budget, steps to reform agency hiring processes, and steps to improve employee satisfaction and wellness. 

In reference to the FY11 budget, the memo says, “To be successful, we must focus resources on our highest national priorities, including investments in health reform, clean energy, and education.”  It directs agencies, unless exempted by OMB, to develop three different requests for discretionary spending in FY11: 

• at the FY11 level listed for the agency in the FY10 budget submission;
• at an FY10 freeze level; and
• at a five percent reduction from the FY11 level listed in the FY10 budget documents.

Each agency also is expected to include significant terminations, reductions, and administrative savings—at least five—that would reduce costs below FY10 budget levels.

Agencies also are reminded that the Recovery Act was intended to be temporary and “not to be built into the ‘base’ budget” For FY11.

OTHER

INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION WEBSITE LAUNCHED 

The American Council on Education and the Coalition for International Education have launched a new website that highlights the importance of making international education and foreign language instruction core missions of U.S. education from kindergarten through graduate school.

“Engaging the World:  U.S. Global Competence for the 21st Century” features videos, interviews, and other materials that demonstrate the importance of international education and foreign language competency in such areas as business, diplomacy, economic and health care development, education, and national security. 

The website celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Higher Education Act Title VI and Fulbright-Hays programs.

Source: American Association of Universities