In Brief
Last Call for Applications for the BPS 2022–2023 Congressional Fellowship
Interested in using your science skills to inform science policy? Does spending a year working on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, helping develop policy sound exciting? The Biophysical Society’s Congressional Fellowship program is your opportunity to participate directly in the process of law-making that impacts how research is funded and regulated. This year-long opportunity provides fellows a chance to utilize their science knowledge to inform the public policy process. Fellows will gain firsthand knowledge and experience on how Congress works, and participate in the esteemed AAAS Science and Technology Fellows program that provides ongoing training and networking opportunities during the fellowship year and beyond. Visit the website for more details about the program or contact Leann Fox at [email protected] or (240) 290-5606. The application deadline is December 10, 2021.
Congress Still Facing Build Back Better Act, NDAA and USICA Before Year End
The Build Back Better Act, Democrats’ nearly $2 trillion partisan spending bill, is awaiting a vote in the House. As action on that bill occupies the House, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) announced over the weekend that the Senate will “likely” begin floor consideration of the annual National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) this week. He also indicated the Senate “may” attach the U.S. Innovation and Competition Act (USICA) to the NDAA. USICA recommends Congress ramp up research funding by billions of dollars over a course of five years, much of it through a new technology-oriented National Science Foundation directorate. The Senate already passed USICA this summer but it has stalled in the House, in part due to debate over how much to strengthen research security policies.
OMB Issues Fact Sheet on Outstanding FY22 Appropriations
The White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) released a five-page fact sheet on November 12 highlighting the urgent need for Congress to finish the outstanding FY 2022 appropriations bills. Calling for bipartisan and bicameral collaboration from lawmakers, the fact sheet states that full-year appropriations are necessary to build on the progress of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and address critical funding needs. The fact sheet identifies primary policy areas supported by regular appropriations and lays out the disruptive effects of a potential long-term continuing resolution (CR) on federal agencies. The current CR funding government operations is set to expire on December 3.
Partisan Positioning Leaves Debt Limit in Limbo
On Wednesday, November 17, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen updated the debt ceiling "X date" - the date at which the government may not be able to pay its bills - to December 15. The revised ‘X date’ was triggered by the is President’s signing of the bipartisan infrastructure bill which set in motion a $118 billion transfer to the Highway Trust Fund within 30-days of the signature. Congress will now have to address the debt ceiling as they determine the FY 2022 appropriations endgame and Democrats attempt to finish work on the Build Back Better Act. At present the legislative vehicle for raising the debt limit further is still in doubt; Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has argued that Democrats must pass a debt limit increase via a party-line reconciliation vote. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Senate Democrats have remained adamantly opposed to the reconciliation route.
Senate President Pro-Tem Patrick Leahy Announces Retirement
Senate President Pro Tempore and Appropriations Committee Chair Patrick Leahy (D-VT) announced Monday that he intends to retire at the end of his current term. Leahy is the Senate’s longest-serving sitting member, having served since 1974. The retirement is not expected to change the 2022 election calculation in deep blue Vermont, with a number of potential Democratic candidates have already been floated to replace Leahy, including Rep. Peter Welch (D-VT).