News
This week in Washington
July 21 , 2009
Congress returned from the July 4 th recess to continue work on a busy summer agenda. The House has approved nine of its twelve annual appropriations bills and recently passed comprehensive energy and climate change legislation. The Senate has also begun its appropriations process and has started debate on both climate and healthcare legislation. At the strong urging of President Obama, Democratic leaders in the House and Senate remain committed to their goal of completing both major policy items before fall.
The following is a recap of recent activities in Washington , D.C. of interest to the UCLA community.
CONGRESS | WHITE HOUSE AND FEDERAL AGENCIES | UCLA ADVOCACY
CONGRESS
Bruin Judy Chu Elected to Congress
On July 14, Judy Chu, a Democrat from San Gabriel , won the special election for the 32 nd Congressional District to fill the vacancy left by former-Rep. Hilda Solis, who was appointed Secretary of Labor by President Obama. Rep. Chu was sworn into the House of Representatives on July 16. She is the first Chinese-American woman ever elected to Congress.
Rep. Chu received her Ph.D. in clinical psychology and her B.A. in mathematics at UCLA. She was the 1991 recipient of the UCLA Alumni Association Public Service Award. She joins 11 other Bruins currently serving in Congress.
Rep. Chu has served in public office for more than 20 years. Most recently she was a member of the State Board of Equalization, where she served as chair since 2008. She was member of the California State Assembly from 2001-2006 and previously served on the Garvey School Board and the Monterey Park City Council. She also taught at Los Angeles City College and East Los Angeles College for 13 years. She is married to fellow Bruin, California Assemblyman Mike Eng (D-El Monte).
For more on Rep. Chu, visit her Congressional website at: http://chu.house.gov/.
Fiscal Year 2010 Appropriations Update
The House has passed nine of the 12 appropriations bills for fiscal year 2010 (FY10), with two more scheduled for votes this week. The Senate is moving at a slightly slower pace, having approved only two of the twelve spending bills. The Senate Appropriations Committee has approved seven other bills, which are currently awaiting consideration by the full chamber.
We have highlighted below spending for programs of greatest interest to the campus. Please note that no funding is finalized until the House and Senate meet in conference to reconcile differences between their bills and these conference numbers are put to a final vote.
Energy and Water (E&W)
On July 17, the House passed its version of the E&W appropriations bill. The measure provides $26.9 billion overall for the Department of Energy (DOE), which is about $500 million less than the Senate bill and $1.5 billion less than the President's FY10 request of $28.4 billion.
DOE Office of Science: $4.94 billion, which is 3.9 percent more than the FY09 level (Office of Science also received $1.6 billion in Recovery Act funds, to be spent over FY09 and FY10). The House bill includes about $38 million in congressionally directed projects; these earmarks would reduce the amount of money available to support the basic research funding requested by the President.
Of interest to the energy research community, the House approved $1.675 billion for Basic Energy Sciences (BES), about $10 million below the President's request , and $409 million for the Advanced Scientific Computing program, the same as the request. Nuclear physics would receive $536 million, about $16 million below the request; High Energy Physics would receive $819 million, the same as the request; Biological and Environmental Research would receive $597 million, about $7 million below the request; and Fusion Energy Sciences would be funded at $441 million, or $20 million above the request.
Energy Innovation Hubs: Secretary Steven Chu had requested $280 million to create eight Energy Innovation Hubs in 2010. The House bill provides just $35 million to establish one of these centers within the Office of Science Basic Energy Science program citing redundancy of the program with other DOE initiatives and a lack of implementation details. The Senate bill would support three hubs, but only if DOE is able to pay for an infrastructure project associated with the planned expansion of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory using Recovery Act funds.
UCLA is working closely with other research universities to advocate for increased funding for these Innovation Hubs. UCLA, along with other the research universities in California , is well-positioned to compete for these centers. We are continuing to reach out to our Congressional delegation to urge their support for expanding funding for these hubs.
RE-ENERGYSE: DOE requested $115 million to establish a new clean energy education initiative called, REgaining our ENERGY Science and Engineering Edge (RE-ENERGYSE). Under the proposal, DOE would provide $80 million for higher education programs, including support for new experiential learning opportunities for undergraduate students as well as three-year fellowships for doctoral students and one-year postdoctoral opportunities in energy-related fields. The program also would grant competitive awards to universities to develop and offer a master's degree in Interdisciplinary Energy Studies focused on clean energy. The remaining $35 million in the RE-ENERGYSE proposal would support technical training and K-12 education including funding for community colleges to train technicians and faculty in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields.
Unfortunately, the House provided no funding for this program. House Appropriators noted that they support the desired results of the proposed RE-ENERGYSE program but believe the Administration's justification for it lacks sufficient detail. The House also expressed concern that the program might duplicate existing STEM education programs at DOE and other federal agencies. Although the House does not fund the RE-ENERGYSE program, it approved $7.5 million for DOE to conduct a study to better define future energy education and workforce needs and to understand gaps in existing federal STEM education efforts that should be filled appropriately by DOE.
ARPA-E: The House provided no new funding for the nascent Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E). The new agency did receive $15 million in FY09 and $400 million in Recovery Act funds to be spent over two years.
Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education (LHHS)
On July 17, the House Appropriations Committee approved the FY10 LHHS appropriations bill which provides funding for federal student aid programs and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Overall, the House approved $160.7 billion for LHHS programs, which is 3 percent above the FY09 level but $52 million below the President's request. The House is expected to vote on the LHHS bill later this week.
Pell Grants: The House would maintain the maximum Pell Grant award provided under the Recovery Act at $5,500 in FY10. As reported in our May 28 and April 24 Washington Updates, during our recent federal advocacy trip to Washington, D.C., UCLA alumni, students, and staff met with Members of Congress and their legislative aides to advocate for increased funding for federal financial aid programs, including an increase to the maximum Pell Grant to $5,500 in FY10.
TRIO: The House provides $868 million, an increase of 2.3 percent over FY09. The Federal TRIO program includes six outreach and support programs targeted to low-income, first-generation college students. UCLA currently participates in two of the six federal TRIO programs: the Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate program and the Program Leading to Undergraduate Success (PLUS).
NIH: The House would fund NIH at $31.3 billion which is roughly 3 percent above the FY09 level. The House rejected the Administration's proposal to target funding for certain diseases. In 2007-08, NIH grants accounted for roughly 69% of all federal funding awarded to UCLA.
State and Foreign Operations (State-Foreign Ops)
On July 9, the House passed the FY10 State-Foreign Ops appropriations bill, which includes funding for the Department of State the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and various education and cultural exchange programs. The House would provide $600 million to fund educational, cultural, and exchange programs worldwide while the Senate would provide $635.2 million for these programs.
Commerce, Justice, Science (CJS) and Interior and Environment (Interior)
As reported in our June 22 Washington Update, the House passed the FY10 CJS and Interior appropriations bill on June 18. For a summary of spending approved for agencies including NSF, NASA, NIST, NOAA, and the National Endowment for the Humanities, see: http://www.advocacy.ucla.edu/news/090622_FederalNewsUpdate.htm#CONGRESS
** For more on the status of all FY10 appropriations bills, see: http://thomas.loc.gov/home/approp/app10.html
Science Community Weighs in on Energy and Climate Change Legislation
On June 26, the House narrowly passed the “American Clean Energy and Security Act,” authored by Rep. Henry Waxman (D-West Los Angeles), by a vote of 219-212. As previously reported, the university community has weighed in with Democratic leaders about the importance of including a strong research, development, and training component in the final climate legislation. Echoing this message, a group of 34 Nobel Laureates sent a letter to President Obama on July 16 asking him to urge Congress to include the Clean Energy Technology Fund he had requested in the final climate bill. The group expressed concern the House-approved bill provides less than 1/15 th of the $150 billion that Obama has proposed for federal energy research, development, and demonstration programs over the next decade.
Nobel Laureate Burton Richter, who led the group, said that the $15 billion per year proposed by the Administration for energy and climate-change research and development would be a good start toward the revolutionizing our energy technologies. U.S. Rep. Rush Holt (D-NJ) and Dan Reicher, Director of Climate Change and Energy Initiatives for Google, joined Dr. Richter in advocating for this investment. Rep. Holt noted that the House bill includes only $2.5 billion a year in total R&D spending - $1 billion for the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E), $1 billion for carbon capture and sequestration development, and $500 million for clean energy hubs to be based at universities (which are different from the Innovation Hubs discussed in the Appropriations section above).
As the climate legislation now makes its way through the Senate, UCLA continues to work with its peer institutions to share the message about the need for strong R&D investment with key lawmakers. In particular, we are targeting Sen. Barbara Boxer, Chair of the Environment and Public Works Committee (EPW) The Senate EPW Committee has set a September deadline for completing consideration of the climate legislation.
House Education and Labor Committee Clears Student Loan Legislation
On July 21, the House Education and Labor Committee approved the “Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act” to overhaul federal student aid programs. In general, the legislation would reshape student loan programs and lower interest rates, increase mandatory funding for the Pell Grant program, and expand support for college access and degree-completion programs.
The biggest reform proposed would be the elimination of the Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL), as recommended by President Obama. Under this proposal, the Department of Education would move all new lending into the Direct Loan program. According to estimates from the Congressional Budget Office, the elimination of FFEL would generate $87 billion in savings over the next 10 years. UCLA participates in the FFEL program.
The full House is expected to take up the measure next. No companion measure has been introduced in the Senate but action is expected sometime after the August recess. For more information, see: http://edlabor.house.gov/newsroom/2009/07/legislation-to-make-landmark-i.shtml
Key House and Senate Panels Move Forward with Health Care Legislation
Under pressure from the White House, Democratic leaders in Congress are hoping to pass landmark health care legislation before adjourning for the August recess. Last week, key House and Senate committees with jurisdiction over health care marked up various measures that would be incorporated into the massive reform package. On July 15, the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee approved the “Affordable Health Choices Act,” aimed at reducing costs and expanding health coverage. Meanwhile, the Senate Finance Committee began marking up the tax provisions required to pay for the reform proposal. The committee has not yet reached agreement on these provisions and will continue its markup this week.
In the House, the Education and Labor Committee and the Ways and Means Committee on July 17 approved their portions of the health care package, including measures related to insurance coverage requirements and tax increases. This week, the House Energy and Commerce Committee continues consideration of the massive reform bill, with the goal of completing its markup by the end of the week.
The DREAM Act Update
On July 1, a group of 30 higher education associations, spearheaded by the American Council on Education (ACE), sent a letter to Congress to convey the higher education community's strong support for the federal DREAM Act. If passed, the legislation would enable certain children of illegal immigrants to receive in-state college tuition and have a path to permanent status. While Congress has failed to approve DREAM Act legislation since it was first introduced in 2001, the Obama Administration's support for the bill has raised hopes for its passage. In April 2009, Chancellor Block wrote letters of support to the entire California delegation including Speaker Pelosi, urging Members to support the DREAM Act. In addition the Chancellor met with several lawmakers to discuss his support for the legislation, including Rep. Howard Berman (D-Van Nuys), who authored the House bill, and Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA). Back to top.
WHITE HOUSE AND FEDERAL AGENCIES
UCLA Office of Research Administration Launches new ARRA Site
The UCLA Office of Research Administration (ORA) has launched a new online resource for tracking funding under the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). The new ORA site provides details on all ARRA proposals submitted and awards made to UCLA. Visitors can access weekly reports via the “Recovery Act (ARRA) Statistics” link under the Reports section of the General Statistics tab, or directly at: http://portal.research.ucla.edu/ARRA.
The UCLA ARRA Reports include:
ARRA Dashboard: Homepage for the new reports, providing at-a-glance information on UCLA's ARRA statistics.
Proposed vs. Awarded Dollars: List of ARRA proposal dollars requested and award dollars received by UCLA organizational hierarchy (organization, division, subdivision, and department).
Proposals vs. Awards Count: Count of ARRA proposals submitted and award transactions processed by UCLA organizational hierarchy (organization, division, subdivision, and department).
Award Statistics by Sponsor: Total ARRA awards/dollars received by UCLA sponsor.
Please note that access to proposal detail information is limited to the user's home department and is based on the user's department affiliation. Note that award transaction numbers include new awards and award modifications. Please email portal@research.ucla.edu with any questions, comments, or suggestions.
New Administration Nominations President Obama recently nominated and/or the Senate recently confirmed the following individuals to serve in federal posts:
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Responses
Nicole Lurie
Occupation: Co-Director, Center for Domestic and International Health Security, RAND Corporation
Education: University of Pennsylvania (B.A., MD), UCLA (M.S.P.H.)
Confirmed July 10, 2009
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and Development
Mercedes Márquez
Occupation: General Manager, City of Los Angeles Housing Department
Education: USC (B.A.), Georgetown (J.D., LL.M.)
Confirmed June 25, 2009
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Administrator
Major Gen. Charles F. Bolden, Jr.
Occupation: Former astronaut; Retired U.S. Marine Corps Major General
Education: U.S. Naval Academy (B.S.), USC (M.S.)
Confirmed July 15, 2009
National Institutes of Health
Director
Francis Collins
Occupation: Director of National Human Genome Research Institute, NIH
Education: University of Virginia (B.S.), Yale (Ph.D.), University of North Carolina (M.D.)
*Pending Senate Confirmation
United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
U.S. Permanent Representative to UNESCO
David Killion
Occupation: Senior Professional Staff member, U.S. House of Representatives, Committee on Foreign Affairs
Education: Wesleyan (B.A.), UCLA (M.A.)
*Pending Senate Confirmation
White House Fellow, Class of 2009-2010
Anish Mahajan
Occupation: Physician and Health Services Researcher, UCLA
Education: Brown (B.A., M.D.), Harvard (M.P.H.), UCLA (M.S.)
*No confirmation required Back to top. UCLA ADVOCACY
Sen. Boxer Visits UCLA West One Source Youth Center
On June 29, Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) visited the Los Angeles Community Development Department's UCLA West OneSource Center , a youth employment program that provides young people an opportunity to work both on the UCLA campus and in the community. During her visit, Senator Boxer met with young adults to discuss summer youth employment opportunities funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). The visit also provided the Senator with a unique opportunity to observe the positive impact that the Recovery Act has had in creating jobs for young people.
For more on Sen. Boxer's visit, see: http://www.lacity.org/CDD/pdfs/news/6-29-09_Sen-Boxer.pdf and http://boxer.senate.gov/news/photos/.
Rep. Waxman and State Sen. Fran Pavley to Host Climate Change Forum at UCLA
On August 21, U.S. Rep. Henry Waxman (D- Los Angeles ) and CA Sen. Fran Pavley (D-Santa Monica) will co-host a forum on climate change at UCLA. Campus entities sponsoring the forum include the Institute of the Environment (IoE), the Emmett Center on Climate Change and the Environment at the School of Law , the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research, and the Office of Government and Community Relations. The program will feature Mary Nichols, Chair of the California Air Resources Board (and former IoE director), as well as several science and policy experts on climate change. The forum will focus on the interplay between AB32, California 's landmark climate legislation, and the American Clean Energy and Security Act, recently approved by the House of Representatives.
For more information on the forum, see: http://www.ioe.ucla.edu/cccs/ClimateChangeForum/.
Back to top.
If you have questions about this update or other federal issues, please contact:
Kim S. Kovacs Executive Director, UCLA Federal Relations (310) 794-6808 or kkovacs@support.ucla.edu
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