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Welcome to the website for the University of North Carolina at Greensboro Office of Government Relations. We hope that this website will serve an informative resource for members of the UNCG community interested in becoming engaged in the University’s government affairs. If you have any comments about the website or suggestions for improvement please contact the Special Assistant to the Chancellor.
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Obama's Budget Released
Posted by Mike Tarrant on February 3, 2010
Click on the FY11 Appropriations tab for detailed charts highlighting Obama's FY11 Budget for Higher Education and Science.
As President Obama and his aides unveiled the administration's fiscal 2011 budget with lots of talk about reining in discretionary spending, they largely exempted programs important to higher education from the budget restraint they urged. For the complete Inside Higher Ed story click here.
President Obama proposed spending increases for both the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation in his FY11 budget.
In all, the president proposed $66-billion for nondefense research and development projects for the 2011 fiscal year, and a 4-percent increase in basic research funds. That included an increase of $1-billion for the National Institutes of Health, which would receive a total of $32.2-billion. That 3.2-percent increase would be the largest for the NIH in eight years, other than the infusion of money the agency received in last year's stimulus legislation.
The president's budget also includes an 8-percent increase for the National Science Foundation. The $7.4-billion budget the president would provide the foundation is in line with Mr. Obama's goal to double research money for the NSF, the Department of Energy's Office of Science, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology by 2017.
One place where research programs would see cuts is at the Defense Department. The president's budget proposes a 7.7-percent cut for basic research at the department and an 11.2-percent cut for applied research.
The National Endowments for the Humanities and for the Arts would both lose money under Mr. Obama's budget proposal. They would each receive $161.3-million, down from $167.5-million for each in the current, 2010 fiscal year.
For the complete Chronicle of Higher Education story click here.
Obama Is Expected to Propose Domestic Discretionary Spending Freeze
Posted by Mike Tarrant on January 26, 2010
The White House on Monday let key congressional staff know that it will propose freezing much of domestic discretionary spending at current levels for three years as part of the fiscal 2011 budget.
The White House estimates this will save $250 billion over 10 years when measured against current spending projections, according to senior congressional aides familiar with the decision. President Obama will probably announce his plan this week, possibly before the State of the Union address he is scheduled to deliver Wednesday. The White House will release its fiscal 2011 budget proposal Feb. 1.
The freeze would exempt the Pentagon, foreign aid, Veterans Administration and homeland security budgets, as well as the entitlement programs that make up the biggest and fastest-growing part of the federal budget: Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security, The New York Times said. Obama’s plan may be bad news for many other agencies and departments. “There are going to be a great number of programs that get terminated or are cut dramatically,” an aide said.
Source: CQ
The Health-Care Debate in Congress: What's at Stake for Higher Education
Posted by Mike Tarrant on January 26, 2010
The Chronicle of Higher Education has an interesting piece on the impact potential health-care legistlation could have on higher education.
How Student-Loan Legislation Could Still Change
Posted by Mike Tarrant on January 26, 2010
According to a recent episode of The Chronicle of Higher Education's "In a Washington Minute:"
The longer it takes for lawmakers to figure out how to pass student-loan legislation, the more likely it is that the Senate's version of the bill will differ from the version passed by the House of Representatives. That could mean less money for colleges and their students, says Paul Basken.
Commerce Sec. Announces Plans for Forum on R&D Commercialization at Universities
Posted by Mike Tarrant on January 21, 2010
U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke announced today his plans to host a forum with university leaders and key stakeholders on the roles of universities in innovation, economic development, job creation, and commercialization of federally funded research next month in Washington, D.C
The forum, to be held February 24, will open a dialogue among administration officials, university leaders, innovators, entrepreneurs, investors, and other stakeholders on the effectiveness of existing government and university policies, programs and practices that impact job creation and commercialization.
Click here to see the full press release.
Dems lose 60-seat majority
Posted by Mike Tarrant on January 21, 2010
Scott Brown (R) defeated state Attorney General Martha Coakley (D) in a special election Tuesday night in Massachusetts to earn a seat in the U.S. Senate. In losing their 60-seat majority, the fate of the Democrats health overhaul bill and other legislative priorities for 2010 are unclear.
House & Senate Back in Session but all Eyes on Massachusetts
Posted by Mike Tarrant on January 19, 2010
Democrats and Republicans are keeping a close eye on Massachusetts as the views of its new senator may decide the fate of the health overhaul (HR 3692, HR 3590). Voters head to the polls today to decide the contentious Senate special election. The latest polls have shown state Sen. Scott Brown (R) surging to a dead heat or single-digit lead over state Attorney General Martha Coakley (D) after starting the contest as a significant underdog. Senate Democrats need a Coakley victory to hold onto their 60-seat majority. Polls close at 8 pm. EST.
The Senate this week returns and will work again on the debt limit. Work also may continue among Democratic leaders on the health overhaul.
House is back, Senate still in Recess
Posted by Mike Tarrant on January 11, 2010
The House will be in session only Tuesday and Wednesday for votes, as House Democrats later in the week retreat to their annual issues conference where they will be discussing this year’s agenda. The Senate doesn’t return to town until next week.
Source: CQ
Streamlining of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid FAFSA
Posted by Mike Tarrant on January 8, 2010
Earlier this week the White House announced a new streamlined Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) that includes a much more user-friendly online format and a large reduction in the number of questions asked and information to be provided for FAFSA completion. Further, it provides for future ease in the importing of IRS information, available later this month. The Department of Education announcement appears below:
The 2010-11 FAFSA-on-the-Web has been redesigned to be shorter, simpler, and more user-friendly. Questions are now asked only if relevant to the applicant; low-income students, for example, are no longer asked for asset information, and only returning students are asked about prior drug convictions because the question does not apply to first-year students. Also, immediately after submitting the FAFSA, applicants will now receive a confirmation email message which indicates Pell Grant eligibility and links to information about the schools they are applying to, such as graduation and transfer rates and a detailed breakdown of costs and expected expenses associated with the schools.
Later this month, those applying for aid in the spring semester using the 2009-10 FAFSA will be able to retrieve and import their tax data from the Internal Revenue Services (IRS). And, in summer 2010, those applying for aid in the 2010-11 a year will also be able to access the IRS web site to retrieve income information to complete the FAFSA.
Sources: APLU, U.S. Department of Education
$250 million initiative for science, math teachers planned
Posted by Mike Tarrant on January 6, 2010
President Obama will announce a $250 million public-private effort today to improve science and mathematics instruction, aiming to help the nation compete in key fields with global economic rivals. The initiative seeks to prepare more than 10,000 new math and science schoolteachers over five years and provide on-the-job training for an additional 100,000 science, technology, engineering and math.
Source: Washington Post
Congress in Recess
Posted by Mike Tarrant on January 5, 2010
No votes will be held in either chamber until later in the month: Tuesday, Jan. 12, in the case of the House, and Wednesday, Jan. 20, for the Senate (the day after the Senate reconvenes). In the meantime, leadership from both the House and Senate have already begun negotiations on how to merge the House and Senate versions of the health care legislation into something that will pass both chambers. It is becoming increasingly likely that leaders will decide to bypass a formal conference and instead work out an informal agreement between top Democrats in the hopes of meeting their goal of getting a bill to President Obama by late January or early February.
When lawmakers do convene towards the end of the month, issues on the agenda will include the debt limit, estate tax and jobs legislation.
Source: CQ
Jobs for Mainstreet Act of 2010
Posted by Mike Tarrant on December 16, 2009
The House will soon consider job-creating legislation that Congress and the Obama administration hope to enact early next year. The Senate will not consider its jobs proposals until January at the earliest. The Jobs for Main Street Act of 2010 redirects $75 billion in Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) savings from Wall Street to Main Street in an effort to further stabilize jobs and provide additional emergency funding to help families who are suffering.
The bill would provide $23 billion to the states for an “Education Jobs Fund” for Governors to allocate between elementary, secondary, and higher education institutions. The funds are directed to: 1) the protection of existing jobs, and 2) the creation of new jobs within educational institutions, and toward 3) the creation of jobs for the modernization, renovation, and repair of education facilities. An additional $300 million is directed toward College Work Study.
There also are other indirect benefits that could flow to higher education employees that have hurt by the economy. Click here to read the full text of the bill and click here to view the Appropriations Committee bill summary with the education sections highlighted in blue.
Source: APLU
Funding Levels for Programs Important to Higher Education, Fiscal 2010
Posted by Mike Tarrant on December 15, 2009
Check out an informative chart published by InsideHigherEd.com showing how various programs fared in the massive spending bill passed by the Senate Sunday that will finance the Department of Education, the NIH, and most other key science, labor and education programs in the 2010 fiscal year.
$1.1 Trillion Spending Bill Sent to Pres. Obama
Posted by Mike Tarrant on December 14, 2009
On Sunday the U.S. Senate voted to pass the 2010 Omnibus Appropriations bill (H.R. 3288) by a vote of 57 to 35. The bill, passed by the House 221-202, was not amended by the Senate which means it will now go to President Obama for his signature.
Check out the Appropriations page for details on the student aid and science highlights of the 2010 Omnibus bill.
Leaders plan to package most of the remaining business with the year’s last appropriations bill — Defense — which is expected to begin moving early in the week. While the House plans to adjourn for the year by the end of this week, the Senate will likely remain in session longer dealing with its health care overhaul bill — and may well be conducting business the week between Christmas and New Year’s.
$446.8B 'minibus' Spending Bill Unveiled
Posted by Mike Tarrant on December 9, 2009
House and Senate appropriators on Tuesday approved a conference report that combines six of the 12 fiscal 2010 spending measures. The 'minibus' combines the Commerce-Justice-Science (HR 2847), Financial Services (HR 3170), Labor-HHS-Education (HR 3293), Military Construction-VA (HR 3082), State-Foreign Operations (HR 3081) and Transportation-HUD (HR 3288) spending bills.
Lawmakers had hoped to pass the six bills separately, but appropriators chose to package them together to expedite their passage. The House hopes to vote on the bill before the end of the week, according to a spokesman for House Appropriations Committee Chairman David Obey (D-Wis.). The Senate could vote on it soon after House passage.
If the omnibus succeeds, the only fiscal 2010 spending bill remaining for Congress to clear will be the Defense bill (HR 3326). It will serve as a vehicle for other legislation congressional leaders want to get done before the end of the year.
Sources: thehill.com, CQ.com
Health Care Remains Focus in Senate
Posted by Mike Tarrant on December 7, 2009
The Senate this week continues to work on the health overhaul, while the House will focus on tax and financial legislation. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Ne., has stated that he would like to soon begin the process of filing cloture on one or more parts of the health care bill to get it done by Christmas time. Reid has said he expects the Senate to work weekends throughout December. Check back for updates as debate on the health care bill progresses.
Lastest Happenings On the Hill
Posted by Mike Tarrant on December 3, 2009
This week is the opening week of debate on the Senate’s health care overhaul. The Senate is expected to continue debate on the health care bill up until the end of the year. Check back for updates on the health care bill and other legislative action.
For more information contact:
Mike Tarrant,
Special Assistant to the Chancellor
The University of North Carolina at Greensboro
1708 Moore Humanities and Research Administration Building
1111 Spring Garden Street
Greensboro, NC 27412
336.501.2673 Phone
336.334.4624 Fax
mike_tarrant@uncg.edu
