Next COVID-19 Relief Package Remains in Limbo
BU IN DC
Dorothy Robyn of the Institute for Sustainable Energy moderated a National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine workshop on enhancing federal clean energy investments on July 29.
NEXT COVID-19 RELIEF PACKAGE REMAINS IN LIMBO
On Monday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) introduced the HEALS Act, a proposed fifth COVID-19 relief bill from Congress. The proposal would provide $29 billion for student aid and colleges; $15.5 billion for the National Institutes of Health for recovering lost research productivity, bolstering training grants, and conducting COVID-19 research; an expanded employee retention tax credit for employers; and a temporary liability shield for universities. Senate Republicans, Congressional Democrats, and the Trump Administration all quickly criticized the proposal, which would need to be reconciled with the HEROES Act passed by the U.S. House of Representatives in May. With the unemployment benefits provided in this spring’s CARES Act set to expire, the pressure is on for Congress to act on COVID-19 relief prior to a planned August recess.
BUZZ BITS…
- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced on Tuesday that it will no longer accept new applications for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program and will only renew existing approvals for one year, rather than the current two-year period. Lawsuits are likely to be filed against the new policy, which follows a ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court in June that the Trump Administration improperly terminated DACA.
- The National Institutes of Health has named Dr. Michael Chiang as the next director of the National Eye Institute (NEI). Dr. Chiang, who is currently a professor at Oregon Health & Science University, is expected to join NEI in late 2020.
- The U.S. Department of Energy released a blueprint on how to build a national quantum internet. The roadmap lays out research and development priorities for ensuring that the U.S. remains competitive in developing quantum computing technologies.
2020 CAMPAIGN: EDUCATION PROPOSALS
With the 2020 Presidential election less than 100 days away, BU Federal Relations presents a primer on the higher education proposals put forth by President Donald J. Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden.
- Affordability: Trump has proposed deep cuts to federal student financial aid programs in his annual budget requests. Biden would make two years of community college debt-free for all and make public colleges tuition-free for families making less than $125,000.
- Pell Grants: Trump has proposed expanding Pell eligibility to students in “short-term programs that provide… a credential, certification, or license in an in-demand field.” Biden proposes doubling the maximum individual Pell Grant award and expanding eligibility to formerly incarcerated students and Dreamers.
- Student debt: Biden would lower student loan payments to five percent of discretionary income over $25,000, and forgive the remainder of student debt after 20 years of payments. Trump also supports an income-driven payment plan, capping payment at 12.5% of income and providing forgiveness after 15 years for undergraduate loans and 20 years for graduate loans.