Beltway BUzz
Washington, DC, is a busy place with a lot of moving parts. Beltway BUzz provides updates on Congressional and federal agency activities, announces key federal personnel changes, highlights grant solicitations, and features the many BU faculty and staff who participate in Washington activities.
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Biden Transition Begins
BIDEN TRANSITION BEGINS As President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris prepare to transition into their new roles, they have identified COVID-19, economic recovery, racial equity, and climate as top priorities. On Wednesday, Biden announced that Ron Klain, who spearheaded the Obama Administration's successful response to the Ebola epidemic, will be White... More
Results of Presidential Election Expected Soon
BU IN DC Pardee School of Global Studies Dean Adil Najam spoke on a panel celebrating the 75th anniversary of the United Nations along with Congressman Jim McGovern (D-MA) on October 21. The BU School of Public Health's Department of Environmental Health hosted a forum on the intersection of medical research and climate... More
International Scholars Face New Visa Hurdles
BU IN DC Kevin Outterson of the School of Law spoke at a Congressional briefing on antimicrobial resistance hosted by the Partnership to Fight Infectious Disease on October 8. Nahid Bhadelia addressed a Chamber of Commerce Foundation briefing on the importance of flu shots on October 22. INTERNATIONAL SCHOLARS FACE NEW VISA HURDLES On... More
DHS Proposes Shorter Visa Duration for Students
BU IN DC Dwayne Minier of Metropolitan College taught a virtual cooking class for the Massachusetts Society, a Washington-based organization for Massachusetts enthusiasts, on September 23. Robert Pinsky of the College of Arts & Sciences spoke at the 2020 National Book Festival on September 27. DHS PROPOSES SHORTER VISA DURATION FOR STUDENTS Last week, More
Congress Poised to Avert Government Shutdown
BU IN DC Kevin Gallagher of the Global Development Policy Center participated in a Center for Strategic & International Studies panel on COVID-19's impact on Latin America on September 23. Roscoe Giles of the College of Engineering gave a presentation to the U.S. Department of Energy's Advanced Scientific Computing Advisory Committee on... More
Congress Considers Research Relief
BU IN DC On Tuesday, President Donald J. Trump nominated alumnus Michael Rigas (CAS ’94, GRS ’94) to be deputy director for management at the White House Office of Management and Budget. CONGRESS CONSIDERS RESEARCH RELIEF While Congress has yet to advance a new coronavirus relief bill, two Congressional committees have recently drawn... More
BUzz Bits
BUZZ BITS... The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) declined to appeal a court-ordered injunction prohibiting its unlawful presence policy, thereby preventing the agency from enforcing it. The rule would have barred international students from entering the country for up to 10 years for any unknowing visa violation. Dr. Kerri Dugan has... More
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... More
Defense Policy Bill Moves Through Congress
BU IN DC Tuhina Neogi of the School of Medicine and the School of Public Health participated in an Axios briefing on the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on chronic pain on July 22. DEFENSE POLICY BILL MOVES THROUGH CONGRESS This week, both chambers of Congress passed their respective versions of the National... More
Administration Rescinds International Student Rule
ADMINISTRATION RESCINDS INTERNATIONAL STUDENT RULE In response to multiple lawsuits and bipartisan opposition, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement withdrew a proposal on Tuesday that would have required international students whose institutions offer exclusively online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic to leave the U.S. The agency will instead continue to follow their... More