Please read the urgent request below and contact your Member of Congress regarding a harmful provision in a piece of legislation under consideration by Congress. The situation: The U.S. House of Representatives is currently considering tax reform legislation, H.R. 1, that would change the way graduate student income is considered and result in large tax … Read more
Last week, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved the fiscal year (FY) 2018 Energy and Water Development appropriations bill with a bipartisan vote of 30-1. The Senate bill would provide $31.5 billion for the Department of Energy (DOE), an increase of $718 million, or 2.3 percent, above the FY 2017 enacted level. This level of funding … Read more
On May 23, 2017, the White House released its fiscal year (FY) 2018 budget request whereby it proposed to slash funding for federal agencies that support plant science research and education. If enacted, President Trump’s FY 2018 budget would have a catastrophic impact on plant science and the broader U.S. enterprise of scientific innovation. The … Read more
This week, House and Senate congressional leaders reached an agreement on a fiscal year (FY) 2017 omnibus appropriations bill. This bill will fund the entire federal government through the remainder of FY 2017. Despite White House FY 2018 proposals to cut funding for many science agencies, Congress has decided instead to protect and, in some … Read more
Last evening, the Senate voted 87-11 to confirm Sonny Perdue as Secretary of Agriculture. Despite being one of the last cabinet nominees named, Perdue experienced a relatively easy confirmation process with considerable bipartisan support. Senate Agriculture Committee Ranking Member Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) used floor debate prior to the vote to endorse the candidate. The Trump … Read more