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This Week in Congress, February 2-6

Here are some interesting committee hearings to watch this week.

TUESDAY, February 3

Senate Budget
FISCAL 2016 BUDGET
10 a.m., 608 Dirksen Bldg.
Full Committee Hearing

House Science, Space & Technology
NSF RESEARCH FACILITY OVERSIGHT
Feb. 3, 10 a.m., 2318 Rayburn Bldg.
Subcommittee Joint Hearing

House Ways & Means
FISCAL 2016 BUDGET ISSUES
10 a.m., 1300 Longworth Bldg.
Full Committee Hearing

 

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 4

Senate Commerce, Science & Transportation
CYBERSECURITY AND PRIVATE SECTOR ISSUES
10 a.m., 253 Russell Bldg.
Full Committee Hearing

Senate Commerce, Science & Transportation
VESSEL DISCHARGE REGULATIONS
2:30 p.m., 253 Russell Bldg.
Subcommittee Hearing

Senate Finance
HHS FISCAL 2016 BUDGET REQUEST
10 a.m., 215 Dirksen Bldg.
Full Committee Hearing

Senate Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs
IMPLICATIONS OF IMMIGRATION ACTION
10 a.m., 342 Dirksen Bldg.
Full Committee Hearing

House Budget
FISCAL 2016 BUDGET ISSUES
10:30 a.m., 210 Cannon Bldg.
Full Committee Hearing

It’s Budget Day!

President Obama will release his FY2016 budget today and it will push for tens of billions of dollars more in federal spending by arguing the deficit has been cut and the economy is much improved since he first took office six years ago. His fiscal 2016 budget plan will flip that by making the case that the economy has turned around, which should allow for more federal spending to ensure the improving conditions benefit everyone.

Obama will propose a mix of tax increases and changes in spending programs that, besides paying for the repeal of the sequester, would reduce cumulative deficits by $1.8 trillion over 10 years according to an administration fact sheet.

The administration said the increases would be more than offset by other spending cuts and closing of tax breaks. The plan also proposes repealing the post-sequester discretionary caps through their scheduled end in 2021, raising both defense and non-defense spending on a dollar for dollar basis. The increases would total $74 billion in spending above sequester caps — raising defense spending by $38 billion, to $561 billion, and non-defense accounts by $37 billion, to $530 billion. Obama has suggested the non-defense increase will go toward more infrastructure spending, new research into precision medicine, education programs, and foreign aid for Central American nations to combat child migration. To be sure, the White House also views entitlement spending as an investment and is not expected to make any significant calls for scaling back Social Security, Medicare or Medicaid.

The budget debate will play out over the next several months as appropriators write the annual spending bills and focus on whether to raise the sequester caps. Congress has found ways around those caps three out of the past four years, but that was when Democrats controlled the Senate. The latest sequester proposal seeks Republican support by calling for equal increases between defense and non-defense spending.

Additional reading:

Obama’s Budget: Five Things to Watch

Obama to unveil $4 trillion budget that busts spending limits

Join Bloomberg Government for a rapid response webinar tomorrow, February 3, as they analyze the numbers behind the FY2016 budget request.

Pell Grant Levels Announced

The Department of Education announced the maximum Pell grant levels for 2015-2016 today. The agency said the maximum award amount will be $5,775, which is an increase of $45 over the 2014-2015 award maximum.

The amount is affected by the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act (SAFRA), which was incorporated as part of Public Law 111-152. SAFRA provides for an automatic annual increase, based on changes in the Consumer Price Index—through award year 2017-2018—to the appropriated Federal Pell Grant maximum award. This change has resulted in a 2015-2016 maximum award of $5,775. The corresponding maximum Pell Grant eligible expected family contribution (EFC) for 2015-2016 will be 5198.

Read the announcement here.

What We’re Reading this Week, January 26

Here’s a selection of articles the Office of Federal Relations is reading this week.

NCLB? – The first item on the agenda for the Senate Health, Labor, Education and Pensions (HELP) Committee is the reauthorization of ESEA or No Child Left Behind. New HELP Committee Chair Lamar Alexander (R-TN) talks about how his views on the reauthorization and what might be coming for NCLB. Read it in Time.

$ Today for $$ Tomorrow – An op-ed on the changing nature of federal student loans, and the student loan landscape generally, and why higher education is becoming increasingly funded by the federal government, rather than state government. Read it at The New York Times.

Meet Our Demands! – As states try to fill the gaps in their budgets, many have started increasing the costs of licensing fees on applicants. Licensing discourages some applicants from pursuing those careers, which leaves nearly 3 million unfilled jobs. Additionally, many states require applicants to have taken certain courses to be eligible to apply for the programs, and these courses must be accredited. Read about it at The Washington Post.

Initial Offer – The President’s Budget Request for FY16 is expected to be $74 billion over budget levels set by the Sequester. Read about the budget at The Washington Post.

Plan B – The House Republican caucus is tossing around alternative ideas to stopping the Administration from implementing any immigration reform. The current idea is to sue the President. Read about it at Roll Call.

Out of State? – A recent study has found a correlation between falling state funding and public universities admitting more out of state students. Read it at The Chronicle.

ED Seeks Summer Interns

The Department of Education is seeking interns for summer 2015. The Department is a great place to explore fields like education policy, education law, business and finance, research and analysis, intergovernmental relations and public affairs, or traditional and digital communications, all while learning about the role federal government plays in education.

Applications are being accepted through March 15, 2015. Click here for more information on how to apply.