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News and updates

News and updates

Biden Announces Additional OSTP Appointees

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President Biden announced two additional appointees to leadership roles in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.

Dr. Jane Lubchenco will serve as Deputy Director for Climate and Environment. An accomplished environmental scientist, Dr. Lubchenco is a professor at Oregon State University and formerly served as US Undersecretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and the Administrator of NOAA, as well as the US Science Envoy for the Ocean. She is also a UW alum, having received her Masters degree in Zoology (’71)!

Dr. Jason Matheny will serve as Deputy Director for National Security. He has served as a Commissioner on the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence since 2018. Prior to that role, he served as Assistant Director of National Intelligence and Director of the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Agency.

Nelson Nominated to Lead NASA

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Former Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) has been nominated to lead NASA.  The three-term Senator and former Representative flew on a shuttle mission in 1986 and served as a vocal champion of the agency while he was in Congress.  He served as chairman of the Senate Commerce, Transportation, and Science Committee, which oversees NASA.

Read more about Nelson and his nomination here, here, and here.

Becerra Confirmed as HHS Secretary

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By a vote of 50 – 49 in the Senate earlier this afternoon, Xavier Becerra, former Representative and Attorney General of California, was confirmed as Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services.  Read more about the nomination and the vote here and here.

House Votes on Significant Immigration Bills

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This week the House is set to vote on, and likely pass, two significant pieces of legislation as part of the Administration’s immigration overhaul push.

The Farm Workforce Modernization Act of 2021 would provide a path to legal status for certain undocumented agricultural workers.

The American Dream and Promise Act would offer a path to citizenship for DACA recipients via green card who arrived in the US before their 18th birthday, before 01/01/21. This is provided the applicant meets specific education, employment, or service requirements. It would also offer a path to citizenship for individuals in the US from nations under Temporary Protected Status (TPS) or Deferred Enforced Departure (DED).

The American Dream and Promise Act is not to be confused with the bipartisan DREAM Act reintroduced in the Senate which would offer some expanded protections for DACA recipients.

While the bills are likely to pass in the House, and have support from President Biden, the Senate would need to overcome the 60-vote filibuster threshold for the legislation to become law.

Haaland Confirmed as Interior Secretary

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Rep. Deb Haaland of New Mexico was confirmed last evening as Secretary of Interior. With her confirmation, she becomes the first Native American to serve as Cabinet Secretary.

Read more about her, her confirmation, and some of the challenges she faces in her new role here, here, and here.  She is expected to be sworn in on Wednesday.