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News and updates

President Obama Nominates Former Congressman to Chair NEH

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THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary
_________________________________________________________________
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 3, 2009

President Obama Announces Intent to Nominate former GOP Congressman Jim Leach as Chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities
WASHINGTON – Today, President Barack Obama announced his intent to nominate former Republican Congressman Jim Leach as Chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

President Obama said, “I am confident that with Jim as its head, the National Endowment for the Humanities will continue on its vital mission of supporting the humanities and giving the American public access to the rich resources of our culture.  Jim is a valued and dedicated public servant and I look forward to working with him in the months and years ahead.”

President Obama announced his intent to nominate the following individual today:

Jim Leach, Nominee for Chairman, National Endowment for the Humanities
Jim Leach served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives for the state of Iowa for 30 years. He founded and co-chaired the Congressional Humanities Caucus, which is dedicated to  advocating on behalf of the humanities in the House of Representatives and to raising the profile of humanities in the United States. The Caucus worked to promote and preserve humanities programs and commissions such as the Historical Publications and Records Commission. Mr. Leach and his co-founder, Rep. David Price, received the Sidney R. Yates Award for Distinguished Public Service to the Humanities from the National Humanities Alliance in 2005. During his tenure in Congress, Mr. Leach also served as Chairman of the House Committee on Banking and Financial Services (1995-2001), a senior member of the House Committee on International Relations and Chairman of the Committee’s Subcommittee on Asian and Pacific Affairs (2001-2006). In addition, Mr. Leach is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, the Vice Chairman of the Century Foundation’s Board of Trustees and has served on the boards of the Social Sciences Research Council, ProPublica, the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and the Kettering Foundation. Since leaving Congress in 2007, he has taught at Princeton University and served as the interim director of the Institute of Politics at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government.

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Several national associations, including the Association of American Universities and the National Humanities Alliace, have reacted positively to the announcement.

Seen in DC

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Elaine Faustman, UW professor and Director of the UW Center for Child Environmental Health Risks Research, met with UW Federal Relations Director Christy Gullion and staff from the offices of Representatives McDermott and Reichert on May 8th. She was in DC to discuss the Center and sources of funding.  The Center was formed to learn more about children’s susceptibility to pesticides and the way pesticides affect normal development and learning.  Funding for this Center and the research comes from the EPA and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. 

The Center has also recently been awarded two grants through NIH to participate in the National Children’s Study, which is a long-term research project that will examine the environmental influences on children’s health and development. The grant allows for work in Grant and King Counties, with the possibility of expanding to Thurston County and Marion County, OR (work is approved, but funds are not yet available).

Nancy Nihan, Director of UW Transportation Northwest (TransNow), was in DC May 19-20 to discuss a request the UW made in partnership with WSU, to be designated as a National University Transportation Center (UTC).  The UW is currently designated as a Regional UTC, which was awarded through a competitive process.  National UTC designation can only happen through a transportation reauthorization bill and will allow the UW and WSU to play a more national role in transportation research on safety, freight mobility, and traffic management.  Nancy met with staff in the Senate office of Pattty Murray and Maria Cantwell, as well as staff from the offices of Representatives McMorris Rodgers’, Larsen, Baird, and McDermott.

Dan Schwartz, professor of Chemical Engineering and Director of the UW’s recently funded BioEnergy Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship (IGERT) Program, was in DC with two of his graduate students, Laurel James and Kurt Spies.  Dr. Schwartz was impeccably dressed for the meetings with representatives from the Interior Department, staff from the offices of Senators Murray and Cantwell and Representatives Inslee and Dicks.  The IGERT Program’s focus is the development of sustainable energy projects for tribal nations, and also on training a new generation of tribal PhD scientists. Our first IGERT project involves work with the Yakama Nation and the second IGERT project is with the Colville Tribes.  Dr. Schwartz, Laurel, and Kurt briefed staff on UW IGERT work, and discussed opportunities (either through the Recovery Act or annual programs) in the Department of Interior and Department of Energy that might bolster its activities.

Week at a Glance on Capitol Hill June 1-5

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Congress returns this week for a four-week stretch in which Democratic leaders hope for quick progress toward writing the 12 regular appropriations bills and plan to push ahead on sweeping global warming and health care legislation.

Monday, June 1

  • Senate reconvenes at 2 p.m. and will begin consideration of the motion to proceed to a bill to allow antitrust lawyers to regulate railroad mergers (S 146—Railroad Antitrust Enforcement Act of 2009). Consideration may continue the rest of the week.
  • The House will not be in session.

 

Tuesday, June 2

  • The Senate will continue debate on S. 146, the Railroad Antitrust Enforcement Act of 2009.
  • Senate Energy & Natural Resources Committee will hold a hearing on the nominations of Catherine Radford Zoi to be Assistant Secretary of Energy for energy efficiency and renewable energy; William F. Brinkman to be Director, Office of Science, Energy Department; and Anne Castle to be Assistant Secretary of the Interior for water and science. 
  • The House will reconvene at 2 p.m. for legislative business and take up several measures under suspension of the rules. Votes are expected at 6:30 p.m.

 

HR 2430 — A bill to direct the secretary of the Interior to continue stocking fish in certain lakes in the North Cascades National Park, Ross Lake National Recreation Area, and Lake Chelan National Recreation Area.

H J Res 40 — Native American Heritage Day Act of 2009

HR 1380 — Josh Miller Helping Everyone Access Responsive Treatment in Schools (Josh Miller HEARTS) Act of 2009

 

Wednesday, June 3

  • The House will take up several measures under suspension of the rules.
  • The House Committee on Science and Technology will hold a full committee markup of the National Climate Service Act (HR 2407).

Thursday, June 4

  • The House is expected to consider a bill (HR 2200) that would reauthorize the Transportation Security Administration and a federal employee parental leave bill (HR 626). The chamber could also consider the conference report on the fiscal 2009 supplemental spending measure (HR 2346).
  • Senate Energy & Natural Resources Committee will hold a markup on Comprehensive Energy Policy, including building efficiency/renewable electricity standard; oil and gas/public lands; carbon capture, transportation and storage.
  • House Education & Labor Committee will hold a full committee hearing on “Building on What Works at Charter Schools.”

Friday, June 5

Senate will be in session; House may or may not be.

 

Source – Congressional Quarterly

 

Department of Education to Hold Public Hearings on Higher Education Issues

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On May 26, 2009, the Department of Education announced that it will hold three public hearings and related forums around the country to gather public suggestions on several higher education issues. The Department will also be conducting forums after each of the three hearings to discuss: (1) how changes to the Department’s financial aid communications and processes (including the Free Application for Federal Student Aid) could improve college planning, preparation and access; and (2) how best to leverage federal postsecondary programs to foster student educational persistence and degree attainment. The dates and locations for these meetings are listed below. Continue reading “Department of Education to Hold Public Hearings on Higher Education Issues”

AAU Issues Comments on Draft NIH Stem Cell Guidelines

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The Association of American Universities (AAU) has provided comment on proposed NIH Stem Cell Guidelines (see below).

May 27, 2009

AAU President Robert M. Berdahl yesterday submitted AAU’s comments on proposed guidelines for human embryonic stem cell research funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). 

The AAU letter praises President Obama’s March 9, 2009 Executive Order removing Bush Administration constraints on stem cell research, commends NIH for issuing draft guidelines for such research promptly, and expresses support of the proposed guidelines. 

The letter also raises several concerns, including the following:

  • It recommends that stem cell lines derived before August 9, 2001, that are currently eligible for NIH funding not be subjected to retroactive consent and approval processes and that they remain eligible for federal funding.
  • It recommends that stem cell lines derived under appropriate guidelines after August 9, 2001, and before the effective date of the new regulations also not be subjected to retroactive consent and approval processes and that they be made eligible for federal funding going forward.
  • It expresses disappointment that the proposed guidelines unnecessarily limit federal support to research on cell lines derived from surplus in vitro fertilization embryos, making lines derived by other methods—such as somatic cell nuclear transfer—ineligible for federal funding.
  • It recommends that NIH rely on institutional assurances and material transfer agreements in regulating the research use and sharing of cell lines, and that review and approval by institutional review boards of such lines or transfers not be required.

AAU Comment of NIH Stem Cell Guidelines