To Members of the NASULGC System:

As reported yesterday, the House of Representatives has started down the long dusty road towards eventual enactment of the F.Y. 2005 appropriations bills. The first bills out of the driveway were the measures providing funds for the Departments of Homeland Security and Interior. As you recall, the DHS and Interior bills were two of three targeted by the BAC for priority attention. (The other was the Ag bill, of course.)

Markup results at the subcommittee are generally kept under pretty tight wraps until the bills are considered by the full appropriations committee. However, we are pleased to report an early victory on one of our key priorities:

The DHS Appropriations bill includes $70 million for the "university-based centers of excellence." This is a $40 million increase over the president's budget request and matches the figure appropriated for this purpose in F.Y. 2004.

We still do not have news about the Interior Subcommittee markup. However, we will be certain to provide information to you when we have it in hand.

Fred Hutchison and Tim Sanders
The Blue Ribbon Team