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To Members of the NASULGC System:
The House Appropriations Committee has approved two F.Y.
2007 appropriations bills of interest to the NASULGC System:
Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies
This bill was reported by the Interior Subcommittee on May
11 and passed the House of Representatives on May 18. The
legislation contains a provision of interest to the land-grant
system within the EPA budget. The pesticide application training
program administered by Cooperative Extension through CSREES is
continued for another year at a funding level of $1.2 million.
Unfortunately, the system's request for a new competitive grants
program within U.S. Forest Service R&D was not approved.
Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
This bill was also acted upon in subcommittee on May 11. The
DHS program of greatest interest to the university community --
the University-Based Centers of Excellence and Fellowship Program
-- was funded at nearly $52 million. However, as set forth in the
report language, this programs still has a large unspent balance:
| The Committee recommends $51,970,000 for
University Programs/Fellowship Programs, the same as
the President's request and $10,400,000 below the
amounts provided in fiscal year 2006. The Committee
is concerned that this program has an unobligated
balance of $67,399,000 halfway through the fiscal
year and reduces funds below fiscal year 2006
accordingly. S&T [DHS Science & Technology] is
encouraging universities to become centers of
multi-disciplinary research, including long-term
research, through its Centers of Excellence
activities and fostering the development of the next
generation of scientists through its Scholars and
Fellows Program. The Committee continues to support
S&T efforts to interest and educate the next
generation of researchers, and notes the continued
intense interest from universities with proposals to
perform homeland security activities. The Committee
directs S&T to report on activities funded under
this appropriation by January 16, 2007. |
Appropriations Committee Report on USDA Bill Now Available
There is currently disagreement over some policy issues
between the House Agriculture and Appropriations Committees. As a
result, House floor action on H.R. 5384, the F.Y. 2007
Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration,
and Related Agencies Appropriations bill, has been postponed.
However, in
preparation for the floor debate, the Committee's report on H.R.
5384 has been released. The narrative on CSREES programs is
notably longer this year, with many university programs
highlighted positively. The CSREES portions of the report are
available here:
http://www.nasulgc-bac.com/documents/FY2007/Rpt_109-463_Excerpts.pdf
Fleishman-Hillard Government Relations
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