BPS Members Step Up Their Advocacy
Last month, we highlighted that Congress would be out on recess for the month of August and that the recess is a great opportunity to get involved with BPS. We are excited to share that BPS emmebers are responding!
On August 6, Dr. James Bashkin, University of Missouri - St. Louis, Visited with Jasmina Hadzic, staff to Congressman William Lacy Clay (D-MO-1), at the Congressmans' St. Louis District Office. Dr. Bashkin touched on the importance of fundamental science research and pushed for Congress to approve the Senate Appropriations Committee's mark for the National Institutes of Health (read more about this below). The next day, BPS staff joined Kelsey Bettridge, a graduate student at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, to visit with the Marlynad Congressional delegation in Washington. Kelsey shared several videos of E.coli research conducted at the Xioa Lab that made an impactful impression, as the team shared the importance of fundament science research with Congressional staff.
While we're off to a great start, we need your help to keep our advocacy momentum going. Congress is expected to be out on recess for almost the entire month of October. Consider getting involved by reaching out to Sean Winkler at [email protected].
House Returns from August Recess with Major Funding Decisions Looming
On Septmeber 4, the House of Representatives returned form their annual August recess. While the Senate stayed in session to pass its annual appropriations bills and vote out various executive and judicial nominees, Members of Congress spent the summer meeting with constituents and ramping up their campaigns heading into the November midterm elections. The House is not as far along in its annual appropriations process as the Senate, and will have to quiockly develop a funding strategy. With government funding set to run out at the end of the month and President Trump's threat to veto spending packages without significant border wall funding, Members of Congress will only have 11 working days in September to avoid a potential government shutdown.
Senate Approves Funding Increase for NIH
On August 23, the Senate voted 85-7 to approve a minibus spending package, which combined the Labor, Health and Human Services (HHS), Education, and Defense spending bills. In HHS funding bill, Senators approved $39.1 billion for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), a $2 billion increase over Fiscal Year 2018 funding levels. Attention now shifts to the House of Representatives, whose Labor-HHS-Education bill still awaits passage. Congressional leaders must fund the government by the end of September to avoid a shutdown.
The Ad Hoc Group for Medical Research released a statement praising Senate passage of the minibus. Read it here.
Senate Holds Nomination for Kelvin Droegemeier, White House Office of Science
On August 23, the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation (Commerce) held a nomination hearing for Droegemeier. He was warmly introduced by both of his home state senators: Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-OK) and Sen. James Lankford (R-OK). Traditionally, having the support of your home state senators is an encouraging step toward confirmation. In his opening remarks, Droegemeier described himself as an educator, public policy professional, and a storm chaser. He described that today is an exciting time in science and that it is vital we maintain our national commitment to scientific pursuits as we face daunting global challenges.
Read BPS’s write-up on the hearing here.
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