NSF & NASA Budgets; Antisemitism Hearing; Research Security
BU IN DC
Noel Vest of the School of Public Health addressed a Capitol Hill briefing organized by the Friends of the National Institute on Drug Abuse on “Advancing the Science of Addiction Recovery” on July 17th. Vest also discussed his research on substance use recovery with the offices of Representatives Lori Trahan (D-MA), Stephen Lynch (D-MA), and Lisa McClain (R-MI).
Tim Hirschel-Burns of the Global Development Policy Center participated in a meeting of the US-Africa Policy Working Group convened by Congresswoman Ilhan Omar (D-MN) on July 17th. The group discussed debt sustainability in Africa.
CONGRESS SIGNALS DISAGREEMENT WITH TRUMP CUTS TO NSF, NASA
The House and Senate Appropriations Committees recently released fiscal year 2026 spending bills that do not align with the steep cuts to the National Science Foundation (NSF) and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) proposed by the Trump Administration, demonstrating that policymakers are not inclined to accept the President’s budget recommendations for the agencies. The Senate committee proposes to give both NSF and NASA’s Science account the same level of funding they currently receive, in contrast with the President’s proposal to cut their funding by 56% and 50%, respectively. The House committee has proposed a 23% cut to NSF and an 18% cut to NASA’s science activities. Lawmakers will need to negotiate and approve a compromise bill to finalize the budget numbers. In the likely event that Congress does not approve spending bills before the September 30th statutory deadline, a continuing resolution will be necessary to keep the government operational.
HOUSE COMMITTEE HOLDS ANOTHER CAMPUS ANTISEMITISM HEARING
On Tuesday, the House Education and Workforce Committee held a hearing titled “Antisemitism in Higher Education: Examining the Role of Faculty, Funding, and Ideology” featuring the leaders of Georgetown University, The City University of New York, and the University of California, Berkeley. Committee Republicans asked university leaders to discipline specific faculty and staff for their social media posts and events; pointed to the role of faculty unions in criticizing Israel; expressed concerns regarding global campuses and foreign donors; and asserted that diversity, equity, and inclusion policies harm Jewish students. Committee Democrats focused on antisemitic statements and social media posts by members of the Trump Administration; the lack of Congressional hearings on racial and other forms of discrimination; and the Trump Administration’s budget and staffing cuts to the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights.
CONGRESS CONSIDERS RESEARCH SECURITY POLICIES
The House and Senate Armed Services Committees have each approved their versions of the Fiscal Year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which sets policies at the Department of Defense (DOD). The defense policy bill passed by the House Armed Services Committee would ban gain-of-function research and prohibit DOD from sending funding to universities where an “antisemitic demonstration” has occurred. The Senate Armed Services Committee approved a bill that would prohibit colleges receiving DOD funds from entering into contracts with certain “foreign entities of concern.” It would also create an incubator program to enable colleges to facilitate the development of innovative technologies that meet national security needs. Both chambers will have the opportunity to modify the bills once they are scheduled for floor consideration.