Biophysical Society Bulletin | March 2018

Public Affairs

Congress passes 5th Short TermSpending Bill, Agrees to Raise Spending Caps Set by Sequestration In the early morning hours of February 9, Congress passed and President Trump approved a short-term spending bill that funds the federal government through March 23. The bill also raises the debt ceiling and includes an agreement to raise the spending caps set by sequestration for 2018 and 2019. The deal to raise the spending caps applies to both defense and nondefense discretionary programs, and is expected to clear the way to provide additional funding to programs both Democrats and Re- publicans care about, including at least a $1 billion increase for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in both FY 2018 and FY 2019. Representative Tom Cole (R-OK), chairman of the House health appropriations panel indicated that he expected NIH to fare well as long as Congress is able to pass a spending bill for the rest of FY 2018 by March 23. The Society, along with the rest of the science community, had been advocating for an increase in the spending caps throughout the year.

Senate Confirms Alex Azar as Secretary of Health and Human Services On January 24, the Senate approved the nomination of Alex Azar to serve as the Secretary of Health and Human Services. Azar officially began working in that capacity on January 29, when he

and individuals use the data to spot trends over time and develop an understanding of science-related issues import- ant to them. Organizations and individuals have found it very helpful in looking at diversity in the scientific workforce, de- gree attainment, and research outcomes, among other topics. To access the full report, visit the National Science Board’s interactive website: https:/www.nsf.gov/statistics/2018/ nsb20181/. March for Science Plans Rallies for April 14, 2018 The March for Science, a global organization that advocates for equitable evidence-based science policies, announced the 2018 international Marches for Science will take place Saturday, April 14, 2018, on Citizen Science Day. More than 70 satellite events around the world — from Cincinnati, Ohio, to Washington, DC, to Abuja, Nigeria — are already registered to participate in the second annual event, which will focus on holding political leaders accountable for passing equitable, evidence-based policies that serve all people and all communities. The events — some of which will be rallies, expos, and festivals —will be preceded by a Day of Action on April 13 in

Alex Azar

was sworn in. Most recently, Azar served as a former executive for Eli Lilly & Co. 2018 Science and Engineering Indicators Report Available On January 18, the National Science Board released the 2018 Science and Engineering Indicators, a congressionally man- dated report that provides data on the science and engineer- ing enterprise in the United States and around the world. The report is published every other year and includes information on science and engineering education, the workforce, R&D, public understanding of science, and the global marketplace. The report presents the data; it does not offer any policy rec- ommendations based on the information. Other organizations

March 2018

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