Short Takes

The U.S. House of Representatives has passed two spending packages or "minibuses," which include ten of the twelve appropriations bills that need to be passed by both chambers of Congress to fund the federal government in fiscal year (FY) 2021. On July 24, 2020, the House voted 224-189 to pass a four-bill package including the Agriculture, Interior-Environment, Military Construction-Veterans Affairs, and State-Foreign Operations spending bills. Then, on July 31, the chamber voted 217-197 to approve a six-bill package including the Defense, Commerce-Justice-Science, Energy and Water, Financial Services, Labor-Health and Human Services-Education, and Transportation-Housing and Urban Development spending bills. Information about the provisions included in these bills can be found here. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine Committee on Biological and Physical Sciences in Space is requesting community input on the next Decadal Survey on Physical and Biological Science in Space. The committee provides an independent, authoritative forum for identifying and discussing issues in space life and physical sciences with the research community, the federal government, and the interested public. Sponsored by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the survey, expected to begin in 2020, will establish priorities and provide recommendations for research in microgravity and partial gravity for the coming decade. Preliminary ideas regarding key issues, cha...
Source: Public Policy Reports - Category: Biology Authors: Source Type: news