Encouraged Representatives, Senators, and legislative staff to pass appropriations bills for FY25 - either individually or as an omnibus - to fund the government and avoid a shutdown. (Eventually passed as a full-year continuing resolution: P.L. 119-4, HR 1968) Met with Representatives, Senators, and legislative staff to lobby for funding of select research and education programs in the FY25 budget and appropriations cycle, including: Agriculture (HR 9027, S 4690): NIFA programs for capacity for research (Hatch, McIntyre-Stennis, Veterinary Services Grant, Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment, Animal Health & Disease Research) and extension (Smith-Lever, EFNEP) at land grant universities; competitive agriculture research programs (AFRI, SARE, Agriculture Genome-to-Phenome Initiative, Research Facilities); integrated activities (NAHLN, Crop Protection/Pest Management); Intermural research at ARS for Salaries and Expenses (Grape Genomics, Hemp) and Buildings and Facilities (National Grape Improvement Center + Greenhouses and Growth Chambers); ERS; APHIS Veterinary Diagnostics; FDA CFSAN; SCRI Matching Funds Commerce, Justice, Science (HR 9026, S 4795): EDA Build to Scale, EDA Regional Technology & Innovation Hubs, NSF, NSF Facilities (CHEXS), NSF Cross-Cutting Activities (NNIN), NASA Science, NASA Aerospace, NASA Space Technology, NASA Early-Stage Innovation & Partnerships, NASA Education-Space Grant, NOAA-OAR, NOAA-Sea Grant and Aquaculture, NOAA-Regional Climate Centers, NIST, DOJ OJP National Institute of Justice Research & Evaluation Defense: (HR 8774, S 4921): Defense Basic Research (category 6.1), DARPA, Defense Health Research (including Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program), AF-RDT&E-Applied Research Materials; Defense Wide RDT&E-Cybersecurity Research; Navy RDT&E Applied Research Environmental Protection Energy and Water (HR 8997, S 4927): DoE Office of Science, ARPA-E, EERE Geothermal Technologies, Energy Programs: Clean Energy/Green Energy Plant Research Facility Interior (HR 8998, S 4802): NEH, EPA Science & Technology, EPA Geographic Programs - Long Island Sound, USGS-WRRI, USGS-Cooperative Research Unit Labor-HHS-Education (HR 9029, S 4942): Education Programs - Pell Grant, SEOG, FWS, TRIO, GAANN, Title VI International Education, FIPSE Higher Education Farmworker Law Curriculum Development; HHS Programs - Title VII Health Professions, CDC, CDC Vector Borne Disease Research, CDC Lyme Disease, CDC Centers for Public Health Preparedness & Response, NIH, AHRQ, ARPA-H, NIH Reorganization, NIH Cap on Facilities & Administration Reimbursement State, Foreign Ops: (HR 8771, S 4947) Educational & Cultural Exchange Programs (Fulbright), USAID Feed the Future Innovation Labs Transportation: (HR9028, S 4876) University Transportation Research Centers
Met with legislative staff to brief them on the potential negative impact on university technology transfer of intellectual property if NIST guidance on march-in rights is implemented. Encouraged potential legislative action to roll back this proposal if necessary. Met with legislative staff to encourage continued support of university technology transfer programs.
Met with Representatives, Senators, and legislative staff to discuss tax-exempt university endowment issues. (No bill number) Met with Representatives, Senators, and legislative staff to express opposition to endowment tax provisions proposed to offset to workforce training or other programs. (No bill number in 119th Congress) Encouraged Representatives, Senators, and legislative staff to repeal, offset, or otherwise not increase or expand the excise tax on scholarships, research, and other programs funded by university endowment investments as part of budget reconciliation or other legislation (no bill number). Discouraged co-sponsorship of HR 466, HR 716, HR 1006, HR 1023, HR 1128, S 936. Encouraged Representatives and Senators to support legislation to expand Section 127 tax credits for Employer-Provided educational assistance programs.
Met with Representatives, Senators, and legislative staff to discuss proposals for agriculture research and extension initiatives in a potential farm bill. Requested support for a proposal to establish a program to help the dairy industry manage its environmental footprint. Met with Representatives, Senators, and staff to discuss the impact of and request continued funding for land grant programs (Hatch, Smith-Lever) that fund New York-based research and extension efforts across the state. Met with Representatives, Senators, and staff to discuss the implications of avian influenza on animal agriculture, and to request continued funding for efforts to address it. Met with Representatives, Senators, and staff to discuss the impact of cuts and workforce reductions at the Agriculture Research Service and other USDA agencies, and to request support for agriculture research agencies.
Met with Representatives, Senators, and legislative staff to express support for biomedical research, and to discuss the impact of cuts, funding freezes, and staff reductions at the National Institutes of Health and other health research agencies. Urged legislative staff to extend the temporary telehealth flexibility that was authorized under the COVID-19 emergency, and was included in the continuing resolution (PL 118-158, PL 119-4). Asked Representatives to consider legislation that amends the regulation of laboratory testing (including the VALID Act) separately from the Medical Device User Fee Agreement (MDUFA). Briefed legislative staff on status of FDA proposal to regulate laboratory-developed tests and asked the to oppose efforts to codify the proposal. (No bill number) Briefed Representatives, Senators, and staff on impact of cuts to DoD-funded medical research in the continuing resolution (PL 119 - 4). Met with Representatives, Senators, and legislative staff to lobby against a proposal to cap indirect cost recovery on NIH grants at 15 percent.
Met with legislative staff to request increased funding for an FDA program to provide outreach and training for small farmers on compliance with the FSMA Produce Safety Rule in the FY26 Agriculture Appropriations bill.
Met with Representatives, Senators, and legislative staff to discuss implementation of and to encourage full funding for the CHIPS & Science Act (PL 117-167). Issues include authorizations for the NSF, DoE Office of Science, NIST, STEM education, graduate education and young investigator support, open access to research, designation and structure of the NSTC, technology transfer enhancement, provisions on research security, and disclosure of foreign gifts and contracts. Asked covered officials not to repeal or rescind funding provided by the CHIPS Act. Met with legislative staff to discuss and encourage support of actions to implement National Security Presidential Memorandum-33 to improve and better coordinate research security; thanked legislative staff for not adding additional legislative mandates for research security in the annual defense authorization bill (PL 118-31). Met with legislative staff to express support for continuation of the fundamental research exclusion from legislative proposals to address export controls and research security. Expressed concern with policies that discourage international collaboration, regardless of adherence to national security protocols. Met with legislative staff to discuss issues continued support for the NASA Space Grant program. Met with Representatives, Senators, and legislative staff to discuss facilities & administrative cost recovery process, and to discourage efforts to cap F&A reimbursement across scientific research agencies. Met with legislative staff to request continued support for research and construction projects funded by the National Science Foundation.
Met with Senators, Representatives, and legislative staff to express support for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, and to encourage support of the legislation to provide legal status and protections for undocumented students in the Dream and Promise Act. (HR 1589) Met with Representatives, Senators, and legislative staff to express concern with and discourage policies that have a negative impact on international students and scholars, including legislation to prevent Chinese students from studying in the US (HR 2147) or to eliminate the OPT program (HR 2315). Expressed support for high skilled immigration reform. (HR 2627, S 1233)
Met with legislative staff to discuss continued support for the DoD-sponsored research at the Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source (MSN-C) and within the FY26 National Defense Authorization Act and Defense Appropriations legislation. (No bill number) Met with legislative staff to describe the impact of cuts to the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program in the continuing resolution (PL 119-4) and to express support for reinstating funding for the program. Met with legislative staff to discuss funding for a semiconductor industry cybersecurity research program. (No bill number) Met with legislative staff to discourage enactment of additional legislative mandates for research security in the annual defense authorization bill (no bill number)
Met with Representatives, Senators, and legislative staff to express continued support and increased funding for federal student aid programs, including Pell Grant, SEOG, Federal Work Study, TRIO, federal direct subsidized loan program in the continuing resolution (PL 119-4) Encouraged lawmakers to restore funding for Work Study and SEOG campus-based aid programs in the continuing resolution (PL 119-4) Met with legislative staff to discourage support for the endowment tax as an offset to legislation to expand workforce training programs (No bill number in 119th Congress). Met with legislative staff to express concern with provisions of the College Cost Reduction Act and to discourage including this bill in budget reconciliation. (no bill number in 119th Congress) Met with legislative staff to encourage support for continued funding for Title VI International Education and Area Studies, and the Fulbright/Hayes programs. (No bill number) Met with Representatives, Senators, and legislative staff to express support for TRIO programs (McNair Scholars) that increase access to graduate school education for first generation students. Met with Representatives, Senators, and legislative staff to encourage continuation of the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program and other income-driven repayment programs that benefit Cornell graduates, and to discourage action to eliminate or greatly restrict these programs in budget reconciliation. (No bill number) Met with Representatives, Senators, and legislative staff to request support for graduate education and federal aid for graduate students, and to discourage efforts to eliminate the grad PLUS and Parent PLUS loan programs in the budget reconciliation process. Met with legislative staff to discuss concerns with and explain the impact of proposed changes to foreign gift reporting and other provisions in HR 1048. Met with Representatives, Senators, and legislative staff to discuss and explain activities, programs, and initiatives that address antisemitism and Islamophobia and activities to promote free speech on campus.
Met with Representatives and legislative staff to discuss support for the Department of Energy's Geothermal Technologies program as a platform for a demonstration project.
Met with Representatives, Senators, and legislative staff to discuss the impending cut to the Medicare physician fee schedule and urged Congress to intervene to prevent further cuts beyond the continuing resolution. (PL 119-4)