{"id":17339,"date":"2020-12-07T11:58:42","date_gmt":"2020-12-07T16:58:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/esa.org\/esablog\/?p=17339"},"modified":"2021-01-08T15:04:59","modified_gmt":"2021-01-08T15:04:59","slug":"policy-news-december-7-2020","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/esa.org\/esablog\/2020\/12\/07\/policy-news-december-7-2020\/","title":{"rendered":"Policy News: December 7, 2020"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u00a0The Katherine S. McCarter<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Graduate Student Policy Award<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Applications are now being accepted.<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/h2>\n

ESA is now accepting applications for its 2021 Katherine S. McCarter Graduate Student Policy Award. Offered each year, this award gives graduate students science policy training and opportunities to meet with lawmakers on Capitol Hill.<\/p>\n

Visit the\u00a0ESA website<\/a>\u00a0for more information and details on application requirements. The deadline to apply is Jan. 15, 2020.<\/p>\n

In This Issue:<\/strong><\/h1>\n

Biden Names Top Advisors in the New Administration<\/strong><\/a>
\nAgency review teams include many Obama administration alumni.<\/p>\n

Inform Science Policy Recommendation for President-elect Biden\u2019s Administration<\/strong><\/a>
\nESA asks for your assistance in creating a list of federal science-related priorities.<\/p>\n

Congress<\/strong><\/a>
\nCommittee leadership shuffles for the 117th Congress.<\/p>\n

Executive Branch<\/strong><\/a>
\nArmy Corps of Engineers rejects permit for the Pebble Mine.<\/p>\n

International<\/strong><\/a>
\nWorld Meteorological Organization issues State of the Global Climate report.<\/p>\n

ESA In the News<\/strong><\/a>
\nView an up-to-date list of ESA\u2019s media coverage.<\/p>\n

Opportunities to Get Involved<\/strong><\/a>
\nFederal Register opportunities.<\/p>\n

Biden Names Tops Advisors in the New\u00a0Administration<\/strong><\/h2>\n

<\/a>
\nPresident-elect Joe Biden started to announce his nominees for top positions in his cabinet and in his administration.<\/p>\n

Former Secretary of State John Kerry will serve as the administration\u2019s climate envoy within the National Security Council. Kerry will be the first person to hold in this position \u2013 he will lead U.S. climate diplomacy efforts. The Biden team has suggested that it will appoint another high-profile individual to lead domestic climate efforts. Kerry\u2019s position does not require Senate confirmation.<\/p>\n

Biden nominated Center for American Progress President Neera Tanden to be the White House Office of Management and Budget Director. Among other responsibilities, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) prepares the annual President\u2019s Budget Request and reviews all new federal regulations through the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs. Along with the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, OMB issues a yearly memo to the agency heads outlining research and development budget priorities. Tanden\u2019s confirmation is expected to be contentious, with Senate Republicans already opposing her nomination.<\/p>\n

The Public Affairs Office is also continually updating the\u00a0federal agency transition tracker<\/a>\u00a0as President-elect Biden announces his nominees for positions of interest.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, the incoming administration continues to lay out its plans for the first days of Biden\u2019s term. After the General Services Administration formally recognized Joe Biden as the winner of the 2020 election, Biden\u2019s\u00a0transition team<\/a>\u00a0started meeting with agency officials. Former Obama and Clinton advisor John Podesta told the attendees at the American Geophysical Union meeting that Biden will issue an executive order about scientific integrity and science-based decision making immediately after the inauguration.<\/p>\n

See also:\u00a0Graphic:\u00a0Tracking Biden\u2019s picks for Cabinet-level and high ranking posts.<\/a><\/p>\n

Inform Science Policy Recommendations for President-elect Biden\u2019s Administration<\/strong><\/h2>\n

<\/a>
\nESA asks for your assistance in creating a list of federal science-related priorities that require attention to restore science to its proper place in President-elect Biden\u2019s administration.<\/p>\n

Over the past four years, many federal science reports, programs, regulations or data sets have been diminished, discounted, underfunded or discontinued. Complete the form below and tell us what needs to be restored under a Biden administration and what you envision as high priority policies. ESA will share the information with President-elect Biden\u2019s Office of Science Technology and Policy Transition Team.<\/p>\n

View and Complete the Science Policy Recommendation form.<\/a><\/p>\n

Be as specific as possible.<\/p>\n

Many thanks,<\/p>\n

ESA Public Affairs Office<\/p>\n

Congress<\/strong><\/h2>\n

<\/a>
\nSenate:\u00a0<\/strong>The full Senate\u00a0sent<\/a>\u00a0the Save our Seas 2.0 Act (S. 1982<\/a>) to the president for his signature. This bill creates a Marine Debris Foundation to support NOAA\u2019s marine debris efforts. It encourages partnerships between federal agencies and foreign governments to address marine debris and plastic waste mitigation. The bill\u2019s lead sponsors are Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-AK) and Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI).<\/p>\n

NDAA:<\/strong>\u00a0A provision in the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act (H.R. 6395<\/a>)\u00a0requires<\/a>\u00a0federal research agencies to ask potential grantees to disclose all sources of current funding for key personnel on grant applications. This requirement comes amid bipartisan concerns about foreign espionage in federally-funded research. Researchers who fail to disclose funding sources could lose their grant funding. The National Defense Authorization Act sets policy for the Defense Department and is considered a \u201cmust pass\u201d bill for Congress. Both chambers of Congress are expected to vote on the bill this week.<\/p>\n

House Committees:<\/strong>\u00a0Democratic and Republican Steering Committees nominated new leaders for committees with jurisdiction over environmental policy for the 117th<\/sup>\u00a0Congress, which begins in January:<\/p>\n