FASEB Washington Update - October 1, 2010

Appeals Court Rules That Embryonic Stem Cell Research Can Continue
This week, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit ruled that the National Institutes of Health (NIH) could continue to fund human embryonic stem cell research (hESC) while it considers the government’s appeal of an injunction that brought federal support for this area of research to a halt. The ruling was one of several recent procedural decisions in the complicated case unfolding simultaneously in the appeals court and a lower U.S. district court. Earlier this month, the appeals court issued a temporary administrative suspension of the district court’s August 23rd injunction; the more recent ruling extends that suspension until the court makes a final determination in the appeal. More Details >

Inside (The Beltway) Scoop – Jennifer Zeitzer
Given new polls in House and Senate races showing that control of both chambers of Congress could switch hands and the increasing level of gridlock in the Senate, it is no surprise that lawmakers exited Washington on Thursday (eight days earlier than originally expected) to return to the campaign trail. The hasty departure left behind a long list of unfinished legislative business, ensuring that members of Congress will be back in the Capitol later this fall for a "lame-duck" session. Extending the expiring tax cuts enacted in 2001 and 2003, passing the annual defense authorization bill, and finishing work on an “omnibus” measure combining all of the unfinished fiscal year (FY) 2011 appropriations bills into one package are among the issues that will have to be addressed once Congress returns. More Details >

Subra Suresh Approved to Be Director of the National Science Foundation
After having been cleared by the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions last week, the nomination of Dr. Subra Suresh to be the Director of the National Science Foundation (NSF) was approved by the full Senate on September 29th. During his six-year term as director, Dr. Suresh will oversee the agency, which funds science and engineering research nationwide and implements several educational initiatives. More Details >

Last week the Senate approved the nomination of Dr. Catherine Woteki to be the Undersecretary for Research, Education, and Economics (REE) at the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). In her new position, Dr. Woteki will oversee the National Institute of Food and Agriculture and its Agriculture and Food Research Initiative, as well as other USDA agencies including the Agricultural Research Service, the Economic Research Service, and the National Agricultural Statistics Service. She replaces Dr. Rajiv Shah, who left the USDA to head the United States Agency for International Development. More Details >