APLU Statement on Omnibus Appropriations Bill

Washington, DC – Association of Public and Land-grant Universities President Peter McPherson today released the following statement regarding the omnibus appropriations bill congressional leaders announced this morning, which would fund the federal government through September.

“The FY2022 omnibus appropriations bill congressional leaders announced this morning would make critically important strides in college affordability and cutting-edge federally funded research that powers U.S. innovation and prosperity. The public university community thanks House and Senate leadership for reaching a bipartisan agreement that invests in our future. We urge lawmakers to quickly pass this legislation and send it to President Biden’s desk for his signature.

“This bill provides a significant boost to low-income students and HBCUs and Minority Serving Institutions. Increasing the maximum Pell Grant award by $400, the largest increase in many years, is another important step in efforts to #DoublePell. The bill also makes vital increased investments in HBCUs and MSIs, which play a foundational role in educating students from historically underserved groups and strengthening the higher education sector.

“On the research side, the bill makes important investments in federal research agencies, including the National Institutes of Health and National Science Foundation. Added investment in NIH will fund new research into debilitating and life-threatening diseases and ultimately yield medical breakthroughs that save lives, improve quality of life, and enhance U.S. biomedical leadership. We are also grateful to lawmakers for increased investments in NSF, which will advance pathbreaking science and new discoveries that fuel economic growth and promote broadly shared prosperity. As Congress starts work on FY2023 appropriations at a time of fierce global competition, it’s vitally important that lawmakers match ambitious authorizations in legislation to bolster U.S. competitiveness with actual appropriations that boost funding for pathbreaking science at NSF.

“Lastly, APLU applauds lawmakers’ efforts to provide robust military and humanitarian aid to Ukraine as it continues to defend its sovereignty against Russia’s invasion and provide support to its innocent citizens. The war in Ukraine is also a fight for democratic ideals and free inquiry, which are core to higher education. APLU and its members continue to support efforts to protect Ukrainian students and scholars currently in the United States and stands with the Ukrainian higher education community.”