DC Insight - 8/5/2022

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Senators to Reintroduce Sweeping College Athlete Bill of Rights in Congress
Sports Illustrated – August 3, 2022
Senators plan to reintroduce a sweeping bill that would give college players the right to transfer an unlimited amount, return to school after entering a professional draft and access to lifetime scholarships. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and three other Democratic senators are filing the newest version of the 2020 College Athlete Bill of Rights this week in Congress.

Senators Tuberville, Manchin working on bill to tackle NIL
AP News – August 3, 2022
Sens. Tommy Tuberville and Joe Manchin have reached out to college sports leaders, including the Southeastern Conference commissioner, for feedback and ideas on how to regulate the way athletes are compensated for their names, images and likenesses. At least eight bills related to college sports have been filed by federal lawmakers over the past four years — some more narrowly addressing NIL and others targeting other athlete benefits and issues. There has been no substantive movement on any of them. One of them, the College Athlete Bill of Rights put forth by Democrats Cory Booker and Richard Blumenthal in 2020, is set to be reintroduced by the senators, SI.com reported Wednesday.

Sinema announces deal with Schumer on taxes and climate
The Hill – August 4, 2022
Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) announced Thursday evening that she has reached a deal with Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) that could pave the way for Democrats to pass their budget reconciliation package. The announcement paves the way for Sinema to vote Saturday for a motion to proceed to a budget reconciliation package that would reform the tax code, tackle climate change, reduce the cost of prescription drugs and shrink the federal deficit. 

Missouri Primary Election Results
NY Times – August 4, 2022
Sen. Roy Blunt (R) is retiring after this cycle and a collection of Republicans and Democrats are running to fill the open seat. There are also competitive primaries in the state’s 1st and 4th U.S. House districts. The results are in from the 2022 Missouri primary election and as is often the case, there were several surprises.

Blunt-backed PACT Act headed to the President’s desk
Senator Roy Blunt Press Release – August 2, 2022
The Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring Our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act of 2022, which passed the Senate by a vote of 86-11, and is now headed to the president’s desk. The PACT Act also includes authorization for major medical leases, including leases for a facility for research in Columbia and outpatient clinics in Farmington, Kansas City, and Rolla. Blunt has long led efforts supporting a lease for a research facility in Columbia to establish a Department of Veterans Affairs partnership with public research universities to further the discovery and application of precision medicine therapies. The University of Missouri’s NextGen Precision Health Initiative will be eligible to compete for the lease. 

AAU, Associations File Amicus Brief in Support of Harvard, UNC
Association of American Universities – August 2, 2022
This week, AAU joined the American Council on Education and 38 other higher education associations in filing an amicus brief in support of Harvard University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in the pending Supreme Court cases involving the use of race-conscious admissions.