NIU Today

News from Washington, D.C. … Further review of the FY 2014 omnibus appropriations bill reveals language that was included that will make about half of federally funded research accessible to the public. This provision requires federal agencies under the Labor, Health and Human Services and Education portion of the bill with research budgets of $100...

Maria Torres, the first student to graduate from NIU’s Community Leadership and Civic Engagement major, attended Tuesday’s State of the Union address as the guest of U.S. Rep. Bill Foster. Torres, who graduated in December 2012, moved from Mexico to suburban Carpentersville at age 15 as an undocumented youth. Currently ineligible for citizenship, but granted...

In Washington, D.C. … FY 2014 Bi-Partisan Budget Compromise Bill The Senate passed the bipartisan budget compromise bill that was approved by the House last week by a vote of 64 to 36, with nine Republicans joining all 55 Democrats in voting for the bill. Now, Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.) and House...

Today marks Day 14 of the partial shutdown of the federal government. Congress and the Obama administration remain at an impasse over how to handle funding the government and raising the debt ceiling. These two issues now are intertwined, and any potential resolution will likely involve both issues. Two major factors are expected to move Congress...

NIU students are invited to apply for the university’s annual congressional internship program in Washington, D.C. The highly competitive program, open to all majors, will provide four students with the opportunity to live, learn and work in the heart of the nation’s capital. The program runs from late May through early August 2014. Each student...

Today is an important one in the history of the United States, because it is the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington, which was the culmination of decades of struggle for human dignity and civil rights in this country.

The Illinois State Society of Washington, D.C., has awarded scholarships to each of the four NIU students who interned this summer in the nation’s capital, but the real payoff was in the experience itself. The interns rubbed shoulders with political powerhouses, such as Speaker of the House John Boehner and NIU alumnus and former Speaker...

Proton Computed Tomography. STEM education. Aerospace job creation. NIU’s significant accomplishments in advancing the creation and application of knowledge will move into the spotlight today in Washington, D.C., where federal lawmakers and their representatives will participate in the university’s first Research Roundtable. Led by President Doug Baker, Board of Trustees Chair John Butler and immediate...

In Washington, D.C. … On Friday, the U.S. Senate approved S.744, the comprehensive immigration reform bill developed by the Senate Gang of Eight (that includes Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin), by a vote of 68-32. The Senate held a roll call vote, a procedure typically reserved only for the most significant votes, to underscore the historic...

Immigration Reform There has been considerable debate in Washington over the last several weeks about immigration reform, with the House and the Senate taking very different approaches to the issue. In the House, Judiciary Committee Chair Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) announced that the Judiciary Committee would introduce a series of bills in the near future intended...

Adam Kinzinger was first sworn into the U.S. House of Representatives in January 2011. He serves as the representative for the 16th Congressional District of Illinois and was appointed to the Energy & Commerce Committee as well as the Foreign Affairs Committee. Before he was sworn into office, Kinzinger was named to the House Majority Transition...

In Washington, D.C. … President Obama submitted his FY 2014 budget to Congress last week, two months later than normal. This delay is attributed to the implementation of sequestration and the uncertainty with the incomplete FY 2013 budget. The president’s proposed funding levels for specific programs, including those of interest to NIU and higher education, will...