Federal budget votes and looming cuts to education, research, media and foreign aid
Congress has enacted budget measures reshaping federal spending—cutting support for public media and USAID programs while sparking debate over proposed education funding reductions and concerns about the future of U.S. research.
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Faculty experts are available to discuss:
- Disaster preparedness and FEMA funding
- U.S. Department of Education
- Science funding and research programs
- Federal debt, interest rates and taxpayer impacts
- NASA cuts and effects on Colorado
- Public media history and risk of cuts
- U.S. foreign aid and development (USAID)
Experts
Disaster preparedness and FEMA funding
Lori Peek, professor of sociology and director of the Natural Hazards Center, is anÌýexpert on disasters and federal emergency funding. She can explain the likely effects of FEMA budget cuts on state and local disaster preparedness, mitigation, response, and recovery programs—including how and when local jurisdictions may start feeling the impact and how this will affect communities and vulnerable populations.
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U.S. Department of Education
Kevin Welner,Ìýlawyer and research professor in the School of Education, is the director of the National Education Policy Center. He can offer legal analysis around the Trump Administration’s proposed cuts to the Department of Education and potential impacts for communities around the country. Read more: “Cutting half the education department’s staff will have devastating, possibly illegal, consequences, expert saysâ€
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Science funding and research programs
MassimoÌýRuzzene, senior vice chancellor for research and innovation and dean of the institutes, can discuss the potential impacts of federal funding cuts to the nation and the state of Colorado, including jobs, wildfire safety, clean air, availability of clean water, reversal of life-saving medical advancements and global competitiveness in the sciences such as fewer engineers.
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Federal debt, interest rates and taxpayer impacts
Shaun Davies, associate professor of finance at the Leeds School of Business and an expert in financial decision-making, can speak to the implications of the federal budget, which is projected to add $3 trillion to the national debt. He can explain how continued borrowing at this scale could impact interest rates, economic growth and household finances, while also addressing common misconceptions about the debt and the trade-offs taxpayers may face in coming years. Read more: “Should you be worried about the national debt?â€
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NASA cuts and effects on Colorado
, associate professor in the astrophysical and planetary sciences department and principal investigator of the NASA Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) mission, can discuss the potential consequences of cancelling the MAVEN mission on the state and national level, including ceding leadership in space and Mars exploration to Russia and China. She can also speak to the adverse effects of potential budget cuts on investments in Colorado's commercial space industry, NASA’s aging space infrastructure, and the intellectual and technical brain drain.
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NASA cuts and effects on Colorado
David Brain,Ìýdepartment chair for astrophysical and planetary sciences and planetary researcher at the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, also chairs the Science Advisory Board for NASA's MAVEN mission studying the loss of the Martian atmosphere. Brain is available to discuss what potential NASA and NSF cuts would mean for ongoing research projects as well as their impacts to students.
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Public media history and risk of cuts
Jared Browsh, assistant teaching professor and director of the Critical Sports Studies Program in the Department of Ethnic Studies, isÌýavailable to discuss the history and mission of U.S. public media. He recently wrote about the long-term risks of cuts to NPR and PBS, including impacts on underserved communities and independent journalism. Read more: “What’s at risk with public media cuts?â€
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U.S. foreign aid and development (USAID)
Evan Thomas, professor in engineering and director of the Mortenson Center in Global Engineering, can speak to how cuts to USAID programs may impact public health, climate resilience and infrastructure development in low-income countries.