Congress Turns to Appropriations After Returning from May Recess

Following a week-long May recess, Congress has turned their attention toward the fiscal year (FY) 2027 appropriations process. As previously reported, the House has set their schedule for advancing their appropriations bills through May and June. On May 13, the House Appropriations Committee reported out the Commerce, Justice, and Science, and Related Agencies (CJS) budget bill—which includes funding proposals for the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Census Bureau, and more (see related article). The Committee is also scheduled to review the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (LHHS) budget bill—which includes funding proposals for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Institute of Education Sciences (IES), and more—in early June.

On the other side of Capitol Hill, the Senate has reportedly started drafting their respective bills and could schedule mark ups as soon as June. While Congress is currently on-schedule to complete the appropriations process, it is still unlikely that the community will see any final appropriations bills before the midterm elections in November.

In related news, election season has already started to shake up key committees important to the research community. Over the weekend, Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA), who serves as the Chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, lost in the Louisiana Senate Republican primary election. Notably, the Senate HELP Committee is charged with oversight of several scientific agencies, including the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Department of Education. In Sen. Cassidy’s absence, there will be a leadership vacuum that could signal a change in priorities for the next Congressional session.

Stay tuned for COSSA’s continued coverage on Congressional activities.