Issue 23 (November 25)

COSSA is excited to announce the latest brief in our COSSA 101: A Crash Course on the Federal Government series: “What is Appropriations?“

The series will continue to provide easy-to-understand information about the inner workings of the federal government and how they affect social and behavioral science research. Continue to check back on the homepage to discover new briefs. Do you have a federal government topic you would like explained by COSSA 101? Send us your ideas!

Other recent topics include, “What is a Government Shutdown?“

How did you learn about COSSA and the opportunity to serve as a policy intern?

In my previous experience as a Community Affairs Liaison for the New York State government, I spent my summer in Queens helping connect constituents with state resources to improve their quality of life. Getting a direct view into the everyday lives of these constituents inspired me to be an advocate for issues I care about.

The prospect of being able to draw upon my previous state government experience to advocate on the federal level was very appealing to me, so I applied!

How did the internship fit into your academic or career planning?

I am currently pursuing a double major in International Studies and Economics at American University. Through this internship, I witnessed how research conducted in the scholarly fields I study impacts policymaking. Drawing upon the lessons that I’ve learned on both sides – the research itself and the advocacy for that research – I feel confident in undertaking DC government-related careers in the future.

What stood out to you most about your internship (i.e., did you learn anything interesting/eye opening or was there a task that you enjoyed most)?

Something that stood out to me during my internship was how social science underpins all policy decisions. This was particularly obvious when I collected examples that illustrate the importance of social-behavioral science research to present to Congress for COSSA’s Social Science Advocacy Day. When gathering examples of how social science informs decision-making, I couldn’t encounter an instance where research by members of the SBS community was not invaluable.

What would you tell future policy interns about the opportunity and/or about interning in-person in Washington, DC?

As Jane Goodall, a pioneer primatologist, ethologist, and anthropologist (a social scientist with many hats!) has said: “Work hard, take advantage of opportunity, and never give up.” I can’t think of a city this phrase would be more applicable to, especially in a policy setting. Drawing upon your strengths and pushing yourself to join the community of people teeming with dedication to making the world a better place will never not be rewarding, even though it’s not always easy.

Luckily, DC will rise to meet your effort, a city rich with opportunity that will offer you endless chances to discover your passions and advocate for things you care about – as long as you dare to try. Jane Goodall’s final message to the world serves as a reminder of this: “Each and every one of you has a role to play. You may not know it, you may not find it, but your life matters and you are here for a reason.”

What’s next for you?

After this internship, I will continue my studies as a second-semester sophomore, taking classes relating to the global economy. Following the end of this academic year, I will study abroad in Seoul, South Korea, where I will acquire an East Asian perspective on international relations topics. Upon returning stateside, I will finish college while pursuing career opportunities in fields relating to international affairs, economics, and law.

As previously reported by COSSA, Congress passed a continuing resolution (CR) that extends fiscal year (FY) 2025 funding through to January 30, 2026, ending the weeks-long government shutdown and giving Appropriators additional time to finish their work on FY 2026 funding. Currently, only three appropriations bills have been enacted into law—each having been attached to the CR—including the Agriculture bill, Legislative Branch bill, and Veteran Affairs bill.

Despite delays, Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) has reiterated that the Senate has plans to consider the Defense, Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education (LHHS), Commerce, Justice, and Science (CJS), and Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development (THUD) bills in a single package, using the Defense bill as a vehicle to pass the other more controversial bills. However, the House is also set to consider their own version of these bills and is rumored to be considering two smaller packages. Last week, Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Susan Collins (R-ME) also indicated that the Committee intends to hold mark-ups for their final four budget bills—Energy and Water, Financial Services, Homeland Security, and State and Foreign Operations—ahead of the January CR deadline.

On November 20, the top appropriators from both chambers met to negotiate on a final spending package; however, after the meeting, House Appropriations Committee Chair Tom Cole (R-OK) and Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) confirmed that an agreement had not been reached, punting any further negotiations to December when Congress returns from their week-long Thanksgiving recess. On November 24, the Senate Appropriations’ Energy and Water subcommittee Chair John Kennedy (R-LA) released draft text of the Energy and Water appropriations bill, which included a 6.5 percent cut to non-defense programs but a 3 percent increase to defense programs. In response to the bill, Sen. Murray expressed disappointment that the Senate Republicans had released a “partisan bill” instead of negotiating with the Democrats. However, she commended some of the provisions included in the bill, including language that would restrict any policy changes to the Department of Energy’s process of negotiating indirect cost rate with universities.

Rep. Cole has also publicly stated that any bills that are not passed by January 30 will likely be packaged into a year-long CR, but this is a widely unpopular proposal among both Democrats and Republicans alike. Beyond the numbers, report language could also complicate the passage of any final appropriations bills as Democrats on both sides of the Capitol push to include language to prohibit mass federal layoffs, bolster federal employee protections, and limit the Administration’s ability to cancel federal grants.

Earlier this month, Senate Republicans verbally agreed to a vote on legislation that would propose extending the Affordable Care Act (ACA) healthcare subsidies, as requested by Senate Democrats to end the government shutdown. Several members of the House also sent a bipartisan letter to Senate Majority Leader Thune and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) encouraging them to prioritize the health subsidies in the upcoming months. But President Trump has since said that he has no intention of signing any final legislation relating to the issue, compounding tensions on Capitol Hill. It is possible that the Senate and House Democrats could seek an agreement on the ACA subsidies before advancing any final appropriations bills, returning to the same negotiations that led to the government shutdown. Regardless, Congress still has a long road ahead of them to pass the remaining nine appropriations bills, and a rapidly approaching deadline riddled with holiday recesses signals a difficult few months ahead.

Stay tuned for COSSA’s continued coverage on the appropriations process.

Trump Administration Actions (all actions available here):

• Launching the Genesis Mission (11/24/25) (MORE INFORMATION)
• Ensuring Continued Accountability in Federal Hiring (10/15/25)
• Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 Administration Research and Development Budget Priorities and Cross-Cutting Actions (9/23/25) (MORE INFORMATION)
• Restriction on Entry of Certain Nonimmigrant Workers (9/19/25)
• Memorandum: Use of Appropriated Funds for Illegal Lobbying and Partisan Political Activity by Federal Grantees (8/28/25)
• Improving Oversight of Federal Grantmaking (MORE INFORMATION) (8/7/25)
• Ensuring Transparency in Higher Education Admissions (MORE INFORMATION) (8/7/25)
• Preventing Woke AI in the Federal Government (MORE INFORMATION) (7/23/25)
• Creating Schedule G in the Excepted Service (7/17/25) (MORE INFORMATION)
• Memorandum: Ensuring Accountability and Prioritizing Public Safety in Federal Hiring (7/7/25)
• Establishing the President’s Make America Beautiful Again Commission (7/3/25)
• Enhancing National Security by Addressing Risks at Harvard University (6/4/25)
• Restricting the Entry of Foreign Nationals to Protect the United States from Foreign Terrorists and Other National Security and Public Safety Threats (6/4/25)
• Restoring Gold Standard Science (5/23/25) (MORE INFORMATION)
• Increasing Efficiency at the Office of the Federal Register (5/9/25)
• Improving the Safety and Security of Biological Research (5/5/25)
• Improving the Safety and Security of Biological Research (5/5/25)
• Strengthening Probationary Periods in the Federal Service (4/24/25)
• White House Initiative to Promote Excellence and Innovation at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (4/23/25)
• Reforming Accreditation to Strengthen Higher Education (4/23/25)
• PROPOSED RULE: Improving Performance, Accountability, and the Civil Service (4/23/25)
• Transparency Regarding Foreign Influence at American Universities (4/23/25)
• Extension of Hiring Freeze (4/17/25) 
• Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History (3/27/25) (MORE INFORMATION)
• Improving Education Outcomes by Empowering Parents, States, and Communities (3/20/25) (MORE INFORMATION)
• Continuing the Reduction of the Federal Bureaucracy (3/14/25) (MORE INFORMATION)
• Additional Rescissions of Harmful Executive Orders and Actions (3/14/25)
• Implementing the President’s DOGE Cost Efficiency Initiative (2/26/25) (MORE INFORMATION)
• Ensuring Lawful Governance and Implementing the President’s DOGE Deregulatory Initiative (2/19/25) (MORE INFORMATION)
• Radical Transparency about Wasteful Spending (2/18/25) (MORE INFORMATION)
• Establishing the President’s Make America Healthy Again Commission (2/13/25)
• Implementing the President’s “Department of Government Efficiency” Workforce Optimization Initiative (2/11/25) (MORE INFORMATION)
• Advancing United States Interests When Funding Nongovernmental Organizations (2/6/25) (MORE INFORMATION)
• Ending Radical Indoctrination in K-12 Schooling (1/29/25)
• President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (1/23/25)
• Removing Barriers to American Leadership in Artificial Intelligence (1/23/25)
• Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity (1/21/24) (MORE INFORMATION)
• Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing (1/20/25)
• Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Trust to the Federal Government (1/20/25)
• Establishing and Implementing the President’s “Department of Government Efficiency” (1/20/25)
• Restoring Accountability to Policy-Influencing Positions within the Federal Workforce (1/20/25) – Reinstates Trump Administration’s 2020 EO creating a new Schedule F in the Federal Excepted Service 
• Withdrawing the U.S. from the WHO (1/20/25)
• Putting America First in International Environmental Agreements (1/20/25) – Withdraws the U.S. from the Paris Climate Accord, among other actions.
• Hiring Freeze (1/20/25) (MORE INFORMATION)
• Return to In-Person Work (1/20/25) (MORE INFORMATION)
• Restoring Freedom of Speech and Ending Federal Censorship (1/20/25)
• Initial Rescissions of Harmful Executive Orders and Actions (1/20/25) – Rescinds dozens of Biden Administration Executive Orders

Find COSSA’s full list of Trump’s Executive Actions and more information here or on the Social Science Space Tracker.

On November 24, the White House issued an executive order (EO), Launching the Genesis Mission. It is the latest action by the Trump Administration seeking to establish American leadership in artificial intelligence (AI).

Genesis Mission, according to the EO, will “unleash a new age of AI-accelerated innovation and discovery” by “[building] an integrated AI platform to harness Federal scientific datasets—the world’s largest collection of such datasets, developed over decades of Federal investments—to train scientific foundation models and create AI agents to test new hypotheses, automate research workflows, and accelerate scientific breakthroughs.” The Department of Energy (DOE) is tasked with implementing the mission with general leadership provided by Assistant to the President for Science and Technology Michael Kratsios.

Within two months of the EO, the DOE Secretary is tasked with identifying a minimum of 20 “science and technology challenges of national importance” to be considered for the mission. These areas should be consistent with the directives included in a White House memo from September 23. The EO goes into greater detail about next steps and intended activities.

Read the EO here.

Earlier this month the General Services Administration (GSA) announced the location of the new Alexandria, VA headquarters of the National Science Foundation (NSF). As previously reported, it was announced in July that the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) would be taking over the NSF headquarters building later this year. At the time, it was not clear where NSF’s 1600 employees would be relocated. NSF will now be collocated with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), which is less than a half mile away from NSF’s current location. The announcement states the move is part of the Trump Administration’s efforts to consolidate properties owned by the federal government. The exact date of NSF’s move has not been announced.

The 44-day government shutdown created chaos and uncertainty across federal agencies. Now that the government has reopened, federal employees are back to work but face new uncertainties about the future.

Acting Director of the National Science Foundation (NSF) Brian Stone circulated a memo to staff outlining the agency’s plans for resuming its activities. According to the memo, priority will be placed on processing backpay for employees and restoring NSF’s capacity to make awards. However, the memo explains that as a result of the lapse in funding, the agency will not be able to administer all of its programs as planned. The memo states, “We cannot recover the time missed during the lapse, which means we cannot conduct all the programs and activities that we had originally planned for FY 2026. The agency will prioritize funding actions, in alignment with Administration and other priorities, in order to achieve the mission within the time remaining in FY 2026.” This leaves many wondering how exactly NSF will handle its backlog of research proposals.

NSF has posted information on “Resumption of Operations at NSF” on its website aimed at the external research community. With respect to how the shutdown may have impacted funding decisions it states, “Some delays are expected in processing new awards and funding actions. Priority is being given to awards supporting time-sensitive research, student or trainee funding, and projects with critical field of seasonal components.” 

On November 18, President Trump and U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon announced several interagency agreements (IAA), including partnerships with the Department of Labor (DOL) and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). According to the provided fact sheets (see below), the Department of Education “will maintain all statutory responsibility and will continues its oversight of these programs,” but will yield other responsibilities through these partnerships. The announced IAAs include:

• The Elementary and Secondary Education Partnership with DOL (see fact sheet);
• Postsecondary Education Partnership with DOL (see fact sheet);
• Indian Education Partnership with the Department of Interior (DOI) (see fact sheet);
• Foreign Medical Accreditation Partnership with HHS (see fact sheet);
• Child Care Access Means Parents in School Partnership with HHS (see fact sheet);
• International Education and Foreign Language Studies (IEFLS) Partnership with the Department of State (see fact sheet).

Notably, in both the President’s Budget Request (PBR) and the House fiscal year (FY) 2026 bill, IEFLS would see its funding terminated (see COSSA’s analyses). In the provided fact sheet, it notes that “the Trump Administration did not fund some of these programs in Fiscal Year 2025 because the Administration prioritized other programs. Should Congress fund these programs in the future, State would be a fit as it maintains the national security and foreign policy expertise to manage them.” The fact sheet proceeds to note several grants that have, according to the Administration, “deviated” from the core mission of the program, prompting them to pursue this partnership.

While IAA’s do not require Congressional oversight to implement, several Congressional members have sounded the alarm, including Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), who stated, “This is an outright illegal effort to continue dismantling the Department of Education.” While it is unclear if the Administration’s intention is to effectively shutter the agency, this announcement is especially worrying for the research community as it follows several attacks on the Department of Education, including mass layoffs of federal workers and unprecedented grant cancellations. Any official action to eliminate the department would require Congressional approval.

Stay tuned for COSSA’s continued coverage on the latest developments.

The American Association for Public Opinion Research (AAPOR), a COSSA governing member, has released a new report titled “Task Force on 2024 Pre-Election Polling: An Evaluation of the 2024 General Election Polls.” This report analyzes the effectiveness of pre-election polling for the 2024 elections. The task force found that polls were more accurate compared to previous election years, and that – consistent with recent trends – polls underestimated Republican votes compared to Democrats’.

The report was discussed in-depth at a recent AAPOR webinar, details can be found here.

This article was contributed by COSSA Intern Anne Tighe.