President Signs Full-year Continuing Resolution

On March 15, the President signed into law a full-year continuing resolution (CR) for fiscal year (FY) 2025 with only a few hours to spare before the previous CR, enacted in December, was scheduled to lapse (see previous COSSA coverage). The stopgap funding measure, which passed in the Republican-controlled House in a 217-213 vote and the Republican-controlled Senate in a 54-46 vote, is considered to be a “clean” CR, meaning funding levels will be kept at the FY 2024 level, with a few changes, until the end of the fiscal year on September 30. However, given the bare-bones nature of a CR, the bill is short on details and specific directives to individual agencies. Therefore, for many accounts, agencies will have the authority to decide how to allocate the FY 2025 appropriation. Given the current political environment and the Administration’s efforts to cut spending, especially to targeted areas (e.g., DEI), the full impact of the CR on social and behavioral science funding remains unclear. Further, the CR does not include language protecting science funding from potential intervention from the Administration, for which Democrats including Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) and Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) had strongly advocated. COSSA will provide additional details on the FY 2025 CR as they become available.

With the FY 2025 appropriations process finalized, Congress will be turning to FY 2026. As previously reported by COSSA, President Trump spoke before a joint session of Congress on March 4, which included a myriad of attacks on specific scientific research projects and included a call to dismantle the CHIPS and Science Act (see previous COSSA coverage). While rumors suggest that Congress remains supportive of the CHIPS and Science Act, funding for scientific research is likely to remain a point of contention as Congress begins the FY 2026 appropriations process. The President’s Budget Request (PBR) for FY 2026, which is often published following the State of the Union Address and indicates presidential priorities, has yet to be released by the Trump Administration.

Stay tuned to COSSA’s continued coverage on the FY 2026 appropriations process.