Congressional News
House Oversight Hosts Census Bureau Director Rob Santos
On December 5, the House Oversight Committee held a hearing on the Oversight of the U.S. Census Bureau with Director Rob Santos as the witness. During his opening remarks, House Oversight Chair James Comer (R-KY) raised concerns over the 2020 Census and the overcount and undercount of different states, suggesting that undercounting was found in predominately Republican states while overcounting was found in predominately Democratic states. In his response, Santos indicated that the unexpected impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated overcounts and undercounts. Further, he clarified that the Census Bureau and subsequent surveys are non-partisan. Ranking Member Jamie Raskin (R-MD) pointed to…
House LHHS Appropriations Subcommittee Holds NIH Budget Hearing
On November 19, the House Labor, Health, and Human Services, Education (LHHS) Appropriations Subcommittee invited Dr. Monica Bertagnolli, Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to the Hill for a budget hearing. Normally, these hearings are scheduled prior to the appropriations bills being written—typically in the spring—but the House Appropriations Committee released their LHHS bill in July without holding a single hearing (see COSSA’s analysis here). Despite the unusual sequence of events, Chairman Robert Aderholt (R-AL) and Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) were interested in the NIH’s budget and investments, and how to restore trust in science. Chairman Aderholt,…
FY 2025 Hangs in the Balance as Congress Begins Preparations for the 119th Session
As the year nears its end, Congress is looking to pass either the fiscal year (FY) 2025 appropriations bills by December 20 or a continuing resolution (CR) that extends the deadline to March. As previously reported by COSSA, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) has indicated interest in the latter despite contention from Democrats and some Republicans advocating to complete the FY 2025 appropriations process so the new Congress can focus its attention on the FY 2026 appropriations process. The 119th Congress, which will be sworn in on January 3, will look quite a bit different from the outgoing Congress. The House…
President-Elect Trump and a New Majority Congress: 2025 Policy Outlook
With the results of the 2024 Presidential election cycle nearing completion, Former President Donald Trump pulled out an electoral victory with 312 electoral college votes compared to Vice President Kamala Harris’s 226. In addition, Republicans outperformed expectations in the Congressional races, taking control of the Senate and still in contention to hold on to the majority in the House (although not all races have been called), potentially giving President-elect Trump an ideal landscape in which to enact his policy agenda after the transition. Presidential Transition With the presidential race decided, attention now turns to the presidential transition. The President-elect has…
Congress: Competitive Elections for the SBS Community to Watch
As November 5 rapidly approaches, Congress is likely to see some leadership changes in both the House and the Senate. With a current slim majority in both chambers, competitive races have Democrats and Republicans battling for control. The 2024 CPR Senate Race Ratings from the Cook Political Report details the Senate races that are competitive, including Arizona, Nevada, Michigan, Montana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. Significantly more Democrat-held seats are in competitive races than Republican-held seats in the Senate. Similarly, the 2024 CPR House Race Ratings from the Cook Political Report details the House races that are competitive, including races in Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado,…
Congress on the Campaign Trail
Congress departed for the campaign trail on October 1 after passing a continuing resolution (CR) to extend the appropriations deadline to December 20 (see previous COSSA coverage). Expected to return on November 12 after the elections, Congress will return ready to draft the final appropriations bills or seek a second CR to allow for the new Congressional session to take the helm. Stay tuned to COSSA’s continued coverage of Congressional news.
Congress Passes CR; Pushes Deadline to December 20
Last week, Congress passed a continuing resolution (CR) to push the budget deadline of September 30 to December 20, allowing members to depart for the campaign trail in October. The Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act (H.R. 9747) extended current fiscal year (FY) 2024 spending levels for the twelve-week interim. As previously reported by COSSA, the House attempted to attach the CR to a bill seeking to require proof of U.S. citizenship to vote during federal elections that did not receive support. With the deadline pushed to after the elections, it’s unclear whether Congress will return ready to draft the final appropriations…
Congress Seeks to Pass CR to Avoid Government Shutdown; Both Chambers Drafting Legislation
With the looming appropriations deadline only two weeks away, Congress is working to pass a continuing resolution (CR) to prevent a government shutdown. As previously reported by COSSA, while the House and Senate both began drafting their appropriations bills (see COSSA’s analysis of the House and Senate bills) with the House managing to pass five of their bills on the House floor while the Senate only advanced their respective bills through the Senate Appropriations Committee, both chambers have since turned to drafting CR legislation. Last week, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) unveiled a six-month CR with House-passed legislation, the SAVE Act (HR 8281), seeking to…
House Science Committee Unanimously Passes Bill to Update Research Security Language in CHIPS & Science Act
On September 9, the House or Representatives passed a bill to clarify language regarding research security in the CHIPS & Science Act enacted in 2022 (see previous COSSA coverage). H.R. 7686, led by Representative Mike Garcia (R-CA) and co-led by Representative Haley Stevens (D-MI), seeks to protect university funding from foreign adversaries through clarifying the definition of “malign foreign talent recruitment programs.” Chairman Frank Lucas (R-OK) supported the bill, citing that “research theft is one of the single greatest threats to our competitiveness as a nation” with Ranking Member Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) agreeing that the bill “reflects our committee’s good faith deliberations around…
State of Play: FY 2025 Appropriations for Social Science Research
As Congress returns to Capitol Hill following August recess, appropriators are looking to finalize the budget for fiscal year (FY) 2025 prior to the September 30 deadline. As previously reported by COSSA, the Senate Appropriations Committee advanced 11 of its 12 bills, including the Commerce, Justice Science (CJS) and Labor, Health and Human Services, Education (LHHS) bills (COSSA’s analysis is available here) but did not manage to pass any of the bills on the Senate floor. On the other side of the Capitol, the House Appropriations Committee considered all 12 bills (COSSA’s analysis is available here) and managed to pass 5 of its…
Senate Advances CJS and LHHS Bills Before August Recess; COSSA Releases Analysis
Over the last few weeks, the House and Senate Appropriations Committees released and began consideration of their fiscal year (FY) 2025 appropriations bills. The Senate Appropriations Committee considered the Commerce, Justice Science (CJS) and Labor, Health and Human Services, Education (LHHS) bills; read on for details of the bills as approved by the Senate Appropriations Committee. Currently, the Senate Appropriations Committee has advanced 11 of its 12 bills, however, it is unlikely that the Senate will bring any of its bills to the Senate floor when Congress returns in September. Instead, it’s anticipated that the House and Senate will begin negotiations on…
Rep. Ross Reintroduces Reauthorization of Title VI International Education Programs
On July 25, Representatives Deborah Ross (D-NC), Valerie Foushee (D-NC), and Jimmy Panetta (D-CA) introduced the Advancing International and Foreign Language Education Act to reauthorize the Title VI International Education programs at the Department of Education. The bill aims to support the existing international education programs at the Department, with Congresswoman Foushee stating, “This legislation will help prepare elementary and secondary school students by providing critical investments in language education to achieve success in global marketplaces, and navigate multi-lingual environments.” Previously, this bill was originally introduced in 2019 by former Congressman David Price (D-NC) (see previous COSSA coverage). More information can be…
COSSA Releases Full Analysis of FY 2025 House Appropriations Bills for Federal Science Agencies
Over the last several weeks, appropriators in the House of Representatives have been considering funding legislation for fiscal year (FY) 2025, which beings October 1. This is the first appropriations cycle under the leadership of Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole (R-OK). As previously reported, the year began with an understanding that the FY 2025 appropriations process was going to be an especially difficult one. Thanks to strict budget caps set last year for FY 2024 and FY 2025, discretionary spending is once again on the chopping block. The caps as currently set have the potential to further decimate agency budgets, especially…
House Passes Twelve Bills through Appropriations Committee; Senate Releases Subcommittee Allocations
The House and Senate appropriations process is well underway for fiscal year (FY) 2025, with the House having completed and passed all twelve bills through the House Appropriations Committee, and looking to pass all twelve on the floor before August recess begins (see previous COSSA coverage). On the other side of the Capitol, the Senate is pushing forward with their respective bills, having released subcommittee allocations and passing three of its bills through the Senate Appropriations Committee on July 11. The House is rumored to vote the week of July 29 on the two bills that fund federal science agencies….
COSSA Releases Preview of FY 2025 House Spending Bills Analysis
In late June, the House Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies (CJS) Subcommittee marked up and reported out their bill that funds the National Science Foundation (NSF), U.S. Census Bureau, National Institute of Justice (NIJ), Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS), and other agencies. The House Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies (LHHS) Subcommittee also considered its bill, which is responsible for funding the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and other HHS agencies, the Department of Education, and the Department of Labor. COSSA is preparing a full analysis of the bills, which are being considered by the full…
CJS and LHHS Bills Move to House Appropriations Full-Committee Mark-Ups; Senate to Begin Appropriations
As previously reported by COSSA, the House Appropriations Committee has kept to their earlier released appropriations schedule and is expected to finish marking up all twelve of its bills this week. The House Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (CJS) bill, which funds the National Science Foundation (NSF), National Institute of Justice (NIJ), Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS), and the U.S. Census Bureau, is expected to be marked up on July 9 (watch live here) and the House Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (LHHS) bill, which provides appropriations for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and other…
Supreme Court Overturns 1984 Chevron Decision
On June 28, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the 1984 Chevron decision. The Chevron deference doctrine was established by the ruling in Chevron U.S.A v. Natural Resources Defense Council, and granted federal agencies the ability to interpret ambiguous federal laws. Chevron allowed the federal government increased flexibility in addressing issues relating to many sectors, including the environment, public health, and workplace safety. By a 6-3 majority, the Chevron doctrine was overturned in the Supreme Court’s decision on Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo. The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) released an in-depth statement highlighting the implications of this verdict. With the courts increasingly shifting power…
House Moves on Appropriations Bills Ahead of Fourth of July Recess; CJS and LHHS Bills Expected this Week
As previously reported by COSSA, the fiscal year (FY) 2025 budget process is underway as Congress looks to complete funding bills before the House and a third of the Senate embark on the campaign trail. The House is moving forward with multiple spending bills this week as expected. The House Appropriations committee has already passed six of twelve bills in full-committee, including Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies, Defense, Financial Services and General Government, Homeland Security, Legislative Branch, and State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs. On June 26, the House Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (CJS) Subcommittee is…
House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair McMorris Rodgers Releases Framework for NIH Reform
Earlier this month, House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), in partnership with the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education (LHHS) Chair Robert Aderholt (R-AL), released a framework outlining potential reforms for the National Institutes of Health (NIH). A one-pager on the framework can be found here as well as an opinion piece written by Chairs McMorris Rodgers and Aderholt. Chair McMorris Rodgers has also announced her intent to not seek re-election this November. The framework comes after a series of recommendations, including Senator Bill Cassidy’s (R-LA) white paper on NIH reform released in May (see previous COSSA coverage) and…
Congress Works to Complete Appropriations as Scheduled; House-CJS Bill Postponed to Late June
As August recess and the looming November elections rapidly approach, Congress is working on the appropriations process as scheduled. While there has been no movement in the Senate on appropriations bills beyond budget hearings, the House Appropriations committee released a preliminary schedule in May that they have been following closely (see previous COSSA coverage). As expected, the House Appropriations subcommittees for the Legislative Branch, State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs, and Defense bills have progressed as expected with mark-ups. Further, the House has already passed the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Bill in full-committee. As previously reported, the House…