Congressional News
Government Shutdown Narrowly Avoided: What’s Inside the Temporary Funding Bill?
After tense negotiations and a race against time, Congress approved a stopgap funding bill on Saturday which will last until November 17, preventing a looming federal shutdown. President Biden signed the bill into law, ensuring that the U.S. government will continue to operate without interruptions. Key provisions include: What’s the path forward? The approval of this temporary measure is only a short-term solution, and Congress will need to regroup to find a more lasting resolution by November 17. Several potential flashpoints and challenges loom on the horizon. The question of aid to Ukraine will be front and center. Additionally, the decision by…
House GOP Unveils Potential Stopgap as Congressional Appropriations Deadline Approaches
Congress is back in session and the fiscal year (FY) 2024 appropriations process is underway. On September 17, House Republicans unveiled a draft continuing resolution (CR) that is set to be voted on later this week. The CR would extend the appropriations deadline from September 30 to October 31, and, under the proposal, nondefense discretionary spending would see an 8.1 percent cut excluding the Department of Veterans Affairs and disaster relief accounts while defense would see an increase. It is unlikely that the Democrats will support the bill, and several Republicans, including Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), Eli Crane (R-AZ), and Matt Rosendale…
COSSA Marks One Year of CHIPS and Science Act
August 9 marked the one year anniversary of enactment of the CHIPS and Science Act (P.L. 117-167), sweeping legislation aimed at reinvestment in and advancement of the U.S. scientific enterprise. Countless activities have ensued since passage of the landmark bill, such as the creation of the new Technology, Innovation and Partnership (TIP) Directorate at the National Science Foundation, efforts to address research security, research integrity and broadening participation in science, and new federal investments in key technology areas, such as artificial intelligence. Another critical feature of the law was the inclusion of ambitious funding targets for federal science agencies. However, as with all…
Fall FY 2024 Appropriations Outlook
As Congress reconvenes this week, attention will return to FY 2024 appropriations bills; however, the path to completing this year’s spending bills remains unclear. House Republicans hope to advance two additional appropriations bills in the coming weeks, specifically focusing on Homeland Security (H.R. 4367) and Defense (H.R. 4365), which would bring the total number of House-passed bills to three (the House passed the Military Construction/Veterans Affairs appropriations bill in July before recessing for the summer). Meanwhile, in anticipation of a likely standoff with the House on appropriations, the Senate is reportedly preparing a stop-gap measure (also known as a continuing resolution) to preempt…
Analysis of the Senate FY 2024 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill
On July 27, the Senate Appropriations Committee successfully completed work on all 12 of its annual appropriations bills, a feat that has not been accomplished in five years. Among the bills included in the final markup session was the Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education (LHHS) Appropriations Bill. The Senate LHHS bill contains annual funding proposals for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Department of Education (ED), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), and Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), among other federal departments and agencies. As previously reported, the Senate appropriations…
Representative Tonko Reintroduces Scientific Integrity Act
On July 25, Representative Paul Tonko (D-NY) reintroduced the Scientific Integrity Act alongside Ranking Member of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee, Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), Representative Haley Stevens (D-MI), Representative Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR), Representative Don Beyer (D-VA), and Representative Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA). The bill was previously introduced by Representative Tonko during the 117th Congressional session (see previous COSSA coverage). Representative Tonko released a fact sheet for the bill, citing that it’s intended to improve public trust in science and prevent political or special interests from interfering with the dissemination of scientific information and formation of scientific public policy. Under the act, federal agencies that…
Analysis of the Senate FY 2024 Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill
On July 13, the Senate Appropriations Committee marked up and reported out its version of the fiscal year (FY) 2024 Commerce, Justice, Science (CJS) Appropriations Bill. The Senate CJS appropriations bill contains annual funding proposals for the National Science Foundation, Department of Justice, and Census Bureau, among other federal departments and agencies. The bill is written in-line with the FY 2024 budget caps that were agreed to earlier in the summer. As part of that agreement, total discretionary spending is capped at $1.59 trillion in FY 2024, a cut of about 9 percent below FY 2023. The share allocated to the CJS bill is…
FY24 Appropriations Underway, Senate Appropriators to Review CJS Bill
As previously reported in the weeks leading up to the Independence Day recess, several House Subcommittees began their work for fiscal year (FY) 2024. The House Appropriations Committee has scheduled mark ups for state and operations, financial services, and transportation, in addition to the already reported agriculture, defense, energy and water, homeland security, and legislative branch activities bills. Earlier this week, 21 House Republicans signed a letter to Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) stating their intent to reject any funding amounts above the FY 2022 levels. Additionally, they urged the Speaker to hold floor considerations until all 12 appropriations bills have been reported. With the slim majority…
FY 2024 Funding Bills Advance, Outlook is Still Murky
As previously reported, lawmakers on Capitol Hill have started moving fiscal year (FY) 2024 appropriations bills in recent weeks. The House Appropriations Committee has reported out five of its 12 appropriations bills, including those covering funding for agriculture, defense, energy and water, homeland security, and legislative branch activities. The Senate committee recently approved two bills dealing with military construction/veteran’s affairs and agriculture. On the surface, progress appears to be moving at a decent pace. However, bigger political pressures continue to bog down the annual appropriations process, creating lots of uncertainty about the path forward. Last week before considering its funding for two bills, the Senate Appropriations…
LGBTQI+ Data Inclusion Act Reintroduced
On June 9, Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Representative Raúl M. Grijalva (D-AZ) reintroduced the LGBTQI+ Data Inclusion Act in both the House and Senate. The bill aims to improve Federal population surveys by requiring the collection of voluntary, self-disclosed information on sexual orientation and gender identity in certain surveys, and for other purposes. “The LGBTQI+ Data Inclusion Act will help policymakers and leaders understand the full extent of the discrimination our LGBTQ+ community faces and how to better serve our constituents as we work toward fairness, freedom, and full equality,” said Senator Baldwin. In 2022, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine…
House Science Committee Holds Hearing on Advancing AI
On June 22, the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee held a hearing titled, “Artificial Intelligence: Advancing Innovation Towards the National Interest.” The hearing focused on the ethical implications of AI, the importance of responsible AI governance, and how increased public participation in AI oversight can steer the technology towards reflecting our national values. A primary recommendation that emerged during the hearing was the use of “red teaming;” that is, involving independent third-party experts who are given access to company AI systems to identify and address flaws. Dr. Dewey Murdick, Executive Director of the Center for Security and Emerging Technology…
Debt Ceiling Deal Caps Funding for Two Years, House Seeks Additional Cuts
As previously reported, the White House and House Republican leadership agreed to a budget deal late last month that would keep the U.S. from defaulting on its debt, at least until after the 2024 elections. The agreement, passed by Congress as the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 (H.R. 3746), suspends the federal debt ceiling until January 2025. However, as Republicans have been demanding, the suspension comes with stiff caps on discretionary spending for the next two years. In effect, the caps are likely to result in flat funding for federal research agencies in fiscal year (FY) 2024, with perhaps a few exceptions for…
Debt Limit Deal Struck, Spending Caps Likely for FY 2024-25
Over the Memorial Day weekend, the White House and House Republican leadership agreed to a budget deal that would keep the U.S. from defaulting on its debt, at least until after the 2024 elections. The agreement would suspend the U.S. debt limit until January 2025. However, as Republicans have been demanding, the suspension would come with limits—as well as some cuts—to discretionary spending over the next two years. Should it make it through the House and Senate, the deal would set caps on discretionary spending at levels roughly 5 percent or $40 billion below current levels. However, by reclaiming unobligated…
Schumer Calls for CHIPS 2.0 Legislation to Up Competition with China
Earlier this month, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) announced plans to develop bipartisan legislation aimed at strengthening the U.S.’s ability to continue outcompeting China in key technology development. As previously reported, earlier versions of the CHIPS and Science Act that was enacted last year and focused on domestic investment in semiconductor manufacturing, had a much larger focus on direct competition with China. However, many of those provisions pertaining to trade and foreign policy were dropped at the eleventh hour in order to get the final bill across the finish line. Now, Sen. Schumer wants to reinvigorate those and other…
Senate Subcommittee Discusses NIH’s FY 2024 Budget
On May 4, The Senate Labor, Health and Human Services, Education (LHHS) Appropriations Subcommittee held a hearing on the fiscal year (FY) 2024 budget for the National Institutes of Health (NIH). NIH Acting Director Dr. Lawrence Tabak, Principal Deputy Director of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Dr. Douglas Lowy, Director of the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) Dr. Joshua Gordon, Director of the National Institute on Aging (NIA) Dr. Richard Hodes, and Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) Dr. Nora Volkow testified before the committee. In her opening statement, Chairwoman Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) voiced her support…
House-Passed GOP Budget Would Decimate Science Funding
On April 26, the House passed along party lines the Limit, Save, Grow Act of 2023. The bill, which was developed by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and other GOP members a week prior, represents the Republican’s opening bid in negotiations to raise the federal debt ceiling. Under the measure, the bill would suspend the federal debt limit until March 31, 2024, or until debt reaches $1.5 trillion, which ever comes first. However, as expected, the bill would demand steep cuts elsewhere in the budget to accommodate the increased borrowing authority. The White House and Congressional Democrats are seeking a…
Appropriators Hold Hearings on the President’s FY 2024 Funding Request for the NSF and NASA
Last month, the House and Senate Appropriations Committees held hearings to review the Biden Administration’s fiscal year (FY) 2024 proposed budget for the National Science Foundation (NSF). In addition to the NSF budget, the Senate Appropriations Committee also reviewed the budget request for National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Both hearings addressed the request of funding increases for the agencies while also highlighting the global competition challenges the US scientific enterprise is facing, specifically relating to China as they continue to heavily invest in research and development. NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan was the sole witness at the House hearing and…
House LHHS Subcommittee Holds Budget and Oversight Hearing on NIH, CDC, and ASPR
On April 19, the House Labor, Health and Human Services, Education (LHHS) Appropriations Subcommittee held a budget and oversight hearing on the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR) fiscal year (FY). Testifying about the Administration’s fiscal year (FY) 2024 budget requests for their respective agencies were Dr. Rochelle Walensky, Director of CDC; the Honorable Dawn O’Connell, Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response of ASPR; and Dr. Lawrence Tabak, Acting Director of NIH. Chairman Robert B. Aderholt (R-AL) expressed concerns over the President’s budget request (see COSSA’s…
House Science Committee Holds Hearing on FY 2024 R&D Budget Request
On April 26, the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology held a hearing to review the Administration’s fiscal year (FY) 2024 budget request for research and development (see COSSA’s analysis of the President’s budget request). Dr. Sethuraman Panchanathan, the Director of the National Science Foundation (NSF), and Dr. Dan Reed, the Chair of the National Science Board (NSB), testified before the Committee. Chairman Frank Lucas (R-OK) and Ranking Member Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) commended the passage of the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 and its prioritizing of scientific innovation, while also acknowledging that innovation strives on predictable and stable…
Budget Season in Full Swing
Lawmakers returned this week from its two-week spring recess and immediately turned their attention to the budget; specifically, what to do about the approaching debt ceiling and whether or at what level to cap spending on discretionary programs for fiscal year (FY) 2024 (see previous coverage). While fights continue on these higher-level negotiations, the House and Senate Appropriations Committees will be meeting this week to discuss the FY 2024 budget proposals for several federal science agencies. The Senate Commerce, Justice, Science (CJS) Subcommittee is holding a hearing on April 18 featuring leadership from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and NASA;…