Senate Advances Continuing Resolution That Would Temporarily Block OMB Rule

Before departing for August recess, the Senate passed a bipartisan continuing resolution (CR) that would extend current federal funding through December 11 to allow Congress additional time to complete the fiscal year (FY) 2027 appropriations process (the current deadline is September 30). The Senate’s stopgap measure will need to be passed by the House, which is currently on recess and not slated to return until August 31. While the House also passed a CR before departing Capitol Hill, it did not include a list of anomalies requested by President Trump after the bill was sent to the Senate (see previous coverage).

Included in the Senate CR is several anomalies, including a temporary block of the Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) proposed rule, Regulation for Federal Financial Assistance, which seeks to make major changes to the Uniform Guidance governing federal financial assistance, including federal research grants (see previous coverage). The proposed rule has been a point of contention on Capitol Hill and in the research community, and was originally slated to be implemented in October; however, Senator John Kennedy (R-LA) recently told reporters that the rule would not be ready for implementation before December, prompting Senate Republicans to accept the temporary block. If the CR is signed into law as-is, it’s expected that this provision will return and become a significant debate across the aisle in FY 2027 funding negotiations this December.

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