Trump Signs Reconciliation Bill into Law; Senate to Mark-Up CJS Bill
On July 4, President Trump signed into law the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1). The bill, which has been hotly debated because of provisions pertaining to cuts to Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), reallocates resources in order to pay for permanent tax cuts and increase funding for border security activities.
The new law also includes several provisions of importance to the research community (see previous COSSA coverage). This includes a new cap on graduate students loans ($100,000) and professional student loans ($200,000); a termination of student loan repayment plans; and an increase of the university endowment tax from 1.4 percent to 8 percent (see Inside Higher Ed’s overview here). The bill also provides $100 million to the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to “find” budget cuts over the next decade to reduce the financial impact of the bill, which is estimated to add approximately $3.3 trillion to the national debt over 10 years (see the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office’s analysis).
Following months of uncertainty, the bill passed the House in a 218-214 vote and the Senate in a 51-50 vote with Vice President J.D. Vance casting the tie-breaking vote. Senators Thom Tillis (R-NC), Susan Collins (R-ME), and Rand Paul (R-KY) were the only Republicans to join the Democrats in voting against the bill in the Senate while Representatives Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) and Thomas Massie (R-KY) voted against the bill on the House side. Stay tuned to COSSA’s coverage of the final bill.
In other news, the fiscal year (FY) 2026 appropriations process in the House and Senate is picking up speed. The Senate 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 scheduled to be marked up on July 10 (watch live here). The House was originally scheduled to review their version of the bill earlier this week, however, they have delayed the mark-up for a second time. While House appropriators have indicated intent to reschedule for the week of July 14, it is unclear when the bill will be reviewed. A schedule of the House mark-ups, which is updated regularly, can be found here. COSSA will release an in-depth analysis of the bills once they have been reported out of the Appropriations Committee.
The House Appropriations Committee has already approved its FY 2026 Agriculture; Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies; Legislative Branch; Homeland Security; and Defense bills. Once all twelve bills pass through the House, and the Senate completes their respective twelve bills, the two chambers will be expected to work together to complete the FY 2026 process.
Stay tuned to COSSA’s continued coverage of Congressional activities.