A staple since COSSA’s earliest days, the biweekly COSSA Washington Update newsletter provides members and the public with comprehensive coverage of policy developments impacting social and behavioral science research.
President Trump Executive Actions
Trump Administration Actions (all actions available here):
Latest from the White House
As previously reported, the Trump Administration has from day one been issuing a dizzying number of executive actions, some whose legality remain in question. Below are some of the latest developments coming out of the White House. Federal Workforce Last week, as part of an Executive Order on “workforce optimization,” the President’s Office of Personnel Management directed federal agencies to fire “trial and probationary” employees, providing little other guidance on how to do it. Typically, probationary employees are those within 1-3 years of service in their position. Democratic lawmakers and government worker unions are pushing back, arguing the long-term damage that…
NEW ACTION ALERT: Write to Congress TODAY about the Need to Protect Government Data
Since January, government data sources have begun disappearing from federal agency websites, including at the National Science Foundation, U.S. Census Bureau, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other agencies within the Department of Health and Human Services, and Department of Justice, among others. While some data have since been restored, many remain unavailable and the Trump Administration’s plans regarding the availability of government data and statistics remain uncertain. The social and behavioral science community understands well that the research enterprise, government officials, businesses, and other sectors rely on accurate, unbiased public data—data that must remain free from political interference….
REGISTER NOW: Headlines Webinars continue February 27
On February 27, join COSSA for updates on the latest Congressional actions, President Trump’s Executive Actions, and the federal budget. The webinar will be taking place on February 27 at 1pm EST. Register here. If you missed COSSA’s recent webinar 119th Congress & Trump 2.0: What Does it Mean for Us? you can find the recording and slides here. Headlines is a webinar series available to COSSA member organizations. Watch for additional webinar announcements, and previous webinar recordings, on the COSSA website.
REGISTER NOW: Social Science Advocacy Day 2025
The stakes for research funding are at an all-time high as we enter a tough political and budgetary landscape. Social Science Advocacy Day is a must for everyone invested in the fate of federal funding for social and behavioral science research and who believe this research is vital to inform sound public policy. Now is the time to act. Registration for COSSA’s annual Social Science Advocacy Day is still open. The event will be taking place March 24-25, 2025 in Washington, DC and you can register here. If your organization is interested in becoming a sponsor for Social Science Advocacy Day, find all of our sponsorship opportunities…
Congress Inches Towards Budget Reconciliation; FY 2025 Appropriations Remains Uncertain
As the Republican-controlled Congress seeks to push forward the Trump Administration’s policy goals, the House and Senate have proposed budget reconciliation packages relating to increasing funding for the border and defense as well as limiting spending and renewing tax cuts. On February 13, House Republicans struck a deal within their conference to push forward the proposed 2025 budget reconciliation package. The package would direct committees to find $1.5 trillion worth of budget cuts while simultaneously providing $4.5 trillion to the Ways and Means Committee for tax cuts. The reconciliation bill would increase the deficit by up to $4 trillion over a decade….
119th Congress: Profile of the House Science, Space and Technology Committee
Representative Brian Babin (R-TX) has been appointed Chair of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee, replacing Rep. Frank Lucas (R-OK), who departed due to Republican term limits for committee leadership (see previous COSSA coverage). Previously, Babin served as Chairman of the Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee. Babin will serve alongside Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), the ranking Democrat on the committee. In the announcement of his appointment, Babin stated, “Between our nation’s booming science, space, and tech sectors and the growing threat posed by adversaries like Communist China, there has never been a more important time for this committee. Falling behind in any…
House SST Committee Holds Hearing on The State of U.S. Science and Technology
On February 5, the House Science, Space, and Technology (SST) Committee invited a panel of four experts across the science, research, and higher education communities for a hearing on the state of U.S. Science and Technology. The hearing explored the roles of public and private research and development (R&D) entities, strengthening national security, and addressing the recent freeze in federal funding enacted by the Trump Administration (see previous COSSA coverage). Witnesses included Heather Wilson, President of the University of Texas at El Paso and member of the National Science Board (NSB), Walter Copan, Vice President for Research and Technology Transfer at…
Register Now: Headlines Webinars continue February 27
On February 27, join COSSA for updates on the latest Congressional actions, President Trump’s Executive Actions, and the federal budget. The webinar will be taking place on February 27 at 1pm EST. Register here. If you missed COSSA’s recent webinar 119th Congress & Trump 2.0: What Does it Mean for Us? you can find the recording and slides here. Headlines is a webinar series available to COSSA member organizations. Watch for additional webinar announcements, and previous webinar recordings, on the COSSA website.
EARLY BIRD PRICING EXTENDED: Social Science Advocacy Day 2025
The stakes for research funding have never been higher as we enter a particularly challenging political and budgetary environment. Social Science Advocacy Day is a must for all stakeholders who care about the fate of federal funding for social and behavioral science research and who believe this research should be used to inform sound public policy. Early bird registration for COSSA’s annual Social Science Advocacy Day has officially been EXTENDED! The event will be taking place March 24-25, 2025 in Washington, DC. Take advantage of early bird pricing and register here. If your organization is interested in becoming a sponsor for Social Science Advocacy Day, find…
FY 2025 Appropriations Uncertain as Congress Approaches CR Deadline
Fiscal year (FY) 2025 funding is set to expire on March 14 unless Congress acts. As previously reported, Congress passed a continuing resolution (CR) in December to keep the government funded until March, which is nearly six months into the fiscal year. The first step is for Congressional leaders to agree on topline numbers (see previous COSSA coverage). Following the House Republicans policy retreat in Florida, it was reported that lawmakers are seeking to pass the final appropriations bills before President Trump’s State of the Union Address, which has been scheduled for March 4. However, with the recent federal funding freeze memorandum…
119th Congress Committee Profile: House and Senate Appropriations Committee
As previously reported by COSSA, the House and Senate committee assignments have been announced over the last month. On the House Appropriations Committee, Chairman Tom Cole (R-OK) will remain in his role, as will Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), while the Senate Appropriations Committee will see a shift from Democratic majority to Republican majority with Chairwoman Susan Collins (R-ME) and Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-WA). The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (CJS) is an important committee to the research community in that it is responsible for securing appropriations for federal agencies important to the research community, such as the National…
President Trump Rescinds Executive Orders Impacting Executive Personnel Ethics Commitments and Census Parameters
On January 20, 2025, President Trump signed Executive Order 14148 rescinding a series of “Harmful Executive Orders and Actions” of the Biden Administration, including provisions affecting federal ethics and the census count. President Biden’s Executive Order 13989 required every executive agency appointee to sign an ethics pledge. This commitment prohibited appointees’ connections with lobbyist activities such as receiving gifts and leveraging the “revolving door” status of their position to later secure more favorable private and foreign job prospects, until at least two years after their service. Revoking these guidelines, Trump has aligned with his first-term actions, having issued his own 2017 Ethics Commitments before removing those…
Dorothy Fink Chosen to Serve as Acting HHS Secretary; Appoints Matthew Memoli as Acting NIH Director
Dorothy Fink M.D. has been appointed by President Trump to serve as acting Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) as confirmation hearings for the presidential nominee for the position, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., continue. Fink previously served as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Women’s Health and Director of the Office on Women’s Health in the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health (OASH). Shortly after her appointment, Fink tapped Matthew Memoli, M.D., to serve as acting Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) as the Senate works to confirm Jay Bhattacharya (see previous COSSA coverage). Memoli, a National Institute of Allergy and…
Trump Signs Executive Order Dismantling DEI Initiatives in Federal Agencies
On January 21, President Trump signed the Executive Order (EO), Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity. The EO makes bold claims that the diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts of past administrations violates the Civil Rights Act of 1964 through adopting “dangerous, demeaning, and immoral race- and sex-based preferences” that have hindered opportunity for certain groups. This EO has resulted in a massive scale back of DEI initiatives across the federal agencies and the optional scale back of DEI initiatives across U.S. businesses. The directive requires federal agencies to place all federal DEI staff on paid leave with the intent of being…
Executive Action Affecting Federal Agencies
Since President Trump was sworn into office on January 20, several executive actions have been taken that have impacted social and behavioral science (SBS) research, including freezes on hiring federal workers and requiring federal workers to return to the office, a halt on all communications, spending, and travel within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and a memorandum from the White House Office of Budget and Management (OMB) instituting a freeze on federal spending across agencies that was rescinded two days later. As previously reported by COSSA, President Trump signed two Executive Orders (EO) implementing a hiring freeze…
Census Bureau Director Rob Santos Tenders Resignation
On January 30, Census Bureau Director Robert Santos resigned three years into his five-year term. His resignation comes after the House Oversight Committee held a hearing on the Census Bureau on December 5 which largely focused on whether the 2030 Census should include a citizenship question and President Trump’s recent rescission of the Biden Administration’s Executive Order (EO) affirming that the census should count all people, not only citizens, as per the 14th Amendment (see previous COSSA coverage). As a reminder, during his first-term, the Trump Administration attempted to add a citizenship question to the decennial census only for the Supreme Court to…
Ronald Wasserstein Elected COSSA Board Chair
The COSSA Board of Directors has elected Ronald Wasserstein, Executive Director of the American Statistical Association (ASA), as its next chair. His two-year term began January 1, 2025. Ron has led the ASA since 2007 and prior to that served as a faculty member and administrator at Washburn University in Kansas for more than two decades. The American Statistical Association is one of 10 founding organizations of COSSA. “I am honored to serve as chair of the COSSA Board of Directors at this pivotal time for the social sciences,” said Wasserstein. “With our robust network of member organizations and partners, COSSA is…
Register Now: Headlines Webinars continue January 30
Earlier this month, the 119th Congress was sworn in at the Capitol. On January 30, join COSSA for an overview on the new Congress and what this means for the social and behavioral sciences community. The webinar will be taking place on January 30 at 1pm EST. Register here. Headlines is a webinar series available to COSSA member organizations. Watch for additional webinar announcements, and previous webinar recordings, on the COSSA website.
EARLY BIRD PRICING: Social Science Advocacy Day 2025
The stakes for research funding have never been higher as we enter a particularly challenging political and budgetary environment. Social Science Advocacy Day is a must for all stakeholders who care about the fate of federal funding for social and behavioral science research and who believe this research should be used to inform sound public policy. Early bird registration for COSSA’s annual Social Science Advocacy Day is officially OPEN! The event will be taking place March 24-25, 2025 in Washington, DC. Take advantage of early bird pricing and register here. If your organization is interested in becoming a sponsor for Social Science Advocacy Day, find…