Today, Congressional leaders reached an agreement on a fourth continuing resolution (CR) to temporarily fund the government beyond March 1, the first of two funding deadlines, with the plan to consider a full year spending package for six of the twelve annual spending bills next week. Under the agreement, final text on bills to fund Agriculture/FDA, Energy & Water, Military Construction, Transportation/Housing, Interior, and Commerce/Justice/Science could be released as soon as this weekend, with final passage in advance of the new deadline established in the CR of March 8. This set of bills includes important University priorities, including the National Science Foundation, Department of Energy Office of Science, and the Environmental Protection Agency. Additionally, the CR would extend funding for the remaining bills, including those that fund the Departments of Defense, Education, and Health, through March 22 to give Congressional leaders additional time to negotiate agency and program funding levels and policy provisions.... Read more about Congress Agrees to Another Funding Patch as Deadline Looms

Less than two months after narrowly avoiding a government shutdown, Congress once again is facing an end-of-the-week deadline to extend current funding with another continuing resolution (CR) or face a lapse in appropriations after Friday, November 17. As of today, leadership and bipartisan majorities seem to be coalescing around the legislation laid out by Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) that would continue current funding into the new year. A key vote to pass this measure in the House is expected this afternoon.... Read more about Congress Working to Avoid Shutdown

In an unexpected turn of events, the House of Representatives this afternoon on a strong bipartisan vote approved a continuing resolution (CR) to provide 45 days of stopgap federal funding at current levels. The Senate is expected to take up and pass this legislation later today and President Biden will sign it without any disruption in government operations.... Read more about Government Shutdown Likely Averted with Funding Patch until November 17

With a little more than one week remaining in fiscal year 2023, Congress has not yet enacted any FY24 appropriations bills or a continuing resolution (CR) to provide discretionary funding beyond September 30. A series of setbacks in the House this week has sharply increased the possibility of a government shutdown beginning on October 1.... Read more about Congress Approaches Shutdown Deadline Without Deal

Congress adjourned late yesterday for the August recess, capping a legislative session that included an agreement to suspend the debt limit in exchange for two years of capped discretionary spending, House and Senate passage of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), and progress in committee on the Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24) appropriations bills. Although some had hoped that the bipartisan agreement on topline spending levels would streamline the annual budget process, significant funding differences have emerged between and within the two bodies and political parties. In addition, hot-button issues, from support for Ukraine to abortion, climate, and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), have found their way into nearly every legislative debate, and there have been no discussions on how to bridge these differences before the end of the fiscal year on September 30, raising the specter of at least one continuing resolution and the possibility of a government shutdown.... Read more about Congress Makes Progress on Appropriations, NDAA

Ahead of the congressional August recess and with a busy and politically divisive fall looming, there has been a burst of productivity in Congress on key domestic priorities. Bipartisan majorities united to pass the CHIPS & Science Act to bolster domestic high-tech manufacturing and science. Democrats also appear likely to complete action on the FY22 reconciliation bill making investments in priority areas like health care, energy, climate, deficit reduction, and tax fairness. Recent weeks have also seen some early work on the FY23 spending bill. Below is further information on these measures and a brief look ahead to the fall.... Read more about Federal Update: Congress Moves on CHIPS & Science, Reconciliation, and FY23

This week, President Biden released his fiscal year (FY) 2024 budget request, which seeks total discretionary spending of $1.695 trillion, split between $886 billion for defense programs and $688 billion for nondefense, reflecting increases of three and seven percent respectively over FY23. Building on themes and policy proposals in last month’s State of the Union address, the President’s budget for FY24 features deficit-reduction goals alongside new programs and significant new investments in existing initiatives.... Read more about Federal Update: President Biden Releases FY24 Budget Request -- UPDATED

The Senate passed (68-29) an omnibus appropriations bill to fund the government for the remainder of fiscal year 2023 (FY23), following protracted negotiations over topline spending levels. The House is expected to pass the spending measure later tonight, after which it will head to the President for his signature, fully funding the federal government before the continuing resolution expires at midnight on December 23.... Read more about Federal Update: 117th Congress Finishes Its Work With FY23 Omnibus Legislation

Nearly halfway through the fiscal year, Congress is on the verge of completing legislation providing $1.5 trillion of discretionary funding for FY22, with the House passing (in two votes of 361-69 and 260-171) the omnibus bill late Wednesday and the Senate preparing for approval either Friday or this weekend. The bipartisan agreement consists of all 12 FY22 spending bills and supplemental funding to support Ukraine. With government funding scheduled to expire on March 11, Congress may also pass, if needed, a four-day continuing resolution to give the Senate additional time to complete the omnibus legislation and avoid a federal shutdown. With the successful conclusion of the FY22 process, Congress and the Administration will turn their attention to the FY23 process, the competitiveness legislation, and the latent effort to revive a narrow version of the Build Back Better Act.... Read more about Federal Update: Congress Moves on Final FY22 Appropriations

Even as Congress passed legislation to avoid a government shutdown today, the White House and Democratic Leadership are continuing efforts to carve a path forward, negotiating entrenched intraparty disagreements, to move the bipartisan infrastructure and reciliation packages that make up the bulk of President Biden’s domestic agenda. This effort is made more difficult by their thin majorities in the House and the Senate and unanimous opposition of Republicans to many of the Democrats’ legislative priorities. That said,...

On November 15, President Biden signed into law the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which will invest more than $1.2 trillion in roads, bridges, broadband, and related projects over five years, including $550 billion in new spending. Of possible interest to universities, this package includes new spending for climate and energy at the Department of Energy, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and other agencies. There are also new funding lines in transportation and other infrastructure in this bill. Additional energy and climate measures, and other investments in research and education, are included in the Build Back Better reconciliation package, which is pending in the Senate.... Read more about Potential Programs of Interest to Higher Education in The Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act

This morning, the Senate capped off an unusually long summer session with passage (50-49) of a $3.5 trillion FY22 budget resolution, on the heels of this week’s earlier vote (69-30) on the $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure package, two of President Biden’s top domestic priorities. While both measures must still be considered by the House, their passage in the Senate sets up a packed congressional agenda for the fall, including a FY22 reconciliation bill (made possible by enactment of the budget resolution) to include tax, entitlement, and other mandatory spending, the FY22 funding bills, the annual Defense authorization, and legislation to address the federal debt-limit. With slim Democratic majorities in the House and Senate and significant ideological divides within the party, navigating a successful path forward will prove a difficult test for Congress and the White House.... Read more about Federal Update: Congress Caps Long Summer with Progress on Infrastructure, FY22

In the first budget request of his presidency, President Joe Biden is proposing historic increases in non-defense discretionary funding. April’s preview of the discretionary spending proposal provided topline information – $1.52 trillion total, with $769 billion for non-defense (+16 percent) and $753 billion for defense (+1.7 percent) – but few details. The full budget request provides details on the Biden Administration’s priorities for education, health, climate, and social programs as part of the annual spending process, which would be complemented by the President’s ambitious American Jobs and Families Plans.... Read more about Federal Update: President Biden Releases Detailed FY22 Budget Request

In March, Congress enacted President Biden’s $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act, building on earlier emergency COVID funding provided in the CARES Act and 2020 year-end spending package. As those relief funds are being disbursed, the Administration has pivoted to an ambitious infrastructure plan and Fiscal Year 2022 federal funding.... Read more about President Biden Releases Infrastructure Plan and Previews FY22

Having extended its post-election lame duck session by nearly two weeks, the 116^th Congress finally reached agreement on full-year FY21 funding and its fourth large-scale package of emergency COVID-19 relief before recessing for the holidays and giving way to the 117^th Congress in the new year.... Read more about The 116th Congress Plans to Adjourn: Lawmakers Agree to Full-Year FY21 Funding, Targeted COVID-19 Relief