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Category: Administration

The End is in Sight

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The longest government shutdown in U.S. history is poised to end, with the House of Representatives scheduled to reconvene at approximately 4 p.m. Wednesday to vote on a funding bill passed by the Senate earlier this week.

The Senate measure advanced with the support of all Republican senators and a group of eight Democrats, a move that has sparked intense backlash from progressive activists and deepened divisions within the Democratic caucus. While the bipartisan support helped propel the bill forward procedurally, most Senate Democrats remain staunchly opposed to the package, citing concerns over spending priorities and the exclusion of key Democratic provisions.

In the House, the funding bill faces similar resistance from Democratic lawmakers. Despite this, Speaker Mike Johnson has expressed confidence that the measure will garner sufficient Republican support to pass, effectively ending the shutdown that has paralyzed federal operations for weeks.

The proposed legislation includes a short-term extension of funding for most federal agencies through January 30, 2026, providing a temporary reprieve while negotiations continue on broader appropriations. In addition to the stopgap funding, the package incorporates three full-year appropriations bills covering:

  • Military Construction and Veterans Affairs: Ensuring continued support for infrastructure projects and essential services for veterans.
  • Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA): Funding critical programs related to food safety, rural development, and agricultural subsidies.
  • Legislative Branch Operations: Maintaining the functioning of Congress and its support agencies, including staff salaries and administrative services.

House Democrats are expected to introduce an amendment aimed at extending Affordable Care Act (ACA) tax credits for an additional three years—a provision that has broad support among the party’s base. However, the amendment is unlikely to pass given the Republican opposition.

One Small Step…

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Last evening, by a vote of 60-40, the Senate finally agreed proceed on a legislative package that would, among other things, reopen the government. This represents the first step of many that would fund  and reopen the government.

After more a dozen failed procedural votes, the Senate was finally able to reach the 60-vote threshold on a proposal to move forward: In addition to legislation to reopen the government that includes backpay for federal workers, the agreement also includes a December vote to extend Obamacare subsidies.

Among other items, the legislative package that the Senate agreed to debate on includes: 

  • Three of the twelve full-year appropriations bills:  Agriculture; Legislative Branch; and Veterans Affairs;
  • a continuing resolution (CR) to fund the other parts of the government through January 30;
  • backpay for furloughed federal workers; and,
  • a prohibition on additional reductions in the federal workforce through the length of the CR.

Eight Democrats joined the vast majority of the Republicans in moving the proposal forward while one Republican opposed the move.

This agreement does not mean that the Senate has officially voted to approved the measure.  It just means that the Senate can now proceed to consider the package. 

In addition, if the Senate does ultimately approve it, the House– which has been in recess since September 19– must reconvene to pass it as well.  Finally, assuming both chambers agree, the final measure must be signed by the President.

At the end of the day, the Senate agreement to move forward represents the first step in a longer process to reopen the government.

 

Government Shutdown Nears Historic Milestone as Congressional Standoff Deepens

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With no resolution in sight, the federal government is barreling toward a grim milestone: one full month of shutdown. If the impasse continues through November 4, it will become the longest government shutdown in U.S. history, eclipsing the 35-day closure during President Trump’s first term.

The deadlock stems from a bitter standoff between House Republicans and Senate Democrats over a stopgap spending bill passed by the House on September 19. Since then, the lower chamber has not held a single vote. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), in a strategic move to pressure Senate Democrats, has kept the House in a “district work week” for four consecutive weeks—effectively sending lawmakers back to their home districts rather than convening in Washington.

Senate Democrats have blocked the House-passed spending bill a dozen times, citing concerns that it would gut healthcare subsidies and drive-up costs for millions of Americans. Republicans, meanwhile, argue that the bill is a necessary first step to keep the government open and that healthcare provisions can be negotiated separately.

The consequences of the shutdown are set to intensify in the coming days. More than 40 million Americans who rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) face the expiration of their benefits on November 1. The Trump Administration has stated it will not use emergency funds to extend the program.

Meanwhile, millions of federal employees and active-duty military personnel are bracing for another missed paycheck. The National Federation of Federal Employees, the country’s largest federal worker union, issued a scathing statement this week, urging Congress to “immediately pass a funding bill and restore full pay to the public servants who keep this country running.”

The prolonged shutdown is taking a toll on both parties. A Gallup poll conducted in early October shows public frustration boiling over: Congressional approval has plummeted from 26% to just 15% in a matter of weeks. Analysts warn that the longer the shutdown drags on, the more political damage lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are likely to suffer.
Despite the growing pressure, leadership in both parties remains entrenched. Democrats continue to insist that the House bill is a “non-starter” due to its impact on healthcare, while Republicans maintain that the Senate’s refusal to negotiate is prolonging the crisis.

Vice President Vance will be on the Hill today to have lunch with congressional Republicans, and the issue of the shutdown is sure to dominate conversation. Despite growing concerns for both parties, there appears to be no end in sight.

 

Trump Administration Releases FY27 Research Priorities Document

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On Thursday, the Trump Administration released its Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 Administration Research and Development Budget Priorities and Cross-Cutting Actions Document. The document, signed by OMB Director Russ Vought and OSTP Director Michael Krastios, outlines the administration’s research priorities, describing its mission to align the government’s “role in the S&T enterprise to once again drive R&D that is bold, mission-driven, and unapologetically in service of the American people.”

Vought and Krastios list 5 top administration priorities in the coming fiscal year. The priorities are to:

  1. Ensure Unrivaled American Leadership in Critical and Emergin Technologies
  2. Unleash American Energy Dominance and Explore New Frontiers
  3. Strengthen American Security
  4. Strengthen and Safeguard American Health and Biotechnology
  5. Assure America’s Continued Space Dominance

The memorandum also describes the administration’s intent to undertake a number of crosscutting actions to “usher in the Golden Age of American Innovation.” These include:

  1. Implementing and Supporting Gold Standard Science
  2. Building the S&T Workforce of the Future
  3. Expanding and Making Accessible World-Class Research Infrastructure
  4. Revitalizing and Strengthening America’s S&T Ecosystem
  5. Focusing on High-Value Research Efforts.

Specifics regarding each priority can be found in the document linked above.

 

 

 

 

Supreme Court Rules on NIH Grant Cancellation

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In a divided decision, the U.S. Supreme Court has cleared the way for the federal government to terminate more than $783 million in active research grants from the National Institutes of Health, a move that has drawn intense scrutiny from scientists, public health advocates, and legal scholars. The 5–4 ruling, issued August 21, allows the Trump administration to proceed with its cancellation of thousands of grants tied to topics such as diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), gender identity, HIV/AIDS, and COVID-19. The majority held that disputes over terminated grants must be heard in the Court of Federal Claims, not in district courts, effectively halting a wave of legal challenges that had temporarily blocked the cuts.

The lawsuit at the center of the case was filed in the U.S. District Court for Massachusetts by a coalition of 16 states, research institutions, and advocacy organizations. In June, Judge William Young ordered the grants reinstated and invalidated the administration’s internal guidance documents that had led to the terminations. But the Supreme Court’s majority disagreed, concluding that the district court lacked jurisdiction to enforce monetary obligations tied to federal grants. While the justices left in place the lower court’s ruling against the guidance documents, they allowed the grant cancellations to proceed.

Legal experts say the shift to the Court of Federal Claims presents a steep hurdle for plaintiffs, who must now pursue complex contractual claims with limited prospects for immediate relief. Meanwhile, advocacy groups and some members of Congress are calling for legislative action to restore the funding and protect future grants from similar terminations.

Read more here.