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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.

NSF Restructuring

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The National Science Foundation is next agency in line for a massive shake-up under the Trump Administration. Staff were reportedly informed last week that the agency’s 37 divisions—across all eight NSF directorates—are being abolished and the number of programs within those divisions will be drastically reduced. The current directors and deputy directors will lose their titles and might be reassigned to other positions at the agency or elsewhere in the federal government.

The NSF’s new structure will retain the existing directorates but replace divisions with “clusters” that fund research in the president’s five priority areas: artificial intelligence, quantum information science, biotechnology, nuclear energy, and translational science.

The consolidation appears to be driven in part by President Donald Trump’s proposal to cut the agency’s $4 billion budget by 55% for the 2026 fiscal year that begins on October 1. Furthermore, the NSF is expected to send termination notices to an unspecified number of its 1700-member staff.

In addition to staff layoffs, the NSF will significantly reduce the number of scientists it employs through the Intergovernmental Personnel Act. Under this program, scientists on leave from their academic positions work with the NSF to help the agency choose the best research to fund. NSF currently hosts 368 scientists but plans to slash this number to 70 by June 9.

The move comes after the recent announcement that the NSF would begin capping reimbursement rates for indirect research costs at 15%, mirroring the funding cuts at the NIH and the Department of Energy, both of which have been blocked in court. A number of universities and associations have filed a suit to block this move as well.

Helpful Links:

NSF slashes number of ‘rotators’ and well-paid managers as part of restructuring | Science | AAAS

Exclusive: NSF faces radical shake-up as officials abolish its 37 divisions | Science | AAAS

 

 

 

 

House Passes Budget Resolution

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On Tuesday, the House of Representatives narrowly passed a Republican budget resolution that would advance much of President Donald Trump’s legislative agenda in one “big, beautiful bill.” After weeks of infighting and doubt surrounding the passage of the resolution, Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) and other House GOP leaders were able to successfully advance the resolution in a 217 to 215 party-line vote. Only one Republican, Rep. Massie (R-KY) defected, citing concerns over measures that would increase the deficit.

House and Senate GOP leaders had been at odds over the strategy behind this legislative package, with Senate leaders preferring a two-pronged approach in which defense, immigration, and energy would be tackled in one bill and taxes in another bill later in the year. House leaders, on the other hand, with the backing of President Trump, stood firmly behind their one-bill approach.

The Senate passed their own version of the resolution last week, so now leaders from both chambers will need to coalesce around a single plan. The largest roadblocks will likely be the $4.5 trillion in tax cuts called for by the House plan, which would be paid for in part by the proposed cuts to programs such as Medicaid and SNAP. Moderates in both chambers have voiced concerns over these provisions, while hardline conservatives have demanded more severe spending cuts to offset the tax plan.

While significant challenges lie ahead for President Trump’s agenda, the passage of the House resolution is a major hurdle that has now been cleared. If House and Senate Republicans can build support behind a single bill, they will unlock the ability to pass it through the reconciliation process which, crucially, is not subject to filibuster in the Senate.

All of this is occurring while top appropriators in both chambers scramble to stave off the government shutdown slated to take effect later this month if a spending agreement is not reached. The continuing resolution reached late last year is set to expire after March 14th, and negotiations appear to have stalled as Democrats seek assurances from congressional Republicans that President Trump will spend any money that is appropriated.