In Brief
TAKE ACTION: Urge Congress to Provide Stable Research Funding
Now that Congress has passed a temporary stop-gap measure by passing a 90-day continuing resolution (CR) to keep the federal government funded through December 20. We need your help in continuing the pressure on the House and Senate to pass as robust a funding package as possible for fiscal year (FY) 2025. Congress is now out of session until after the November elections. Let them know that if the United States is to remain on the leading edge of basic and biomedical research the FY25 budget must be in line with the Senate proposals for both agencies. Take Action Now!
Transition of Power: Positions Take Shape
With the election dust settled and a formal transfer of power is in process, we have some insight into the leadership structure for the 119th Congress; while they will go through the process of formally electing the Speaker no challengers are expected.
- Senate Majority Leader – John Thune (R-SD)
- Senate Majority Whip – John Barrasso (R-WY)
- Senate GOP Conference Chair – Tom Cotton (R-AR)
- Senate Minority Leader – Chuck Schumer (D-NY)
- Senate Minority Whip – Dick Durbin (D-IL)
- House Speaker – Mike Johnson (R-LA-04)
- House Majority Leader – Steve Scalise (R-LA-01)
- House Minority Leader – Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY-08)
- House Minority Whip – Katherine M. Clark (D-MA-05)
President-Elect Donald Trump is currently working through the process of releasing his nominations for Cabinet positions. All Cabinet positions must go through a Senate confirmation process which requires approval by a simple majority. Nominees for key scientific research agencies include:
- Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) – Robert F. Kennedy Jr.; and
- Department of Energy – Chris Wright
Next Steps for FY25 Appropriations Funding
Congress has returned to Washington to begin preparations for the transfer of power in the Senate and White House and to determine a path forward on resolving the main outstanding priority on the docket – securing appropriations funding for fiscal year (FY) 2025. While the overall approval of a funding package for FY25 will require support from the Senate and White House, the question that faces House Speaker Mike Johnson is which path forward he will pursue. Will he push for another 3-month continuing resolution (CR) come December 20, when the current CR expires, or will he look to make a bipartisan agreement to fund the government through the end of September 2025?
The Speaker has stressed the importance of building consensus in his caucus, but time is ticking. Without movement soon, a short-term CR by the December 20 deadline seems inevitable. After all, it typically takes about a month to finalize spending bills once topline agreements are reached—and bipartisan negotiations haven’t even begun. Majority Leader Scalise and Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) are pushing for a long-term package that clears the decks and avoids funding fights in the early days of a new Congress and Presidential term.
NIH Reconvenes Scientific Management Review Board
On Nov. 12. the NIH convened the Scientific Management Review Board (SMRB), a group comprised of NIH institute and center directors and external members from NIH-funded institutions or with substantial knowledge about the function of NIH, to advise the NIH director on the organization and functions of the NIH. The SMRB was created through the NIH Reform Act of 2006 (PL 109-482) and began meeting in 2009, creating a series of eight reports over the following seven years. The board has not convened since 2015, a fact noted by both the House Energy and Commerce Committee and the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee in their discussion framework and white paper on NIH reform. The meeting agenda included an overview and history of the SMRB, an overview of the NIH budget, a review of previous SMRB reports, and an update on current legislative proposals for NIH optimization.
Congressional Fellowship Application Window Closes Soon
Are you interested in using your science skills to inform science policy? Does spending a year working on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, helping develop policy sound exciting? The Biophysical Society’s Congressional Fellowship program is your opportunity to participate directly in the process of law-making that impacts how research is funded and regulated. This year-long opportunity provides fellows a chance to utilize their science knowledge to inform the public policy process. Fellows will gain firsthand knowledge and experience on how Congress works and participate in the esteemed AAAS Science and Technology Fellows program that provides ongoing training and networking opportunities during the fellowship year and beyond. Visit the BPS Congressional Fellowship website for more details about the program or contact Leann Fox at [email protected] or (240) 290-5606. The application deadline is December 13, 2024.