Congress comes down to the wire to keep U.S. government open
Science advocates are settling in for what promises to be a bumpy ride this week as the U.S. Congress tries to avoid a governmentwide shut down on Saturday. Republicans and Democrats are deeply divided over pending legislation, released on 8 March , that would fund the government through 30 September. Early indications suggest few research agencies will be dramatically affected by the spending measure, and that its potential effect on U.S. science won’t be a pivotal player in the partisan debate over its duration, how prescriptive it is, and the type of spending it favors. The legislation introduced by House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson (R–LA)—called a continuing resolution (CR)—would essentially extend an existing spending freeze, in place since 1 October 2024, for the rest of this...