On September 30, the House and the Senate voted to pass a continuing resolution (H.R. 5860) to fund the federal government through November 17. Oregon’s two senators and six members of the House of Representatives all voted in favor of the stopgap funding bill.

The Association of American Universities (AAU) said in its latest Leading Research Universities Report that it commends lawmakers for working together to avoid a shutdown, which would have had significant negative effects on higher education and the scientific research enterprise, and appreciates that Congress rejected stopgap measures that would have cut funding for students and higher education.

The Science Coalition said in a statement, “While the tangible effects of a 45-day funding patch are variable in the short-term, any length of funding uncertainties destabilizes research agencies and their university partners. Although employees at federal science agencies may be able to continue working during this time, unanswered questions about their budgets for Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 will slow the proposal review process and prevent new projects from commencing. At a time when our global competitors are accelerating their investments in innovation, our federal lawmakers – who only last year passed the historic CHIPS and Science Act – should be leading the charge to bolster our national innovation economy and ensure researchers have the necessary federal funding to thrive.”

The funding environment for a final budget for student aid and research remains fraught. The two legislative chambers have taken sharply different approaches to appropriations bills. The ouster of the Speaker the House adds to the challenges of reaching a final budget agreement by November 17.