Despite major legislation passing into law this summer, Congress has been slow in finishing up the yearly Federal budget (ie: Fiscal Year 2023). The delay has been over a number of topics unrelated to science research, such as energy-permitting regulations and supplemental funding for things like Ukrainian military assistance. But with the fast-approaching November Midterm elections, Congress is not interested in shutting down the government just before facing voters at the polls. Hence the need for a continuing resolution (CR). Released Monday night, it would fund the government at Fiscal Year 2022 levels till December 16th. Congress has until Friday to pass it to avoid a shut down; while unlikely to happen, a government shut down can never be completely ruled out.

Once we see the results of the ballot box in November, we will have a better idea of how the budget will be finalized. If Republicans win back control of both chambers of Congress, they may to want to delay final consideration until next calendar year, when they have more control of the process. If Democrats retain control of the legislature, then they will likely want to finish the budget before the end of this calendar year. And if there is a split, it’s hard to tell exactly how matters will play out. Keep checking back for more updates.