On November 10, the Senate Appropriations Committee released the text of all 12 fiscal year (FY) 2021 appropriations bills; this is for the fiscal year that officially began last month on October 1. As previously reported, the House of Representatives passed 10 of its bills in July. The release this week of the Senate versions signals that lawmakers plan to negotiate final FY 2021 spending during this post-election lame duck session. Senators are not expected to take up the bills on the Senate floor; rather, their bills are meant as a jumping off point for negotiations with the House on a final deal.
As a reminder, the federal government is currently operating under a continuing resolution (CR) until December 11, leaving just four weeks to complete the bills—likely through a large omnibus package—or enact another CR.
Now that the elections are behind us—despite President Trump’s unwillingness to concede and ongoing legal efforts—Members of Congress will use the balance of 2020 to finish work on FY 2021 spending, seek common ground on another COVID-19 relief package, and, for many, jockey for positions in the next Administration or committee leadership in the 117th Congress.
Read on for COSSA’s full analysis of the Senate FY 2021 funding bills for federal agencies and programs important to the social and behavioral science research community.