As Congress was not able to come to an agreement on the appropriations bills to fund the federal government for the next fiscal year (FY) in advance of the September 31 deadline, policy makers instead passed a Continuing Resolution that essentially funds the government at the prior year levels through December 11 2020.
While it was important to avoid a shutdown in the midst of a pandemic, the Endocrine Society and other biomedical research advocates are disappointed that Congress was unable to agree on a full-year appropriations package with robust funding for the National Institutes of Health and emergency supplemental funds to help federal researchers recover and continue important work on national health priorities.
Moving the deadline for FY2021 funding past the election gives lawmakers more flexibility, but it means that we and others will need to keep up pressure over these important weeks to ensure that Congress completes their job and delivers a full-year package that funds the NIH and other research funding agencies at appropriate levels. Please visit the Endocrine Society’s advocacy webpage at www.endocrine.org/take-action for details on how you can add your voice and join our campaign