Since reaching a bipartisan deal to raise the budget caps earlier this year, Congressional leadership and members of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees have been working both publicly and behind the scenes to move Fiscal Year 2020 appropriations legislation forward.  None of the 12 appropriations bills that fund the government have been passed and signed into law.  At the end of September, Congress passed and President Trump signed a continuing resolution (CR) extending government funding beyond the end of FY19 through November 21.  Little progress has been made since then.

According to reports, congressional leaders are discussing a second CR that could flat-fund government until February or March of next year. There are even rumors that this second stop-gap funding measure could extend through the 2020 elections. Research!America is the midst of a #CRsStopProgress campaign; we are making use of social media and other outreach tools to underscore the negative impact of serial CRs and urge Congress and the White House to keep working until FY20 appropriations are signed into law.

Research!America is also helping to ensure the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) can continue its trailblazing work cultivating new, patient-centric research models.  The current CR temporarily extended PCORI’s ability to operate, but reauthorization is crucial to the Institute’s future. To join other advocates in working to sustain PCORI, visit the Friends of PCORI Reauthorization website.

The Research!America alliance is working on a range of other research-relevant issues, including participating in efforts to address the “valley of death” in R&D financing; leading a collaborative project aimed at empowering greater participation in clinical trials; working to prevent a virtual ban on critically important fetal tissue research; and making the case for repeal of the excise tax on medical device research and development.