Government shutdown
Lawmakers were unable to pass a continuing resolution (CR) before the end of the fiscal year on September 30 and on October 1, a government shutdown began. There are 12 appropriations bills that must be passed every fiscal year. Both chambers were unable to complete that process, and GOP leaders presented a CR last week in the House, where the measure was successful. However, the measure did not pass in the Senate leading to the current shutdown.
A large point of contention between the GOP and Democrats surround extending the expiring Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies. Democrats support the extension, and both parties continue to blame one another for the current shutdown. However, there has been some bipartisan discussions supporting the use of funds from budget reconciliation to pay troops during the shutdown, including a potential bill, H.R. 5401, the “Pay Our Troops Act of 2026.”
While it is unclear how long the government shutdown will be in place, UNC Federal Affairs will continue to provide timely updates. For more information and resources, see UNC Research’s website.
Senate HELP Committee holds a hearing on recent actions at the CDC
On September 17, the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee held a hearing, “Restoring Trust Through Radical Transparency: Reviewing Recent Events at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Implications for Children’s Health.”
The hearing included two witnesses — recently terminated CDC Director Susan Monarez and former chief medical officer Debra Houry, to share their perspective and testimony. The hearing came following the appearance of Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Robert F. Kennedy Jr. before the Senate Finance Committee and before the meeting of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.
A large focus of the hearing surrounded Monarez and Houry’s departures from the CDC with Senators aiming to understand what took place at the agency and prompted these actions. Additionally, much of the hearing focused on concerns with vaccine policy and scheduling. Monarez faced both praise and criticism from committee members throughout the hearing with some GOP Senators echoing concerns regarding actions at the CDC and others defending Secretary Kennedy and pushing back against Monarez. At the conclusion of the over 3-hour long hearing, Chairman Bill Cassidy (R-LA) reiterated the importance of vaccines. See here to watch the full hearing.
Joint associations send letter to NIH on publication cost limits
On September 15, four higher education and research associations — the Council on Government Relations, Association of American Medical Colleges, Association of American Universities, and Association of Public and Land Grant Universities — submitted a joint letter to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) including comments on the agency’s proposal to limit the use of federal grant funds for publication costs, including article processing charges. The letter expresses support for the NIH’s goal of maximizing research dollars, but it raises concerns with the strict caps claiming that they could unintentionally limit researchers’ ability to publish their work in the most appropriate journals, disadvantage smaller or less well-resourced institutions, and create barriers for early career investigators.
In the letter, the associations provide recommendations to the agency including, “avoiding arbitrary per-publication caps and provide maximum flexibility for investigators to allocate funds for disseminating federally funded research.” They instead suggest considering a flexible percentage-of-award model with a minimum floor, set at levels that reflect actual average publishing costs. Additionally, the letter calls for a waiver process for exceptional cases, at least a one-year lead time before implementation, and ongoing monitoring of the policy’s impact on equity and dissemination.
New National Cancer Institute director sworn in
On September 29, Anthony Letai began his role as the 18th director of the National Cancer Institute (NCI). A physician-scientist with deep expertise in cancer biology and translational research, Letai joins NCI from Harvard University and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, where his work has focused on cell death, biomarkers, and therapeutic innovation.
Letai has emphasized a commitment to translating scientific insight into real-world advances. He stated, “We will work around the clock to identify cancer’s root causes, predictive biomarkers, and most effective treatments. Advances in understanding cell death and replication are essential to realizing President Trump’s vision for a healthy America.”
President Trump signs executive order on childhood cancer data initiative
On September 30, President Trump signed an executive order titled, “Unlocking Cures for Pediatric Cancer with Artificial Intelligence,” directing federal agencies to accelerate the use of AI in childhood cancer research. The order tasks the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Commission, the Office of Science and Technology Policy, HHS and other entities to strengthen and expand the Childhood Cancer Data Initiative (CCDI), improve data infrastructure and interoperability, and foster collaboration between public and private sectors to advance diagnostics, treatments, and clinical trial design.
Coinciding with the order, HHS announced it will double its AI-backed funding for the CCDI — from $50 million to $100 million annually — aiming to enhance research capacity and speed discoveries in pediatric cancer. The announcement was made alongside NIH, HHS, and NCI leadership, including the newly sworn-in NCI director, emphasizing continuity between agency leadership and the administration’s stated priorities.