Federal and Legislative Updates
October 2025 Federal and Legislative Updates
October 8, 2025
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 ... Read more
September 2025 Federal and Legislative Updates
September 10, 2025
Subscribe to the Office of Public Affairs’ Legislative Lowdown newsletter for weekly federal and state policy updates of interest to the UNC-Chapel Hill community. Congress continues work on FY26 appropriations As the end of the fiscal year approaches on September 30, lawmakers are working to advance FY26 appropriations bills while preparing contingency plans to avoid ... Read more
August 2025 Federal and Legislative Updates
August 13, 2025
Congress approves President’s recissions package At the start of June, President Trump sent a recissions package to Congress including $9.4 billion of cuts towards public broadcasting and global aid. On June 12, the House passed the package sending it over to the Senate. In the Senate, a $400 million cut to PEPFAR, a global AIDS ... Read more
July 2025 Federal and Legislative Updates
July 10, 2025
President Trump signs H.R. 1 into law President Trump signed H.R. 1: One Big Beautiful Bill Act into law on July 4. The Senate passed the amended legislation with a 51-50 vote with Vice President J.D. Vance casting the tie-breaking vote on July 1. In the House, the chamber voted 218-215 to accept the Senate’s ... Read more
June 2025 Federal and Legislative Updates
June 11, 2025
Budget reconciliation passes in the House On May 16, the House Budget Committee reviewed a new budget plan but initially failed to pass it. Two days later, it passed narrowly, 17-16, with five Republicans voting “present.” Named H.R. 1: “The One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” the measure then cleared the House Rules Committee after a ... Read more
May 2025 Federal and Legislative Update
May 8, 2025
House committee markups begin in the reconciliation process The House passed an updated reconciliation bill before the two-week April recess. The next step in the process has started and consists of various House committees marking up their reconciliation bill. They have been tasked with finding at least $1.5 trillion in cuts over the next 10 ... Read more
April 2025 Federal and Legislative Updates
April 10, 2025
Budget reconciliation passes the Senate On April 4, floor debate on the compromised version of the budget blueprint took place. Amendments were suggested and voted upon, but there was no additional debate. Voting took place, and the bill passed the Senate reaching the 50-vote threshold. The measure will now be considered by the House. The ... Read more
March 2025 Federal and Legislative Updates
March 12, 2025
Injunction issued on NIH F&A cap On Thursday, March 6, a judge of the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts issued a preliminary injunction against the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) proposed indirect costs rate cap of 15%. This ruling will halt the implementation, application, and enforcement of the guidance the NIH released ... Read more
January 2025 Federal and Legislative Updates
January 8, 2025
The Conclusion of 2024 On December 20, 2024, the House and Senate passed a Continuing Resolution (CR) to extend government funding and avoid a government shutdown. The bill continues funding at FY24 levels through March 14, 2025. The CR included many measures, like $110 billion in additional disaster relief funding for states such as North ... Read more
December 2024 Federal and Legislative Updates
December 10, 2024
FY25 appropriations update Congress faces critical decisions on federal funding as the current continuing resolution (CR) expires on December 20. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) supports a short-term CR extending into early 2025, enabling a Republican-led Congress and administration to set spending priorities. In contrast, Senate leaders, including incoming Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD), are ... Read more