September 2026

In one of its first legislative actions after returning from the August recess, the House on September 1 approved a continuing resolution (CR) that President Trump subsequently signed into law. The Senate had passed the measure on August 8. The CR maintains federal funding largely at current levels through December 11. The measure averted a potential government shutdown when the 2026 fiscal year (FY) ends on September 30 and postponed further funding negotiations until after the congressional midterm elections.

Most notably, the CR prevents the administration from implementing the proposed Regulation on Federal Financial Assistance issued by the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) through December 11. Many organizations in the education and scientific communities, including AERA, have urged OMB to withdraw the proposal. AERA’s comments on the OMB rule and its comments on a subsequent proposal from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to update its grantmaking guidance in alignment with the proposed OMB rule highlighted the significant ramifications for federally funded education research. The OMB proposal would make extensive changes to federal grantmaking requirements, including the role of scientific peer review and political appointees in funding decisions.

The CR provides only a temporary resolution, and Congress will still need to complete work on FY 2027 appropriations. The House Appropriations Committee has advanced all 12 of its regular appropriations bills, while the Senate Appropriations Committee has yet to consider any FY 2027 bills because Republicans and Democrats have not agreed on overall spending levels. Congress will need to resolve those differences before the CR expires on December 11.