NEW MINIBUS TEXT RELEASED
This morning, the Appropriations Committees released bipartisan, bicameral bill text for another minibus that would fund the Defense, Labor-HHS-Education, Transportation-HUD, and Homeland Security departments for FY26--the final four appropriations bills for a fully funded government.
Funding levels include:
- Defense:
- Provides $838.7 billion, $8.4 billion above the Administration’s FY26 request, and less than 1 percent above the FY25 enacted level.
- Increases funding for medical research by $1.7 billion.
- Provides $145.9 billion, $4.7 billion above the FY25 enacted level and $3.9 billion above the FY26 request for Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation (RDT&E).
- Labor-HHS-Education:
- Provides $224 billion for federal programs and activities under the subcommittee’s jurisdiction, which is more than $50 billion above the Administration’s budget request.
- Provides a total of $48.7 billion for NIH, an increase of $415 million above the FY25 level.
- Provides a total of $79 billion for the Department of Education
- $22.5 billion for Pell Grants with a maximum award of $7,395 and $1.2 billion for Federal Work‑Study.
- Sustains funding for TRIO at nearly $1.2 billion and GEAR UP at $388 million.
- Transportation-HUD
- Includes $102.883 billion--the non-defense portion of the allocation is $102.495 billion, and the defense portion of the allocation is $388 million.
- Homeland Security:
- Includes $64.4 billion, of which $3 billion is provided for defense activities.
- $831 million for the Science and Technology Directorate, a roughly $90 million increase over FY25.
Policy provisions include:
- The Department of Defense will continue applying the negotiated indirect cost rates from FY24 to federal financial assistance.
- NIH funds obligated in FY25 for multiyear awards can be obligated in FY26 from FY26 funds, including grants, cooperative agreements and contracts.
- Language that would prohibit the Department of Education from shifting its duties or funds to other agencies without explicit congressional approval, and a new requirement for biweekly updates to Congress on the implementation of interagency agreements.
Lawmakers have until January 30th to pass all appropriations packages before the continuing resolution (CR) deadline. The Senate is currently on recess, and the House will recess next week.
