Federal Update

With the election all but behind us (pending two special election races in Georgia that will ultimately decide the Senate majority) attention is now on the lame duck session of the 116th Congress. While much of the focus will be on the Presidential transition over the next few months, Congress will attempt to deal with a handful of key issues, the most important being the passing of a budget.

In September, Congress passed a Continuing Resolution (CR) that funded the government through December 11th. With just weeks until that deadline expires, Congress is aggressively attempting to pass a budget for the remainder of FY21. Last week, the Senate released drafts of all 12 spending bills (the House passed 10 of their 12 appropriations in July) setting up negotiations between the two Chambers.

Both House and Senate versions have increased spending for NSF, NIH, and NOAA, while the Senate version has a slight increase in NASA spending (for any questions about other program areas, email GR@tamu.edu). There was hope that Congress would be able to reach a deal prior to the December 11th deadline, however there is increasing chatter that another, short-term CR is more likely that would extend into late February/early March.

Coronavirus Relief

The other issue gaining much attention is what another Coronavirus relief package may look like, and when a deal might get done. Both House and Senate leaders continue to say they want to pass another round of relief, yet they remain far apart on exactly how much to spend. The House has come down from their initial $3.2 trillion dollar figure, closer to the $2 trillion dollar range.

The Senate appears to have little desire for this level of spending, instead, looking at more targeted relief package in the $500 million dollar range. At this point it is unlikely that any package will move forward during the lame duck session. 

Changes in Texas' Congressional Delegation

Looking ahead to the 117th Congress, the Texas delegation will welcome seven new Members, including an incoming Aggie; Ronny Jackson ’91 who will represent the 13th Congressional District of Texas. It should be noted, the Texas delegation has seen an almost 45% turnover in just the last two election cycles.

There are two outgoing Aggies in Congress; Bill Flores ’76 who represented the 17th Congressional District of Texas, and Will Hurd ’99, who represented the 23rd Congressional District of Texas. We are appreciative of both Members for their years of service in the House, and for their help in advocating for Texas A&M in Congress.