Fiscal Year 2025 Appropriations Update
The House and Senate are on recess and return on September 9. Leading up to the recess, Congress prioritized work on Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25) appropriations bills in anticipation of September 30, when current funding expires.

The Senate appropriations committee passed all funding bills, except Homeland Security, with bipartisan support, but did not move any funding bills to the floor for consideration.

The House advanced all funding bills out of the appropriations committee on party-line votes and the full House approved five of the 12 annual funding bills, including Defense, Homeland Security, Interior-Environment, Military Construction-Veterans Affairs and State-Foreign Operations.

The House and Senate are appropriating to different funding levels – the House adhering to statutory budget caps agreed upon last year and the Senate padding the bills with an additional $34.5 billion in emergency spending. The lack of an agreement on topline funding levels will make reconciling the bills more difficult. Overall, the Senate proposals include more funding for research and education accounts than the House, however this funding may be scaled back in any final budget agreement.

Lawmakers are expected to pass a continuing resolution that keeps the government open at current funding levels but punt on advancing any new funding bills until after the election. As the appropriations process continues, the CU federal relations team will continue to provide updates.

CU Boulder Announces New Partnership with NASA Goddard
CU Boulder’s Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) signed a Space Act Agreement with NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center on August 5. The partnership which builds on NASA and CU Boulder’s long history of collaboration and research, will expand research and modeling in space weather. Rep. Joe Neguse (D-CO) spoke at the signing ceremony, which also featured Goddard Center Director Makenzie Lystrup and LASP Director Dan Baker. Read more about the agreement at CU Boulder Today.

Rep. Joe Neguse (D-CO) speaking at the LASP/NASA Space Act Agreement signing event

CU Office of Government Relations

Rep. Joe Neguse (D-CO) speaking with LASP Director Dan Baker at the LASP/NASA Space Act Agreement signing event

CU Office of Government Relations

Space Force Major General Claude Visits CU Boulder
Maj. Gen. Robert Claude from the U.S. Space Force visited CU Boulder on August 8 to learn about Space Force’s strategic partnership with the university through the University Partnership Program (UPP), which provides development opportunities for students and creates a talent pipeline for the armed services. Maj. Gen. Claude’s visit included meetings with CU Boulder’s Center for National Security Initiatives, Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, Aerospace Engineering Sciences, and other campus research leaders. Congressional staff from the offices of Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO), Rep. Neguse, and Rep. Greg Lopez (R-CO) attended.

Xavier Becerra, HHS Secretary Visits Auraria Campus
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra visited the Auraria Campus on August 8 as part of the Colorado Latino Leadership, Advocacy & Research Organization (CLLARO) 2024 Latino Policy Summit. During his visit, Duy Tran, CU Denver AANAPISI Program Director, was able to join a small group meeting with the Secretary to talk about the great work being done at CU Denver.

 Senator Bennet’s Legislative Staffers Visit CU Boulder and CU Denver Campuses
CU Boulder and CU Denver leadership and faculty met with several of Sen. Bennet’s DC-based legislative staffers when they visited during the August recess to discuss various topics, including new regulations from the U.S. Department of Education and major research awards and initiatives happening at CU with federal funding.

CU Boulder and CU Anschutz Respond to Next Generation CURES Bill RFI
CU Boulder and CU Anschutz responded to a request for information (RFI) in August, from Congresswoman Diana DeGette (D-CO) and Congressman Larry Bucshon, M.D. (R-IN) concerning the Cures 2.0 Act. Cures 2.0 is intended to build upon the 21st Century Cures Act passed in 2016, which encouraged biomedical research and development. For more information, read Rep. DeGette's press release. Read the CU Boulder RFI Response and the CU Anschutz Medical Campus RFI Response.

CU Responds to NIH Framework RFI
CU responded to an RFI from Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), Chair of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, on August 13, concerning potential reforms to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). For more information, read the press release from the Energy and Commerce Committee news release. Read the University of Colorado RFI Response.

CU Boulder Professor Participates in Congressional Maternal Mortality Briefing
CU Boulder Sociology Professor Amanda Stevenson participated in a July 22 congressional briefing on maternal mortality in the U.S. The briefing was sponsored by the Population Association of America (PAA) and widely attended by congressional staff including from Rep. Brittany Pettersen’s (D-CO) office. A summary of the briefing can be found on PAA’s website.

CU Boulder Sociology Professor Amanda Stevenson presenting at a congressional briefing on maternal mortality

CU Office of Government Relations

2024-25 FAFSA Delayed to December 1
The U.S. Department of Education (ED) announced on August 7, that the 2025-2026 FAFSA will not be widely available until December 1, two months later than usual. The form will be available for testing for a limited set of students and institutions starting on October 1. For more information, read the ED press release.