CU Federal Government Transition Updates Page

As a reminder, CU Federal Relations has created a Federal Government Transition Updates page to provide access to communications and information regarding the ongoing federal transition, recent executive orders, and their ongoing implementation on the university’s mission and the people who work and learn on our campuses.

FY25 Appropriations and Reconciliation Update

The House advanced a Continuing Resolution (CR) on a 217-213 vote on March 11. The spending patch would fund the government through September 30, the end of Fiscal Year 2025. Defense spending is increased in the CR by $6B, while non-defense spending is decreased by $13B. The Senate needs 60 votes, including the support of 8 Democrats, to pass the legislation. Democrats said they are united on a clean CR to fund the government through April 11 and are pushing to vote on this alternative. Federal funding expires this Friday, March 14 at midnight EST; absent a bicameral deal the government will shut down. More can be read at CBS News. (Update: The Senate advanced the CR on Friday. President Trump signed the CR on Saturday, funding the government until the end of September. More can be read at AP News)

Work on reconciliation, the main vehicle for President Trump’s budget agenda, will likely not resume until mid-April or beyond, according to Semafor.  

Recent Capitol Hill Visits

On March 11, Cathy Bradley, Dean of the Colorado School of Public Health at CU Anschutz Medical Campus, met with staffers from the offices of Senator Hickenlooper and Reps DeGette, Crow, Crank, and Hurd.

On March 4, Massimo Ruzzene, Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation, and Michael Gooseff, Associate Dean of Research for Engineering at CU Boulder met with staffers from the offices of Senators Bennet and Hickenlooper and Reps Neguse and Hurd.

On March 3, International Education representatives from CU Denver and CU Boulder: Danielle Rocheleau Salaz, Executive Director, Center for Asian Studies and Joe Bryan, Director, Latin American and Latinx Studies Center at CU Boulder; Manuel Serapio, Director and Karen Freidhof, Assistant Director for the Center for International Business Education and Research (CIBER) at CU Denver; met virtually with the offices of Senator Bennet and Reps DeGette, Neguse, and Evans.

On February 26, Students from CU Boulder were in DC as part of the Big 12 on the Hill 2025 and met with staff from the offices of Senators Bennet and Hickenlooper and Reps Crow, Neguse, and Boebert to discuss issues of importance to students.

On February 26, Leadership from the Colorado Space Grant Consortium, a statewide program administered by CU Boulder, met with staffers with Senators Bennet and Hickenlooper, and Reps DeGette, Neguse, Hurd, Pettersen, Crank, and Crow.

Recent Colorado Events

CU Anschutz Chancellor Don Elliman participated in a roundtable with Rep. DeGette alongside other Colorado health care leaders on February 19 in Denver.

Delegation staffers visited CU campuses recently: Rep. Crow’s staff visited CU Anschutz, and staff from Reps. DeGette and Evans attended the CU Denver’s School of Public Affairs First Friday Event, “Affordable Housing in Colorado - CU Denver Research & Response,” on March 7.

2025 Colorado Capital Conference Applications Open

Applications for the 2025 Colorado Capital Conference are now open. The Colorado Capital Conference, hosted jointly by Senators Bennet and Hickenlooper, Colorado Mesa University and the University of Colorado, is a unique opportunity for Colorado residents to interact with their nation’s leaders in Washington, D.C. The Conference will be held June 24-26. One hundred Colorado residents will be selected to attend this bipartisan conference at our nation's capital.

Applications close March 21.