WASHINGTON – The Science Coalition (TSC) released the following statement after Congress passed another continuing resolution (CR) to provide stopgap funding for the federal government, including key research agencies, through February 18:
“While this bill staves off the threat of a shutdown, Congress’ overreliance on continuing resolutions to fund the government comes at a tremendous cost to the research enterprise,” said TSC President John Latini. “Researchers depend on consistent, predictable federal investment to sustain their work year-over-year and advance American innovation. This stop-start pace of government funding paralyzes federal research agencies and their university partners, hindering ongoing projects and halting new innovative research from commencing. At the same time, our global competitors are picking up speed and making steady gains. From the deep-seated expertise of our research agencies to the caliber of our STEM talent pipeline, there is no reason our international scientific edge should needlessly be put at risk.
“Simply put, the U.S. cannot afford to continue funding the government through short-term measures. It’s time for Congress to stop punting the ball and finally finish the appropriations process for Fiscal Year 2022. We urge lawmakers to pass a robust, full-year spending package that provides needed increases for key federal science agencies and programs without delay.”
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About the Science Coalition
Established in 1994, The Science Coalition is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization of more than 50 of the nation’s leading public and private research universities. It is dedicated to sustaining the federal government’s investment in basic scientific research as a means to stimulate the economy, spur innovation, and drive the United States’ global competitiveness.