APLU Statement on Congressional Approval of Final FY19 Spending Deal

Washington, DC – Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) President Peter McPherson today released the following statement in response to Senate and House passage of a bill that provides Fiscal Year 2019 funding for multiple federal agencies.

“We are grateful that congressional leaders reached a deal on the Fiscal Year 2019 bills that provide appropriations for the many federal agencies whose current year funding has been pending since October 1. This deal brings an end to a period of great uncertainty. The impacts from this most disruptive start of the fiscal year will reverberate into the future. We hope that we’ll never have to experience such a time of instability again.

“We are very appreciative that Congress avoided a full-year continuing resolution that would have kept funding flat at Fiscal Year 2018 levels. In passing this appropriations package, Congress delivered important increases in funding for research at key agencies, including NSF, USDA, NOAA, NASA, NIST, NEH, and USAID. We applaud the funding growth for these and other important research agencies that are central to innovation, national security, and the long-term economic growth of the United States.

“Now our attention must shift immediately to the Fiscal Year 2020 budget and appropriations process. It is critical that Congress lift the self-imposed budget caps to enable additional support for science and research. We know that major competitors such as China are rapidly increasing their investments in research, which is why the U.S. needs to be relentless in its promotion and funding of scientific research. Our nation’s leaders must provide the continued support to ensure the next big breakthroughs and innovations take place in U.S. labs and they must ensure a smooth appropriations process that doesn’t delay current and future research projects.”