A spending bill released by the Senate Appropriations Committee would delay implementation of the White House Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) proposed overhaul of federal grants regulations, which drew more than 50,000 overwhelmingly negative public comments.
The continuing resolution (CR) text, released Aug. 2, would fund the federal government through Dec. 11 while preventing OMB's
proposed rewrite of the Uniform Guidance from taking effect during that period. The rule is currently scheduled to take effect Oct. 1.
If OMB were to finalize the rule before the legislation is enacted, the provision would also prevent it from taking effect through that date.
ACE and more than 60 higher education associations
submitted comments in July warning that the proposal would fundamentally reshape the administration of federal grants across the government. The associations argued that it would shift discretionary grantmaking away from longstanding merit-based peer review, expand agencies' authority to terminate grants, increase administrative burdens for recipients, and create significant uncertainty for colleges and universities that depend on federal research and other grant funding.
The Senate provision reflects growing bipartisan concern about the proposal. Senate Appropriations Committee Chair
Susan Collins (R-ME), who previously urged OMB to withdraw portions of the rule, welcomed the provision, and Ranking Member
Patty Murray (D-WA) issued statements praising the provision.
The CR is not yet law, but the Senate is expected to begin considering it this week. The House has already passed its own continuing resolution that would extend government funding through early December but does not include language delaying the OMB rule. The two chambers will need to reconcile their differences before legislation can be sent to the president.
ACE members are encouraged to continue to communicate concerns on the OMB proposal to House members, as they will consider the Senate language when they return at the end of August.