Congress Debates How to Build an AI-Ready America
On January 14, Congress held two potentially consequential hearings on the nation’s strategic approach to Artificial Intelligence (AI). The House Committee on Education and Workforce focused on the impacts of AI on students and workers, while the House Committee on …
Federal Government Reopens, Ending Longest Shutdown in History
The longest federal government shutdown in history—clocking in at 43 days—finally came to an end last week after President Donald Trump signed a fiscal year 2026 (FY26) spending package into law on November 12. Reopening the government required six Senate …
Senate HELP Committee Recognizes Urgent Need to Address U.S. Biotechnology Innovation and Patient Care Access
The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) held a hearing on October 29 titled “The Future of Biotech: Maintaining U.S. Competitiveness and Delivering Lifesaving Cures to Patients.” Members of the committee, along with several witnesses, recognized biotechnology …
Understanding the High Costs of the Government Shutdown
The waste and inefficiency started even before the shutdown began. As the federal government approached the end of the 2025 fiscal year, good agency stewardship required offices to start developing a plan for managing a shutdown.
On September 2, the …
No End in Sight for Shutdown as Trump Administration Tries to Fire Furloughed Federal Workers
Since the last FABBS update, there has been little, if any, progress towards ending the government shutdown that began on October 1. House Republicans—with support from just one Democrat—passed their version of a continuing resolution (CR) on September 19, which …
Shutdown Continues into Second Week
Democrats and Republicans in the Senate appear no closer to reaching a deal on a continuing resolution (CR) to reopen the federal government. The House passed their version of the CR on September 19, needing only a simple majority (see …
