US government shutdown ends, but problems for science persist
The compromise that allowed the government to reopen is still worrying the nation’s research community
A brief US government shutdown, which would have been disastrous for the nation’s science agencies and their grantees had it dragged on, ended on 22 January when Republicans and Democrats reached an agreement. However, the compromise that resolved the standoff still worries researchers and science advocates. In order to reopen the government, Congress passed – and President Trump signed – a continuing resolution (CR) to keep agencies running in 2018 at the previous year’s funding levels. However, the measure expires on 8 February. By that deadline, lawmakers will have to either pass another short-term CR, or pass a final budget for the rest of 2018.