On October 18, the Senate Appropriations Committee released its Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 defense appropriations bill, which provides $10 million in continued annual funding for the Military Burn Research Program. Securing funding in this bill would not have been possible without the work of ABA members, whose advocacy efforts were essential in convincing a group of bipartisan Senators to sign on to a letter urging their colleagues to support this important program.
The House Appropriations Committee already approved its FY 2022 defense appropriations bill in July, which also includes $10 million for peer-reviewed military burn research. Next, House and Senate leaders are expected to meet to hash out differences between their respective spending bills. However, the current continuing resolution on government funding expires on December 3, and given the disagreements on broader FY 2022 funding levels between both parties, and it is certainly likely that lawmakers will need to pass another stopgap spending bill to avoid a government shutdown. As negations on government funding levels proceed, we will be sure to maintain outreach with congressional offices to ensure continued appropriations for the Military Burn Research Program in FY 2022.
