On June 22, the House Appropriations Committee approved 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 hard work of ABA members who were instrumental in convincing 70 bipartisan House members to sign on to a letter emphasizing their support for this important program.
The House is expected to pass its spending bills in July. However, the Senate has yet to introduce any spending bills for FY 2023, and its timeline for moving forward is uncertain. Senate leaders from both parties have yet to reach an agreement on overall spending levels, and any agreement reached in the Senate on FY 2023 spending would have to be reconciled with House appropriations figures. Adding to the uncertainty is the upcoming midterm election, which means lawmakers will be hitting the campaign trail throughout the summer. As a result, Congress may not be able to reach an agreement on spending bills before FY 2022 ends on September 30, meaning stopgap spending bills may be necessary to keep the government funded through the fall or winter as lawmakers work to come to an agreement. As these discussions continue, we will be sure to continue working with congressional offices to ensure $10 million is provided for peer-reviewed military burn research in the final defense appropriations bill.
