Federal Shutdown and FY26 Appropriations Update

The Continuing Appropriations, Agriculture, Legislative Branch, Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Extensions Act, 2026 (H.R. 5371 [3]) was passed by Congress and signed into law by the President on Nov. 12, reopening the federal government after a record 43-day shutdown. The law extends funding for most federal agencies through Jan. 30, 2026. The law also fully funds the departments of Agriculture (USDA) and Veterans Affairs (VA), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), military construction projects, and the legislative branch through the end of the fiscal year on Sept. 30, 2026. CU Federal Relations has posted additional analysis of the legislation [4], which can be also found on the Legislation and Appropriations page [5]. 

The House and Senate are currently working on a second Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) appropriations minibus. The package could include up to five appropriation bills that would fund the departments of Defense, Education, Commerce, Labor, Health and Human Services, Justice, Transportation, Interior, and Housing and Urban Development. More about appropriations negotiations can be read at Roll Call [6].

UCCS Announces Air Force ROTC Detachment for August 2026

UCCS Chancellor Jennifer Sobanet announced on Nov. 6 that UCCS will host Air Force ROTC (AFROTC) Detachment 105A beginning in Aug. 2026. Currently, Air Force cadets at UCCS must travel weekly to the CU Boulder campus to participate in classes as part of AFROTC Detachment 105 [7]. Staff from the offices of Sen. Michael Bennet and Rep. Jeff Crank were in attendance for the announcement. 

Federal advocacy to the US Air Force and Colorado’s congressional delegation, directed by CU President Todd Saliman and Chancellor Sobanet, helped to build the groundwork for this detachment. The congressional delegation, led by Sen. Bennet, sent a letter [8] to then-Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall in June 2024 asking for establishment of the detachment. Sen. Bennet, along with Sen. John Hickenlooper and Reps. Diana DeGette, Joe Neguse, Jason Crow, and Brittany Pettersen celebrated [9] the announcement of the detachment on Nov. 7. Rep. Crank, who has represented UCCS since Jan. 2025, has been supportive of the establishment of the detachment during his tenure. More about the detachment can be read at The Gazette [10].

Rep. Crank Visits CU Anschutz COMBAT Center

Rep. Jeff Crank visited the CU Anschutz Center for COMBAT Research [11] on Nov. 10. Rep. Crank was briefed on the center’s operations by Vik Bebarta, Founding Director of the COMBAT Center, Kathleen Flarity, Co-Founder and Deputy Director of the COMBAT Center, and their team. The briefing was followed by a discussion. The event was attended by Regent Ilana Spiegel and Danielle Radovich Piper, Senior Vice President for External Relations and Strategy. More about Rep. Crank’s visit can be read at the CU Anschutz Emergency Medicine news page [12].

Rep. Neguse Speaks at CU Boulder MENV Symposium

Rep. Joe Neguse spoke at CU Boulder’s Masters of the Environment [13] (MENV) Capstone Symposium on Oct. 31. Rep. Neguse spoke about the relationship between academic science and policy, highlighting how student work contributes to national discussions on sustainability and climate. More about the Symposium can be read at the MENV news page [14].

Sen. Hickenlooper Reintroduces Bill to Preserve Night Sky, Protect Research

Sens. John Hickenlooper and Mike Crapo (R-ID) reintroduced the Dark and Quiet Skies Act [15] on Nov. 20. The bill aims to protect the night sky from unintentional light and radio interference which disrupts academic and industry space research. David Brain, Chair of the Department of Astrophysical and Planetary Sciences at CU Boulder, was quoted in a press release [16] issued by Sen. Hickenlooper, stating that “Senator Hickenlooper’s Dark and Quiet Skies Act will provide essential infrastructure and resources needed to preserve and protect scientific space observations.”  

LASP Presents at “The Science of Space” Event in D.C.

CU Boulder’s Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics [17] (LASP) presented at “The Science of Space” event hosted by The Science Coalition (TSC) on Nov. 18. The event, hosted at the CTA Innovation House in D.C., included a science fair and discussions on federal space priorities and American leadership in space.  Featured speakers included Jared Issacman, nominee for NASA Administrator and Valerie Foushee (D-NC), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology's Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics.

CU Submits Comments on Proposed SEVIS Data Collection Changes

Each of the four CU campuses submitted comments to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Nov. 3 in response to a proposed rule [18] which seeks to expand the data collected on Form I-17 (for schools) and Form I-20 (for F-1 and M-1 international students) through the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS). The proposed rule would require schools to provide additional information on their educational programming and the number of students participating in those programs. The Form I-20 additions would include contact information for minor students, date of graduation, financial aid information, and additional information on the student’s education and employment. CU’s comments, which urge DHS to revise the proposed rule, are available here: CU Anschutz [19], CU Boulder [20], CU Denver [21], UCCS [22].

Recent Capitol Hill Visits

Cathy Bradley, Dean of the Colorado School of Public Health and Deputy Director of the CU Cancer Center, met with Sen. Michael Bennet on Nov. 4.

CU Boulder’s LASP scientists David Brain, Aimee Merkel, and Xu Wang met with staff from the offices of Sens. Bennet and John Hickenlooper and Reps. Joe Neguse, Jeff Hurd, and Jeff Crank on Nov. 18.