While much of official Washington is understandably focused on the unfolding conflict with Iran and the broader Middle East, there are a few other developments worth sharing with you this week, along with one request for INFORMS members to take action.
Mathematical and Statistical Modeling Education Act
Following the recent successful Senate HELP Committee vote to advance the Mathematical and Statistical Modeling Education Act, INFORMS is encouraging members who are constituents of the senators who voted in favor of the legislation in the Committee to reach out and thank them for their support.
If one of the following senators represents your state, please take a moment to contact their office. Thank them for voting for the bill on February 26th, and encourage them to continue working with their colleagues and Senate leadership to bring the legislation before the full Senate as soon as possible.
INFORMS also encourages members in New Hampshire and Tennessee to contact Senators Maggie Hassan and Marsha Blackburn, the bill's two original Senate co-sponsors.
Senator Hassan also serves on the HELP Committee and voted to advance the bill.
Senator Blackburn, while not a member of the committee, has been a key leader on this legislation from the outset. If either senator represents your state, please thank them for their leadership and encourage them to keep building momentum for swift Senate consideration.
You can use the links below to contact the senators who voted to advance the bill in committee, as well as Senator Blackburn.
U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions
Members who voted Yes on 2/26/26 on
the Mathematical and Statistical Modeling Education Act
* Please let me know if you've contacted your Senator about the bill, or if you have any questions. Knowing how many INFORMS members contacted their Senator is an important metric for our advocacy efforts in Washington on this bill.
Congress
- Federal Funding: The ink is barely dry on the Federal government's Fiscal Year 2026 appropriations, but Congress has already begun its work on FY27. To that end, Congress is awaiting the President's FY2027 Budget Request, which will mark the informal kick-off to the funding process.
In the meantime, many Washington observers are watching to make sure the funds appropriated for federal research agencies are actually released and used as Congress intended. They're also watching discussions around "impoundment," which refers to a situation where the administration delays or declines to spend money that Congress has already approved. Stay tuned for developments; meanwhile, here is a guide from the Bipartisan Policy Centerexplaining budget impoundments and apportionments.
o FY27 Public Witness Testimony: Several House Appropriations subcommittees are accepting written public witness testimony on FY27 funding priorities. The Commerce, Justice, Science (CJS) Subcommittee, which funds the National Science Foundation, is accepting submissions through May 8, at 6 p.m. ET. As a reminder, the House Labor-HHS Subcommittee, which allocates funding for NIH, CDC, and other key health agencies, is accepting written testimony through April 16.
Federal Grants & Contracts
- A proposed rule from the General Services Administration could significantly change the conditions tied to federal grants and contracts across the government. If finalized, it could require recipients of federal funds to certify compliance with the Administration's interpretations of law in several politically charged areas, with potential penalties and loss of funding for institutions later found to be out of compliance. Given the potential implications for universities, research institutions, and other grant recipients, members may wish to review the proposal and consider submitting comments before the March 30 deadline. This overview from EducationCounsel provides additional context and analysis.
As always, I will continue tracking these and other developments and sharing updates relevant to the INFORMS community.
Don't forget, if you want to get more involved in or learn more about INFORMS advocacy efforts, please reach out to me at: jcohen@informs.org
Best regards,
Jeff Cohen
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Jeffrey M. Cohen, MBA | PhD Candidate
Chief Strategy Officer
INFORMS
jcohen@informs.orglinkedin.com/in/jmcsc
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