Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. (text: CR S2174-2175: 1)
The American Innovation Act authorizes multi-year increases in appropriations for basic science at NSF, DOE Office of Science, DOD science and technology programs, NIST research, and NASA’s Science Mission Directorate from FY2026 through FY2035, with CPI-based indexing beginning FY2036. Funds remain available until expended; the bill exempts these appropriations from sequestration and excludes their budgetary effects from certain PAYGO scorecards.
Support for large science investment versus concern over fiscal cost
Relative to its intended legislative type, this bill is a well-specified appropriation/authorization measure: it sets explicit annual funding levels for major science accounts, specifies availability, and integrates those appropriations into existing budget law (including sequestration and PAYGO treatment).
The American Innovation Act authorizes multi-year increases in appropriations for basic science at NSF, DOE Office of Science, DOD science and technology programs, NIST research, and NASA’s Science Mission Directorate from FY2026 through FY2035, with CPI-based indexing beginning FY2036.
Funds remain available until expended; the bill exempts these appropriations from sequestration and excludes their budgetary effects from certain PAYGO scorecards.
It defines covered accounts and makes the funding trajectories explicit by fiscal year.
Targets popular policy area (research) but very large, uncapped long-term spending and exemptions from sequestration/PAYGO make enactment uncertain without offsets or major negotiation.
Relative to its intended legislative type, this bill is a well-specified appropriation/authorization measure: it sets explicit annual funding levels for major science accounts, specifies availability, and integrates those appropriations into existing budget law (including sequestration and PAYGO treatment).
Support for large science investment versus concern over fiscal cost
These are examples from the analysis, not a ranked list of the most-affected groups.
Support for large science investment versus concern over fiscal cost
Likely strongly supportive of sustained, substantial increases in federal basic research funding to boost science, climate, and equitable economic opportunity.
May press for clearer language prioritizing climate, public-good research, workforce diversity, and distribution to universities and minority-serving institutions.
Concerned about the bill’s defense-heavy allocation and fiscal carve-outs (sequestration/PAYGO exemption) unless paired with equity and transparency safeguards.
Supportive of predictable, multi-year funding for core science agencies, viewing it as a pragmatic investment in competitiveness.
Cautious about the bill’s budgetary treatment — exemptions from PAYGO and sequestration — and would seek performance metrics, oversight, and possible offsets or phased implementation to manage fiscal tradeoffs.
Skeptical of significant, long-term federal spending increases and the removal of standard fiscal constraints.
May welcome targeted defense science increases for national security, but objects to broad civilian R&D spending, PAYGO and sequestration exemptions, and CPI-indexed perpetual growth without offsets or sunset provisions.
Reached or meaningfully advanced
Reached or meaningfully advanced
Still ahead
Still ahead
Still ahead
Targets popular policy area (research) but very large, uncapped long-term spending and exemptions from sequestration/PAYGO make enactment uncertain without offsets or major negotiation.
The bill has not accumulated any surfaced votes yet.
Support for large science investment versus concern over fiscal cost
Targets popular policy area (research) but very large, uncapped long-term spending and exemptions from sequestration/PAYGO make enactment u…
Relative to its intended legislative type, this bill is a well-specified appropriation/authorization measure: it sets explicit annual funding levels for major science accounts, specifies availability, and integrates tho…
Go beyond the headline summary with full stakeholder mapping, legislative design analysis, passage barriers, and lens-by-lens tradeoff breakdowns.