Congress backs decade of science funding—no strings attached
S. 1276 — American Innovation Act · Filed by Richard Durbin (D-IL) · 4 cosponsors · Introduced Apr 3, 2025 · Referred to committee
Your members of Congress
Enter a ZIP to see where your representative and both senators stood on this bill.
Looked up on this device — your ZIP is never stored on our servers.
What it does
This bill authorizes sustained federal funding increases for basic science research across four agencies—the National Science Foundation, Department of Energy Office of Science, Department of Defense science programs, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology—from fiscal year 2026 through 2036 and beyond, with automatic inflation adjustments thereafter. The funding grows year-over-year, totaling roughly $200+ billion over the decade, and is intended to expand the nation's research capacity in foundational science.
Why we flagged it
The bill is a straightforward appropriations authorization for federal science agencies. It states its purpose plainly—sustained funding for basic research—and delivers exactly that mechanism with no hidden provisions or private carve-outs.
What the text implies
- Automatic inflation indexing after 2036 locks in perpetual funding growth without future congressional reauthorization, reducing legislative flexibility but ensuring research continuity.
- DoD science funding ($23B–$43B annually) is largest component; may accelerate dual-use research with military applications, though basic science framing suggests civilian benefit intent.
The full analysis lists 3 implications of this text.
Who stands to gain
universities and research institutions (grant recipients); scientific equipment manufacturers; research support services