In a high‑stakes pushback against administration proposals to slash domestic research and education programs, congressional appropriators released a bipartisan spending package that would preserve the Department of Education’s funding and resist President Trump’s proposed cuts to NIH. Appropriators explicitly rejected proposals to cap NIH indirect cost rates and maintained level or slightly increased discretionary funding for key programs. The bicameral package would preserve Pell and student‑support programs and fund TRIO, FSEOG and GEAR UP at near‑prior levels. Lawmakers framed the move as a defense of research and student access, while signaling oversight of executive reassignments and grant transfers. The bills still face floor action but mark a clear congressional effort to stabilize funding amid federal policy turbulence. For university research offices and financial planners, the proposed appropriations reduce the immediate risk of deep funding shocks and reaffirm the centrality of federal research dollars to campus budgets—while keeping the door open for continued policy fights over oversight and grant conditions.