“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” The Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu is credited with those words, and this week the U.S. Senate took its own first step toward ensuring the White House‘s proposed funding regulations never become policy.

As Congress works to pass a Continuing Resolution (CR) to keep the federal government funded beyond the October 1, 2026 start of the new fiscal year, the Senate Appropriations Committee added language to the “must-pass” bill addressing the proposed research regulations published by the White House.

The Senate CR includes a new section that would prohibit the Administration from issuing or finalizing the proposed regulation. The new section is very clear in its intent; the rule “shall not be issued or finalized.” It goes even further to say that if the rule were implemented before passage of the CR, “such rule shall not have force or take effect through December 11, 2026.”

The Senate has taken the first step. However, the journey is far from over. The Continuing Resolution must still pass the House of Representatives. After that, it must be signed into law before these protections can take effect. Those are significant steps but for the first time in months we have reason for cautious optimism.

Kevin M. Wilson serves as Vice President, Policy, Governance and Partnerships for The American Society for Cell Biology. He's worked as the Legislative Director for U.S. Congressman Robert Weygand (D-RI) and as a Legislative Assistant for U.S. Senator Claiborne Pell (D-RI). He has a BA in Politics and American Government from the Catholic University of America. Email: kwilson@ascb.org