The document provides a comprehensive overview of the federal legislative landscape as of late 2021, highlighting both the Biden Administration’s and Congress’s primary policy objectives. Key administration priorities include addressing the COVID-19 pandemic, promoting economic recovery, advancing racial equity, combating climate change, and planning for future fiscal budgets. Congressional focus is similarly multifaceted, encompassing the debt ceiling, fiscal year 2022 appropriations, significant infrastructure bills, research agency reauthorizations, and various legislative reforms related to defense and elections. The outlook for 2021 and beyond is characterized by significant uncertainty, as major legislative packages—including appropriations, the debt ceiling, infrastructure investments, and budget reconciliations—are closely linked, making legislative progress contingent on broad political agreement.
Substantial federal investments are projected, particularly in infrastructure (with a $550 billion bipartisan package) and research and development, emphasizing translational science, climate resilience, and innovation across several technology domains. The administration’s R&D agenda stresses pandemic preparedness, equity, climate initiatives, advanced technologies (such as AI, quantum computing, and microelectronics), and national security. Additional focus areas include science and security policy updates, federal contractor compliance related to COVID-19, climate roadmap implementations influencing procurement, and increased funding for humanities and workforce development. While annual federal funding is expected to rise even without reconciliation, the overall legislative environment remains difficult to predict due to ongoing partisan negotiation challenges and evolving national priorities, indicating a dynamic but unsettled policy horizon for 2022.
