Unfinished Business: Outlook on FY 96 Appropriations for NSF, NASA, NIST

Temporary funding expires in one month for the National Science Foundation, NASA, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology. There seems to be sentiment that before then, Congress and the Clinton Administration may agree on a legislative mechanism to avoid a repeat of previous government shutdowns.

Earlier this week, House Appropriations Chairman Robert Livingston (R-LA) said that he was pushing a plan to provide funding for the remainder of this fiscal year in one comprehensive bill. Under this scenario, unsigned appropriations bills would be rolled into one package. While nothing is ever certain, this legislation is being scheduled for the week of March 4.

This monumental log jam may be breaking-up for several reasons. After months of going back-and-forth, neither the Republican-controlled Congress nor the Clinton Administration can get a decisive win. The ultimate weapon - closure of the federal government - was repeatedly used with little effect. While the president does not have enough votes to get the four unsigned appropriations bills passed to his liking, Republicans in Congress do not have enough votes to override his vetoes.

Also coming into play are two different calendars -- for fiscal year 1996, and calendar year 1996. When temporary funding expires on March 15, FY 1996 will be almost half over. Simply put, it is time to get stable funding passed for agencies like NSF, NASA, and NIST. Congress also has to start work on the FY 1997 budget. The Administration’s inability to submit a detailed budget request earlier this month - due to the lack of a complete FY 1996 budget as a base - now confronts Congress as it starts work on the new budget. Congress should pass FY 1997 appropriations bills by October 1, a target they will be reluctant to miss since Members will be anxious to get home for the fall election. October 1 is not as distant as it seems: between mid-March and the scheduled October 4 adjournment are 90 legislative days when both chambers will be in session. Cut this to 60 days if Members take Mondays and Fridays off, as is the custom.

Last year’s proposals to abolish the Departments of Commerce and Energy through the appropriations process were unsuccessful, and Livingston is now saying that future dismantlement moves will have to be accomplished through authorization bills. That would seem to decrease the possibility that dismantlement legislation will be enacted this year, as any bill would have to be signed by the President (since there are not enough votes to override his veto.)

There is still great uncertainty about wrapping up FY 1996 appropriations, since on many policy issues the Administration and Congress are far apart. But with the recognition, on both sides, that these issues are unlikely to be resolved soon, it appears that the FY 1996 appropriations process may be coming to an end. Congress starts work on FY 1997 appropriations in two weeks, with less nondefense discretionary money available for next year than it had for FY 1996.