[In Depth] Congress faces a lengthy science to-do list
Congress returns in early September from a 7-week summer break with a lengthy list of unfinished business, some of great interest to the U.S. research community—and just a few weeks to tackle it. Lawmakers aren't likely to pare that list by much before they leave next month to campaign in advance of the 8 November elections. They might give some issues a second look after the election, however, when they return for a lame duck session. The one big responsibility Congress can't shirk is passing some kind of spending bill to keep the government running for the 2017 fiscal year, which begins on 1 October. Lawmakers are expected to put off a final decision by temporarily extending 2016 spending levels into 2017 with a so-called continuing resolution (CR). A CR means the budgets of federal research agencies will be frozen: Administrators won't be able to start new programs or benefit...