Tacked on to one appropriations bill or another, it will probably pass, but direct shipping advocates say it will have minimal effect on the growing number of suits in the federal courts aimed at overthrowing the states' shipping laws.
"No one on the appropriations committee wants to see less funding for science," says a spokesperson for the Senate Appropriations committee.
Yet instead of a Senate vote on the act, a handful of Congressional appropriators cut a deal with the administration: a one-year appropriation with promises that may or may not be kept for future financing in succeeding years.
There is, however, nothing inevitable about this one-sided appropriation.
Over the past few days we've learned that PMA's clients received nearly $300 million worth of earmarks in one defense appropriations bill.
While Medicaid cuts extend well beyond 2026, the proposed $45 billion opioid fund is just a one-time appropriation.
"None of the funds made available under this Act or any prior appropriations Act may be provided to the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN), or any of its affiliates, subsidiaries, or allied organizations," reads one 2012 appropriations bill.
It's a horrible prospect for public colleges and universities, which would go an entire year without any state funding and then receive a one-year appropriation that's slightly lower than that of FY 2015.
But now the fund is empty, and he's not sure his colleagues in the Legislature will be eager to make a one-time appropriation to fill it back up.
Congress continued the growing tradition of legislating-via-continuing resolution last week, failing for the seventh straight year to send even one regular appropriations bill to the president's desk.
