Congress still struggles with 1982 budgets

Although the fiscal year has already started, 1982 operating budgets for all federal agencies including those that fund R&D still are unsettled. It is apparent that Congress is not going to go along with the Administration's most recent proposal for cutting 1982 budgets by an additional 12%—even the Republican-controlled Senate has been approving appropriation bills in recent weeks that are well above the levels the Administration wants. But that doesn't necessarily mean that the agencies are going to get more money. The Administration has several tools at its disposal to help it meet its spending goals. At the present time the federal government is being kept in operation by a continuing resolution, which allows it to spend money until the regular appropriations bills have been passed and signed into law. That resolution expires Nov. 20. However, the Office of Management & Budget has told federal agencies to spend their money just ...