House and Senate Republicans disagree over science funding

Science : Although Republicans control both houses of Congress, they do not agree on how research funding should be allocated. Regarding the various federal agencies, the House of Representatives has voted for steep cuts to research in the so-called soft sciences, such as climate and social science, and instead favors the hard sciences, like physics, biology, engineering, and computing. In contrast, the Senate is pushing for a more balanced portfolio. For example, while the House would cut Earth science spending at NASA by $90 million, or 5%, the Senate would grant most of the large increase requested by the president. Regardless of the mix of research, some Republicans want to maintain the strict annual spending caps spelled out in a 2011 law, while others want the caps lifted. If the various factions cannot reach a compromise by October, the federal government may be forced into another shutdown.