Immediately upon return from recess, the House Appropriations Committee's Subcommittee on VA, HUD, and Independent Agencies ("VA/HUD/IA;" it funds NASA) intends to mark a bill. They have held hearings to prepare for a markup. The following week the full Appropriations Committee would probably meet to mark up the same bill. The following week this bill would then probably be on the floor of the House for a vote.
The House VA/HUD/IA Appropriations Subcommittee is, as always, not paying any attention to the House Science Committee's authorization for NASA. The major reason is that there isn't any -- nor is there likely to be one before VA/HUD/IA marks up. At best, the Space Subcommittee and/or the full House Science Committee might mark up a bill in parallel with VA/HUD/IA. Warning: This particular area is fluid and frought with change. (House Science has held hearings in preparation to mark bills, too.)
FY '96's Department of Defense Authorization bill has yet to be considered by any Subcommittee of the House National Security Committee ("HNSC"). The HNSC's Subcommittees have, however, been holding hearings in preparation for marking up a bill. During the recess staff will draft tenative legislation, and we can expect Subcommittee markups immediately upon return from the recess. Once on the floor of the House, this bill can be expected to take about a week of the House's time.
It is not known when the House Appropriations Committee's Defense Subcommittee plans to mark up a bill but they, too, have had their hearings. Following tradition, they will only mark up once the Defense Authorization bill makes it to the floor of the House. Once they mark, however, it will only be a short time till this bill makes it to the floor. Defense appropriations generally is the last appropriations bill the House passes. It, too, takes the House about a week to do. Authorization and appropriations will start (this year) almost always in the House, with the Senate following.
The Senate Armed Service Committee's ("SASC") Strategic Forces ("SF") Subcommittee (which is the one with SSTO jurisdiction) will probably start to mark immediately following House passage of the FY '96 Defense Authorization bill. Full SASC bill consideration might take only a few days. SASC, too, has been having hearings in preparation for markups. As in the House, full Senate floor consideration should occupy about a week's time. After that we can expect markup by the Senate Appropriations Committee's ("SAC") Defense Subcommittee to happen quickly.
Once both House and Senate have passed DoD Authorization and Appropriations Bills, both sets of bills go to House/Senate conference committees. Much skullduggery can occur in a "conference." They can also take forever, especially with complex bills (which the DoD bills are). These conferences will be occuring in July, August and/or September.
It is not known when the Senate NASA Authorization Committee, the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation ("Commerce") and its Subcommittee on Science, Transportation, and Space ("Science") might mark up a bill. One can reasonably know, however, when SAC VA/HUD/IA will mark -- and that is right after the House sends to the Senate a VA/HUD/IA appropriations bill.
v. 1 Monday 4 April '95