The Senate will begin consideration of the House-passed Continuing Resolution for Fiscal 2013 today, following last night’s agreement between Appropriations Chair Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) and Ranking Member Richard Shelby (R-AL) on a bipartisan committee substitute amendment.  The Senate approach will add in complete and negotiated bills for several more domestic agencies, including most of those supporting science. The Senate bill will add bills for Agriculture, Commerce Justice Science and Homeland Security. That will include NSF (funded at $7.25 billion, a $221 million increase), NASA (funded at $17.5 billion), NOAA (funded at $5 billion), NIST (funded at $809 million), FDA (funded at $2.51 billion), NIFA (funded at $1.205 billion) and ARS (funded at $1.074 billion.) NIH receives a slight $71 million increase. Keep in mind that these numbers are pre-sequestration so all will be reduced 5 percent.  Senate leaders expect the floor debate to last most of the week.  Following that the bill will return to the House for a final vote on the amended version.