1.   Authorization bills typically pass in conjunction with, or ahead of, appropriations legislation and deal more with budget policy than accounting numbers.

2.   Backed by the Republican House leadership, the appropriations legislation is expected to come to the floor Wednesday and pass without amendments.

3.   Actual funding for the programs is handled in separate appropriations legislation to be taken up later in the year.

4.   Actual money for the programs, though, is handled in separate appropriations legislation.

5.   But Kolbe said in the interview that he would insist in appropriations legislation that Customs do a thorough study of rotations and explore alternative proposals as well.

6.   But its budget would double under appropriations committee legislation now moving toward the House floor.

7.   Fast-track renewal after the summer recess, usually taken in August, is also slim because lawmakers will be dealing with appropriations legislation, the aide said.

8.   Gramm said Congress should vote to fund the Paul Coverdell National Forensic Sciences Improvement Act, adopted last year but left out of appropriations legislation.

9.   However, in a surprise move today, southern lawmakers on a Senate Appropriations subcommittee had language written into the USDA appropriations legislation that will overturn these rules.

10.   One possible outcome is that senators will attach the stalled Senate version of the bill to quickly moving defense appropriations legislation, a Senate staffer said.