The 2007 federal budget was never destined to be a great one for higher education, given the strict spending limits imposed by Congress and the government�s generally penurious financial climate.
But the outlook took a fairly drastic turn for the worse late Monday, when Democratic leaders announced that they would essentially punt on the 2007 budget process that the Republican-led 109th Congress had begun, opting instead for a yearlong ââ?¬Å?continuing resolutionââ?¬Â that will for the vast majority of federal programs adopt the spending levels set in the 2006 budget. Congress finished work on only two of the appropriations bills, those for the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security.