Senate passes budget for FY14

The U.S. Senate voted 50-49 to pass a bill ( (see BioCentury Extra, March 13).

The Senate voted to include a number of amendments, including the creation of a "deficit-neutral reserve fund" to increase funding for NIH and an amendment to repeal the 2.3% excise tax on medical devices that went into effect on Jan. 1. The reserve fund -- one of many such amendments approved by the Senate -- could potentially find its way into the FY14 budget, but the Senate and U.S. House of Representatives must first reconcile their FY14 budget bills. ...