Something similar happens to the SEC. IIRC from memory, around the mid-2000's, the SEC took in circa 600 million in fees, while Congress budgeted it circa 100

Something similar happens to the SEC. IIRC from memory, around the mid-2000's, the SEC took in circa 600 million in fees, while Congress budgeted it circa 100 million. For years, the SEC was/is clamoring to hire more and more qualified examiners. This budgeting has cut these proposals/initiatives off at the knees. A few years ago, it was announced that they would be creating... again, IIRC, roughly 1000 of these positions. One of the "significant" announcements/initiatives following the 2008 financial crisis. The last I heard, a couple of years ago, this initiative was still stalled, due to... no allocated budget. In understanding regulation (and IP as well is "regulation", of a sort), in addition to all the "politics", it is merited to apply that old but apt saw, "follow the money".