From Judy Newman at the Wisconsin State Journal:
The United States could have a backlog of 1 million patent applications awaiting approval within five years if Congress doesn’t pass a bill that would boost funds for the nation’s patent office, deputy director Jon Dudas said Monday in Madison.
According to Dudas, USPTO has 470,000 patent applications waiting for action with an average processing time of 27 months. The funding bill has passed the House, but is awaiting action in the Senate. S. 1760 (PDF).