House Floor
On May 14, the House passed, 368-60, its version of the FY2009 supplemental appropriations bill (H.R. 2346), after defeating a motion to recommit by Rep. Harold Rodgers (R-KY), 191-237. The House Appropriations Committee approved the measure on May 7 (see The Source, 5/8/09).
Senate Appropriations Committee
The same day, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved, 30-0, its version of the FY2009 supplemental appropriations bill (as-yet-unnumbered). The Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations approved, by voice vote, the measure on May 12.
According to the committee summary, the measure would provide $91.3 billion for supplemental appropriations; H.R. 2346 would provide $96.7 billion. Included in that amount is $6.878 billion for the Department of State (compared with $9.5 billion provided in the House bill). Also included in the measure is $879.6 million for peacekeeping, and $345 million for migration and refugee assistance.
Department of Defense health programs would receive $900 million, while military personnel accounts would receive $18 billion. The measure would allocate $2.25 billion for military construction; included in that amount is $765 million “to construct nine warrior support facilities in the United States and 25 child development centers at military installations in the United States and overseas. The child care facilities, one of the top priorities for military families, will provide spaces for more than 5,000 children.”
The Departments of Health and Human Services and Homeland Security would receive $100 million “for the increased costs of implementing the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act [P.L. 110-457]…This law has resulted in the need to pay additional shelter and transportation costs for an estimated 3,400 unaccompanied alien children, primarily on the Southwest border.”
Included in the amount set aside for humanitarian assistance is $50 million for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis (TB), and Malaria and $700 million for international food assistance under P.L. 480.
During subcommittee consideration, a manager’s package of amendments was adopted, by voice vote, which included a provision by Sen. Judd Gregg (R-NH) that would authorize the secretary of State to redirect funds from the Global HIV/AIDS Initiative or Global Health and Child Survival accounts to Kenya for emergency response in the event of civil unrest.
