On July 12, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved, 15-14, the FY2008 Financial Services and General Government spending bill (H.R. 2829). A Senate Appropriations Subcommittee approved the measure on July 10. The House approved the bill on June 28 (see The Source, 6/29/07).
According to a committee press release, the measure would provide $21.8 billion in discretionary spending in FY2008, $2.29 billion more than FY2007 and $20 million more than President Bush’s request.
District of Columbia
D.C. Courts: The bill provides $217.261 million for the FY2008 operation of the D.C. courts, $3.4 million more than the president’s request. The total includes funding for the Family Court, which handles all cases in the District pertaining to child abuse and neglect, domestic violence, adoption, and foster care.
The bill also provides $14 million for the Executive Office of the Mayor for his priority programs for education, health, environmental, and financial stability of families, which include spending plans, progress reports, and performance measures.”
Office of National Drug Control Policy
Drug-Free Communities Support Program (DFC): As requested by the administration, the bill would allocate $90 million, $10 million more than FY2007 “to support anti-drug community coalitions across the country. DFC provides the funding needed for local communities to control local substance abuse problems.”
Small Business Administration (SBA)
The SBA would receive $567.5 million in FY2008. Included in that amount is $10 million for small business development centers.
Microloan Program: The Microloan Program, which supports start-up, newly established, or growing small businesses, would be level-funded at $15 million in FY2008. Under the administration’s budget request, this program would not have received funding.
Women’s Business Centers: These centers would receive $16.8 million, $5 million more than President Bush’s request.
