This week, the House approved the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies; and Energy and Water Development spending bills. The House Appropriations Committee approved the Legislative Branch and Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related Agencies spending bills. In addition, a House Appropriations subcommittee approved the Transportation, Treasury, Housing and Urban Development, the Judiciary, and the District of Columbia spending bill.
Floor Action
Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies
On May 23, the House approved, 378-46, the FY2007 Agriculture, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies spending bill (H.R. 5384). The House Appropriations Committee approved the measure on May 9 (see The Source, 5/12/06).
During consideration of the bill, the House approved, 266-153, an amendment by Rep. Scott Garrett (R-NJ) that would prohibit the Department of Agriculture from subsidizing food stamps for legal immigrants. The amendment restates current law; however, Rep. Garrett contended that it was needed to “reinforce the fact that the laws on the books should be enforced.”
A point of order was raised against several amendments and sustained by the chair because the amendments would have changed current law and therefore were considered legislating on an appropriations bill, which is against House rules. An amendment sponsored by Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) that had been adopted by the committee on May 9 was stricken on a point of order. The language would have allowed the Food and Drug Administration to require companies to conduct post-market drug studies.
Committee Action
Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related Agencies
On May 25, the House Appropriations Committee approved, by voice vote, the FY2007 Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related Agencies spending bill (as-yet-unnumbered). A House Appropriations subcommittee approved the measure on May 19 (see The Source, 5/19/06).
During consideration of the bill, the committee defeated, 23-30, an amendment by Rep. Carolyn Kilpatrick (D-MI) that would have required that the funding in the bill for the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) be used to prevent and treat obstetric fistula, which occurs when the blood supply to the tissues of the vagina and the bladder and/or rectum is cut off during prolonged, obstructed labor. The president has blocked the release of all UNFPA funds in fiscal years 2002 though 2005. He is expected to maintain this policy in the current fiscal year.
Subcommittee Chair Jim Kolbe (R-AZ) referred to the amendment as “a poison pill to kill the bill,” adding that while he supported funding for UNFPA and efforts to address obstetric fistula, the amendment would take money away from family planning programs since USAID currently receives unspent UNFPA funds. He also expressed his concern that the language as drafted would circumvent the Kemp-Kasten law, which prohibits U.S. assistance to organizations determined by the president to “support or participate in the management of a program of coerced abortion or involuntary sterilization.” Rep. Kolbe proposed instead to designate that $3 million of the $34 million appropriated for UNFPA in the bill be used for obstetric fistula when the money is redirected to the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).
Subcommittee Ranking Member Nita Lowey (D-NY) contended that the amendment would maintain Kemp-Kasten, and said that “valid concerns” about China and coerced abortions should not “prevent us from helping young women.” Rep. Lowey stated that the advantage of providing the funding to UNFPA was that it would “allow us to leverage other dollars” for obstetric fistula treatment, adding that UNFPA operates in 140 countries. Rep. Kilpatrick concluded the debate by reiterating that “this amendment has nothing to do with abortion.” Stating that USAID has not spent the diverted UNFPA funding, she urged the committee to consider the two million women who suffer from obstetric fistula.
The measure would allocate $21.229 billion in FY2007, a $468.057 million increase over FY2006 (including enacted supplemental funding), but $2.388 billion below the administration’s request.
The bill would provide $1.566 billion for the Child Survival and Health Programs Fund, $3.537 million less than FY2006 and $132.613 million above the administration’s request. Funding for child survival and maternal health programs would receive level funding of $356.4 million in FY2007, $33.4 million more than the administration’s request. In the report accompanying the bill, the committee urges USAID to provide at least $19.8 million for activities related to Vitamin A deficiency, a leading cause of child deaths in high-impact areas, and recommends at least $2 million for the Kiwanis/UNICEF IDD [Iodine Deficiency Disorder] partnership from the Child Survival fund, noting that IDD is the leading preventable cause of mental retardation in children.
In regard to the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI), the committee states, “Since its initiation five years ago, more than $1.4 billion has been committed to 71 countries to improve and expand their immunization programs for children. As a result, it is estimated that over one million premature childhood deaths were averted.” The committee requests no less than $69.3 million for the GAVI Fund in FY2007, the same as FY2006 and $34.182 million above the administration’s request.
The committee directs USAID to provide $25 million for displaced children and orphans and blind children in FY2007, $4.701 million less than FY2006, but $16 million more than the administration request. The committee recommends at least $1.8 million for USAID’s childhood blindness program in FY2007. The committee report states that “sufficient funds” are provided to continue an initiative “to test an integrated approach to the control of neglected diseases that affect millions of children in the developing world” at the FY2006 level of $14.8 million.
Under the bill, $432 million would be included for international family planning programs in FY2007. This amount is $3 million less than FY2006 and $75 million more than the administration’s request. Report language states, “The Committee has continued prior year language that requires that none of the funds appropriated in this Act, or any unobligated balances, be made available to any organization or program which, as determined by the President, supports and participates in the management of a program of coercive abortion or involuntary sterilization. The language also states that funds cannot be used to pay for the performance of abortions as a method of family planning or to motivate or coerce any person to practice abortion. Further, the language indicates that in order to reduce reliance on abortions in developing countries, population funds shall be available only to voluntary family planning projects that offer, either directly or through referral, information about access to a broad range of family planning methods and services. An additional provision requires that in awarding grants for natural family planning under section 104 of the Foreign Assistance Act, no applicant shall be discriminated against because of such applicant’s religious or conscientious commitment to offer only natural family planning.” Further, it states that information on condom use provided by programs receiving funds “shall be medically accurate and shall include the public health benefits and failure rates of such use.”
In FY2007, the UNFPA would receive $34 million. The administration has blocked the release of all UNFPA funds in fiscal years 2002 through 2005. At this time, it remains unclear as to whether the FY2006 funds will be released.
The measure would provide $3.431 billion in FY2007 for Global HIV/AIDS and Tuberculosis, $751.642 million more than FY2006 and the same as the administration’s budget request. Within that total, the Global HIV/AIDS Initiative would receive $2.772 billion, a $797.45 million increase over FY2006 and $121.5 million less than the administration’s request. The bill would provide $626.621 million within the Child Survival and Health Programs Fund account, and $32.351 million would be allocated from the Economic Support Fund and regional accounts. Within the total, $444.5 million would be allocated for a United States contribution to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria, the same as the FY2006 level and $244.5 million above the administration’s request.
The committee report states, “The Committee recognizes the disproportional impact of HIV/AIDS on women and supports methods of prevention that women can control. Recognizing that effective microbicides could be developed in five to seven years, the Committee supports continued USAID investment in microbicide development and clinical trial capacity. The Committee directs that not less than $45 million should be made available to support research and development of microbicides as a means of combating HIV/AIDS, of which $5 million should be made available to the International Partnership for Microbicides. The Committee further recommends that USAID and the Office of the Global AIDS Coordinator have a plan to support product introduction, distribution and use once a safe and effective microbicide has been developed.”
Referring to State Department programs, the report states, “The Committee is alarmed by the dramatic increase in HIV infections among girls and women, and notes that being female, married, and poor are often the most significant risk factors for acquiring HIV, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. The Committee believes that this feminization of the HIV/AIDS pandemic justifies increasing support for research and development of prevention technologies that women can initiate and control, such as microbicides. The Committee urges the Coordinator [Global AIDS Coordinator] to consider allocating additional PEPFAR [the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief] funds to support the development of safe, effective microbicides and to support clinical trials, including treatment for those who become infected during those trials.” The report further instructs that not less than ten percent of PEPFAR funding be set aside for assistance to orphans and vulnerable children affected by HIV/AIDS.
The report states, “The Committee understands that the Office of the Global AIDS Coordinator (OGAC) has placed an emphasis on ensuring that initiatives to address the relationship between HIV/AIDS and gender-based violence (GBV) are integrated into PEPFAR programs. The Committee commends the Coordinator for the establishment of the Gender Technical Working Group, which has the goal of improving the way in which PEPFAR addresses the complexities of gender within its programs. The Committee notes the importance of a wide range of interventions in addressing the relationship between HIV/AIDS and GBV, including the provision of post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) and psychosocial support services, addressing GBV-related issues in youth-targeted prevention programs, and programs aimed at increasing constructive male engagement in pregnancy and antenatal care. The Committee urges the Coordinator to undertake efforts to expand the availability of PEP to areas outside of urban centers, increase awareness of PEP availability among target populations in both urban and rural areas, and expand the integration of anti-GBV messages in programs aimed at adolescents.”
The report expresses the committee’s continued support for increased funding for programs to prevent mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of HIV, saying: “The Committee understands that to facilitate expansion and to provide more access to MTCT services and expanded care and treatment programs, infrastructure improvements and education and training of health care workers still are needed, as well as improved linkages between MTCT and comprehensive care and treatment services.”
The committee report states that $7 million would be provided for obstetric fistula within the USAID account, saying that it “continues to be concerned about the debilitation and ostracism caused by obstetric fistula, which affects an estimated 3 million women in the developing world. This condition can often be prevented altogether by trained birth attendants and improved medical care.”
The bill would provide $1.294 billion for development assistance programs, $214.76 million less than FY2006 and $12 million more than the administration’s request. The committee “strongly recommends” that $15 million be provided in FY2007 for the Women in Development (WID) office, stating that it continues to support a WID office “empowered to monitor, assess, and make recommendations regarding the quality of gender integration at USAID.” The measure also would provide $15 million for women’s leadership training.
The measure would provide $15 million to continue a pilot program to expand quality education in Africa through the elimination or reduction of school fees.
The bill would provide $137.5 million for the Darfur region of Sudan, identical to the administration’s request. The committee again has included a provision conditioning the funding on the Sudanese government’s support for stability in Darfur.
Economic Support Fund programs in Afghanistan would receive $510.77 million, a reduction of $85.07 million from FY2006 and a decrease of $99.23 million from the administration’s request. The report states, “In general, the Committee is opposed to a disproportionate implementation of the proposed reduction in spending levels that more negatively impacts projects in support of health, education, and women’s programs. The Committee expects the Director of Foreign Assistance to ensure the appropriate application of funds to these items of congressional interest.” The Committee further directs that $7.5 million be provided to expand the capacity of “women-led Afghan non-governmental organizations and to support the activities of such organizations.”
For Pakistan, the committee report expresses concern “about what appears to be the Government of Pakistan’s increasing lack of respect for human rights, especially women’s rights…The level of violence and discrimination against women has not significantly abated and women’s groups and advocates who bring attention to abuses against women are often threatened by officials.” The committee directs that $10 million be provided “through local and international NGOs working on human rights, women’s empowerment and justice sector reform issues in Pakistan.” The committee requests the secretary to report to Congress within 180 days of enactment on a number of issues, including “steps taken by the Government of Pakistan to ensure that law enforcement and judicial processes at all levels respect international human rights, including the rights of women, and make efforts to mitigate traditional and religious practices imposed by tribal and village councils that are harmful to women.”
The committee recommends $8 million for the Trafficking in Persons program.
The committee “notes the strong support of the Administration for programs to address adverse maternal and environmental health conditions and the increasing incidence of TB/HIV in Russia, Ukraine, and the Central Asian Republics; the bill would allocate not less than $41 million for health and child survival activities.
The committee recommends the establishment of a new office, the Director of Trade Capacity Enhancement, within USAID, to implement all of the agency’s trade capacity building programs, including the elimination of child labor. The report states, “The Committee expects such assistance programs will address social and economic inequities and seek to ensure that the benefits of trade are accessible to all segments of society, particularly women and minority or marginalized communities.”
The committee report states, “The Committee directs the Director of Foreign Assistance [of USAID], in consultation with the Director of Trade Capacity Enhancement, to allocate from the funds provided in title II of this Act not less than $225 million for microenterprise programs,” described as “small, informally organized businesses,” providing “employment and income for hundreds of millions of people in developing countries.”
The bill would provide $750.206 million for Migration and Refugee Assistance in FY2007, a $32.884 million reduction from FY2006 and $82.694 million less than the administration’s request. The report states, “Sexual exploitation and violence against women and girls is an ongoing problem among internally displaced and refugee populations. The Committee notes that despite stated Committee intent, the State Department has not scaled up resources and targeted funding for programs to address these issues in fiscal year 2006. The Committee asks again this year that the Department of State highly prioritize funding to address these critical issues,” and requests a report on funding and programs that target gender-based violence within 120 days.
The committee report states, “The Committee believes that the protection needs of women and children should be a priority for the Department of State, and directs the Secretary of State to be prepared to report to the Committee, not later than 120 days after enactment of the Act, on activities of the Government of the United States to protect children affected by humanitarian emergencies. The report shall include: an assessment of when and how the United States government incorporates the protection needs of children in its emergency response plan, including protection from physical harm, exploitation, rape, psychosocial distress, recruitment into armed groups, family separation, abuses related to forced displacement, and the denial of access to quality education; documentation of the role of quality education in the protection of children affected by humanitarian emergencies; guidelines and recommendations for ensuring that the United States and international response systems include good education services as a first line response during emergencies and the reconstruction period to ensure that the development and safety of children are protected.”
The committee recommends “not less than $127 million for a contribution to UNICEF [United Nations Children’s Fund],” $1.27 million more than FY2006 and $4 million more than the administration’s request.
The bill would provide a $3.25 million contribution to the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), $32,000 more than FY2006 and $2.3 million more than the administration’s request. The measure would provide a $1.5 million contribution to the Trust Fund in Support of Actions to Eliminate Violence Against Women, $15,000 more than FY2006; the administration request would not provide a contribution to the trust fund.
The Peace Corps would receive $324.587 million in FY2007, a $5.807 million increase over FY2006, but $12.113 million below the amount requested by President Bush.
The measure would provide $2 billion for the Millennium Challenge Corporation, $247.7 million more than FY2006 and $1 billion less than the administration request.
The House is expected to consider the bill on June 8.
Subcommittee Action
Transportation, Treasury, Housing and Urban Development, the Judiciary, and the District of Columbia
On May 25, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Treasury, Housing and Urban Development, the Judiciary, and the District of Columbia approved, by voice vote, its FY2007 spending bill (as-yet-unnumbered). Few details were available at press time; further information will be provided when the committee considers the bill.
The measure would allocate $67.8 billion in FY2007, a $3.7 billion increase over FY2006 and $200 million more than the administration’s request.
Department of Housing and Urban Development
The measure would include $15.8 billion for Section 8 voucher renewals, $358 million more than FY2006, but $144 million below the administration’s request. According to the committee press release, the cost of this program represents 45 percent of HUD’s total budget.
Funding for HOPE VI, a program to demolish and rebuild public housing units, would be eliminated in the bill, as it was in the administration’s request.
District of Columbia
The bill would allocate $575 million for the District of Columbia in FY2007, a $22 million decrease from FY2006 and the administration’s request.
The measure would provide $220 million in FY2007 for the operation of the D.C. Courts, $3 million more than the FY2006 level and $23 million more than the administration’s request. The total would include funding for the Family Court, which handles all cases in the District pertaining to child abuse and neglect, domestic violence, adoption, and foster care.
In FY2007, $41 million would be included for D.C. schools. This amount is $1 million more than FY2006 and equal to the administration’s request.
Additional information will be made available after the full committee considers the bill.
