This week, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved the Defense; Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies; Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies; and Transportation, Treasury, the Judiciary, HUD, and Related Agencies spending bills.
Committee Action
Department of Defense
On July 20, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved, 28-0, the FY2007 Department of Defense spending bill (H.R. 5631).
More information will be available when the committee report accompanying the bill is printed. According to a committee press release, the bill would allocate $453.5 billion in discretionary spending, including $50 billion to support the war in Iraq and Afghanistan. The funding level is $14.7 billion more than FY2006 and $9.1 billion less than the administration’s request. The House version of the bill would allocate $427.4 billion in funding for FY2007, $26.1 billion less than the Senate version.
The legislation would provide $21.4 billion for Department of Defense health programs, including $245 million for cancer research. Included within the $245 million is $150 million for the breast cancer research program, $80 million for the prostate cancer research program, and $15 million for the ovarian cancer research program.
The bill would allocate $978.2 million to combat drugs, $53.1 million more than the administration’s request.
Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies
On July 20, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved, 28-0, the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies spending bill (S. 3708).
More information will be available when the committee report accompanying the bill is printed. According to a committee press release, the bill would allocate $142.8 billion in discretionary funds for FY2007, $1.267 billion above FY2006 and $5.01 billion more than the administration’s request. The House version of the bill would allocate $141.93 billion, $870 million less then the Senate version.
Department of Labor
Dislocated workers assistance would be funded at $1.476 billion in FY2007, $4.2 million more than FY2006 and $361.5 million over the administration’s request.
The Community College Initiative would be level-funded at $125 million.
The bill would provide $5.089 billion for job training programs, including $800 million for adult job training, $935.5 million for youth training, and $60 million for ex-offender programs.
The bill would allocate $72.5 million for the International Labor Affairs Bureau to combat child labor worldwide.
Department of Health and Human Services
Community health centers would receive $1.926 billion in FY2007, $145 million more than FY2006. The Ryan White CARE Act would receive $2.139 billion, $78 million more than FY2006. This amount would include $55 million for the AIDS Drug Assistance Program.
Title X, the nation’s family planning program, would be level-funded at $283.103 million as requested by President Bush.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) would receive $896.9 million, including $675.9 million for domestic HIV/AIDS testing, counseling, and prevention, and $121 million for global HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis activities.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) would receive $28.25 billion in FY2007, $220 million over FY2006 and $200 million more than the administration’s request.
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) would receive $3.337 billion in FY2007, $77 million more than President Bush’s request.
Head Start would receive $6.789 billion in FY2006, $2.8 million more than the administration’s request.
The bill includes $100 million for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria. The family caregivers program would receive $156 million, $2 million above President Bush’s request.
The committee would restore $630 million to the Community Services Block Grant. Under the administration’s request, this program would not have received funding.
The Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program would receive $2.161 billion, $379 million more than the administration’s request.
The Embryo Adoption Awareness Campaign would receive $2 million.
Department of Education
Grants to local educational agencies under the No Child Left Behind Act (P.L. 107-110) would receive $12.713 billion in FY2007.
School improvement grants to states to improve failing schools would receive $100 million in FY2007.
The bill would level-fund the Reading First and Early Reading First programs, which are “designed to ensure that all children are reading by the end of 3rd grade,” at $1.1 billion. The bill also would provide $35 million for Striving Readers, a program for teenagers struggling to read.
The competitiveness initiative, intended to promote American competitiveness globally, would receive $530 million. Included in that amount would be $195 million for Math and Science partnerships, $40 million for advanced placement programs, $272.25 million for educational technology state grants, and $26.2 million for foreign language assistance programs.
Under the bill, $2.747 billion would be provided to states to improve teacher quality in FY2007. Pell Grants would receive $12.607 billion, which would support a maximum grant of $4,050 per student per year. Pell grants provide need-based grant aid to more than 5 million low- and middle-income undergraduate students.
The bill would fund Perkins Career and Technical Education programs at $1.296 billion. Under the administration’s request, this program would not have received funding.
Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies
On July 20, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved, 28-0, the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies spending bill (H.R. 5385).
More information will be available when the committee report accompanying the bill is printed. According to a committee press release, the bill would allocate $81 billion, $4.1 billion above FY2006 and $700 million below the administration’s request. The House version of the bill would allocate $94.7 billion, $13.7 billion more than the Senate version.
The bill would provide $4.13 billion for housing for military families, including $1.91 billion to fund housing construction and renovation, and $2.22 billion for the operation and maintenance of existing units.
Department of Veterans Affairs
The Department of Veterans Affairs would receive $34 billion in discretionary funding for FY2007.
Medical services for veterans would be funded at $23.3 billion, $1.335 billion more than the administration’s request. Medical and prosthetic research would receive $412 million, $19 million more than FY2006.
Grants to states for the operation of extended care facilities that serve veterans would be funded at $104 million.
Transportation, Treasury, the Judiciary, HUD, and Related Agencies
On July 20, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved, 28-0, the Transportation, Treasury, the Judiciary, HUD, and Related Agencies spending bill (H.R. 5576).
More information will be available when the committee report accompanying the bill is printed. According to a committee press release, the bill would provide an amount within the committee’s $69 billion allocation. The House version of the bill would allocate $67.882 billion in discretionary spending for FY2007.
Department of Transportation
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration would receive $811 million, $5 million more than FY2006.
Department of Housing and Urban Development
The Department of Housing and Urban Development would be funded at $36.6 billion, $2.5 billion more than President Bush’s request.
Section 8 tenant-based assistance would be funded at $15.9 billion, $502 million more than FY2006 and an amount identical to the administration’s request.
Homeless programs would receive $1.5 billion, $185 million more than FY2006 and $25 million less than the administration’s request.
The Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA) program would receive $295 million, an increase of $8.8 million over FY2006 and $5.1 million below President Bush’s request. Lead Hazard Reduction would be level-funded at $152 million, $37 million more than the administration’s request.
The HOME Investment Partnership Program would receive $1.9 billion, $184 million over FY2006 and $25 million more than the administration’s request. Included in that amount is $25 million for the Downpayment Assistance Initiative.
Housing for the elderly would be funded at $750 million, $15.4 million more than FY2006 and $204 million more than President Bush’s request.
Disabled housing would receive $240 million, $3 million above FY2006 and $121 million more than the administration’s request.
The Office of National Drug Control Policy and federal drug control programs would be funded at $473 million, including $20 million for the counter drug technology assessment program, $227 million for high-intensity drug trafficking areas, and $214.5 million for other federal drug control programs.
Related Agencies
The Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation would receive $119.8 million in FY2007, $3 million more than FY2006.
