FY2009 Appropriations Continue March Through Senate, House Committees

This week, the Appropriations Committees in the Senate and House continued their work on the FY2009 spending bills. Specifically, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved the FY2009 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education spending bill. The House Appropriations Committee passed the FY2009 Military Construction, Veterans’ Affairs, and Related Agencies; Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies; and Financial Services and General Government spending bills. The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Legislative Branch also approved its FY2009 measure.

Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education

On June 26, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved, 26-3, the FY2009 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education spending bill (as-yet-unnumbered). The Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education passed the measure, by voice vote, on June 24.

The measure would provide $152.7 billion in discretionary funds in FY2009, $7.859 billion over FY2008 and $7.7 billion more than the president’s request. Of that amount, the Department of Labor would receive $12.3 billion, the Department of Health and Human Services would receive $68.3 billion, and the Department of Education would receive $61.8 billion.

Below is a chart detailing funding levels for programs important to women and their families. Additional information will be available when the report accompanying the bill is printed.

Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies

House Action

On June 25, the House Appropriations Committee approved, by voice vote, the FY2009 Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (H.R. 3093), and Financial Services and General Government (as-yet-unnumbered) spending bills. The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies approved its bill on June 12 (see The Source, 6/13/08). The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government approved its spending bill on June 17 (see The Source, 6/20/08).

Below is a chart detailing funding levels for programs important to women and their families. The administration’s request for grants to combat violence against women included an overall amount, but did not include requests for the specific programs. In the chart, $0 indicates that there was a request to eliminate the program, and the symbol (–) indicates that there was no specific request for the program as its funding was included as part of a larger grant or agency program.

The measure would provide $56.9 billion in FY2009, a $5.1 billion increase over FY2008 and $3.2 billion above the president’s request.

Report Language

The House Appropriations Committee report accompanying the bill includes language detailing a number of programs affecting women and their families. Although report language is not binding, federal agencies give careful consideration to such language as it indicates programs or initiatives that are particularly important for appropriators.

“The Committee understands that Native American and Native Alaskan women experience a higher rate of violence compared to any other group in the United States. Alaska’s forcible rape rate is 2.5 times larger than the national average. Alaska holds the highest rate in the United States of men murdering women. In FY2005, over 6,000 incidents of domestic violence were recorded. In response, in FY2005, a liaison office was created to address abuse and violence towards women in Alaska. The Committee includes $2,800,000 for the Native American/Native Alaskan Liaison Office for their work in Alaska. The Committee has provided $2,800,000 to the State of Alaska for the purposes of combating sexual assault and domestic violence. These funds may also be distributed to nonprofit entities that provide services such as: a crisis hotline, services to victims of sexual assault or domestic violence in rural areas, and medical assistance to victims.”

“The Committee has provided substantial resources to protect our children from predators. The recommendation includes $294.87 million for Department of Justice efforts to prevent, investigate, and prosecute crimes against children. This recommendation fully supports the critical Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act, and includes $48 million, which is $9 million above the President’s budget request for new FBI agents dedicated to fighting Internet crimes against children.”

Senate Action

On June 23, the Senate Appropriations Committee, approved, by unanimous consent, the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies spending bill (S. 3182). The Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies passed the measure on June 19 (see The Source, 6/20/08). The House subcommittee approved its version of the bill on June 12 (see The Source, 6/13/08).

The bill provides $60.1 billion, a $6.366 billion increase over FY2008 and $4.171 billion above the president’s request.

Military Construction, Veterans’ Affairs, and Related Agencies

On June 24, the House Appropriations Committee passed, by voice vote, its FY2009 spending bill (as-yet-unnumbered). The Military Construction, Veterans’ Affairs, and Related Agencies Subcommittee passed the bill on June 12 (see The Source, 6/13/08).

Like the version passed by the subcommittee, the bill would provide $72.7 billion in discretionary funding in FY2009, $8.8 billion over FY2008 and $3.4 billion more than the president’s request.

The bill would allocate $9.1 billion to implement the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Act, $1.8 billion above FY2008 and equal to the president’s request. It also would provide $5.6 billion for military construction and family housing.

Funding for medical services would total $30.9 billion, $2.8 billion more than FY2008 and $1 billion above the president’s request. This funding would include $5 billion for medical facilities, $769 million more than FY2008 and $368 million higher than the president’s request, $3.8 billion for specialty mental health care, and $584 million for substance abuse programs.

Financial Services and General Government

According to the committee press release, the measure would provide $22.4 billion in FY2009, a $1.6 billion increase over FY2008 and $200 million above the president’s request.

Funding for the Small Business Administration, according to Subcommittee Chair José Serrano (D-NY), “also includes $22.5 million for microloans and technical assistance to the smallest companies.”

Legislative Branch

On June 23, the House Appropriations Legislative Branch Subcommittee approved, by voice vote, a FY2009 spending bill (as-yet-unnumbered) totaling $3.4 billion for legislative branch funding. The bill funds only House operations and would provide an increase from the FY2008 funding level of $3.104 billion.

More information on programs affecting women and their families will be available when the committee report is printed.