On September 15, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved several FY2012 spending bills, including Defense (H.R. 2219); Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (S. 1572); Financial Services and General Government (S. 1573); and Legislative Branch (H.R. 2551). The Defense; Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies; and Financial Services and General Government Subcommittees approved their respective bills earlier in the week.
Defense
The Senate Appropriations Committee approved the Defense spending bill by a vote of 30-0. The measure contains $630.6 billion in discretionary funds for FY2012, which consists of $513 billion in base funding and includes $117.8 billion for overseas contingency operations. The base amount is equal to the FY2011 funding level, but $25.9 billion less than President Obama’s FY2012 request and $17 billion less than the House-passed version of the bill (H.R. 2219) (see The Source, 7/8/11).
According to Chair Daniel Inouye (D-HI), the committee recommendation “is not only fair, but presents a carefully balanced set of recommendations in this austere fiscal climate that provides all that is required to meet our national security needs while maintaining our strong commitment to our men and women in uniform.”
The bill includes $33.8 billion for the Defense Health Program, an increase of $1 billion over FY2011. The House bill would include $32.317 billion for FY2012; the president requested $32.198 billion for the program. The bill also would allocate $194 million for the peer-reviewed breast, ovarian, and prostate cancer research programs. The House bill includes $120 million and $16 million for the peer-reviewed breast and ovarian cancer research programs, respectively, and $8 million for global HIV/AIDS prevention.
The Senate legislation also would include funding for a 1.6 percent pay raise for military personnel.
Additional details of the measure will be made available when the committee issues its report.
Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies
The committee approved, 29-1, the bill to fund programs housed at the Departments of Commerce and Justice and agencies, such as the National Science Foundation, would receive a total of $52.701 billion in discretionary funds for FY2012, $626 million shy of the FY2011 total and $4.97 billion below the administration’s request. The House approved its version of the bill on July 13 (see The Source, 7/18/11), which would provide $50.565 billion in FY2012.
Department of Justice
The Department of Justice (DOJ) would receive $26.9 billion in FY2012, $482 million less than FY2011 and $1.824 billion below the president’s request.
According to the subcommittee summary, domestic violence and sexual assault grants would receive $418 million in FY2012. In FY2011, the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) received $417.663 million. The president requested $454.898 million for FY2012 and the House bill would provide OVW with $437.663 million in FY2012.
Funding for DOJ includes $2.3 billion for State and Local Law Enforcement programs, which provides funds for the Edward Byrne Justice Memorial Grant program and DNA backlog grants.
Juvenile Justice programs would receive $251 million, compared with $275 million in FY2011.The president requested $280 million for FY2012; the House bill would eliminate the funding in FY2012. Programs to “prevent, investigate, and prosecute crimes against children” would receive $351 million in FY2012.
Related Agencies
The National Science Foundation would receive $6.7 billion in FY2012. This amount is $162 million below FY2011 and $1.067 billion below the president’s request. The amount is below the $6.86 billion provided in the House bill. The NSF houses several educational programs for women and minorities.
The legislation would provide $9.2 million for the Commission on Civil Rights, compared with $9.4 million in FY2011 and the president’s request. The House bill would provide $8 million in FY2012.
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) would receive $359 million in FY2012, which is $7.3 million below FY2011 and the House version of the bill, but $26.52 million below the president’s request.
The bill would provide $396 million for the Legal Services Corporation in FY2012. This amount is $8 million below FY2011, $54 million below the administration’s request, and $96 million over the House bill.
Financial Services and General Government
The committee approved, 16-14, the Financial Services and General Government spending bill, which would provide $21.731 billion in discretionary funds for several federal agencies, including the Small Business Administration (SBA), as well as for the District of Columbia. According to the subcommittee summary, this amount is $224 million below FY2011 and $4.259 billion below the president’s FY2012 request. The House Appropriations Committee approved its version of the measure on June 23 (see The Source, 6/24/11), allocating $19.895 billion in discretionary funds for FY2012.
The SBA would receive $788 million, an increase of $58 million over FY2011 and $197 million below the president’s request; the House bill would provide $978.306 million. The summary indicates that the “Senate bill eliminates the PRIME program for a savings of $8 million compared to the FY2011 enacted level, focusing resources on the Microloan program to foster the availability of microcredit for small businesses.” The bill also would provide $113 million for Small Business Development Centers. The program received the same amount in FY2011; the president requested $103 million in FY2012 while the House bill would provide $112 million.
The Senate bill would provide $658.1 million for the District of Columbia in FY2012, a decrease of $40.6 million below FY2011. This amount includes $535.5 million for the local courts, defender services, and pretrial and post-conviction offender supervision. The amount also includes $90 million for education-related function, such as the D.C. Tuition Assistance Grants program and school improvements.
Additional details will be made available once the committee issues its report on the bill.
Legislative Branch
The measure, approved 28-2 by the committee, would provide $4.307 billion in FY2012 for Senate operations. This amount is $237 million below FY2011 and $555 million below the requests from agencies, including the Capitol Police, Architect of the Capitol, Government Printing Office, and Government Accountability Office, among others. The House-passed bill (see The Source, 7/22/11) would provide $3.326 billion for its operations.
In previous years, funding for congressional child care facilities has been provided in the House and Senate Legislative Branch spending bills.
Additional information also will be made available when the committee issues its report.