On October 12, the Senate approved, 87-8, the FY2001 Veterans Affairs, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies appropriations bill (H.R. 4635). The measure was approved with a revised version of the FY2001 Energy and Water spending bill as an amendment. The energy water spending bill was vetoed by the President last week.
While the House passed the VA-HUD spending bill on June 21 (see The Source, 6/23/00, p. 2), the Senate Appropriations Committee approved its bill on September 13 (see The Source, 9/15/00, p. 6). The measure approved by the Senate had already been conferenced and will be sent back to the House for final approval.
The bill would level-fund the Housing Opportunities for People with AIDS program at $232 million. The House-passed bill would provide an $18 million increase.
Additionally, the measure would level-fund the Stewart McKinney Homeless Assistance grants program at $1 billion, the same amount provided by the House.
