On June 6, the Senate approved, 71-22, the FY2002 supplemental appropriations bill (H.R. 4775). The measure would provide $31.6 billion in FY2002 supplemental spending, with the bulk of the funding being appropriated for homeland security activities and the war on terrorism. The funding amount approved by the Senate is approximately $1.6 billion more than the FY2002 supplemental appropriations bill passed by the House on May 24 (see The Source, 5/24/02).
During debate, Sen. Bill Frist (R-TN) offered an amendment that would allocate $200 million for the global HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria fund, bringing the total U.S. contribution to the fund in FY2002 to $500 billion. Congress has already allocated $650 million in FY2002 for HIV/AIDS and other infectious diseases. The amendment was adopted, 79-14.
Another amendment, offered by Sen. Richard Durbin (D-IL), would have increased the HIV/AIDS funding in the bill to $500 million. It was tabled, 49-46.
The Senate-passed bill also includes language that would require the President to disburse $34 million in family planning aid to UNFPA by July 10 if the administration certifies that UNFPA did not violate U.S. law by participating in forced sterilization and abortion programs in China. The House bill has no similar provision.
Under last year’s foreign operations spending bill (P.L. 107-115), $34 million was allocated to UNFPA. However, the President exercised his authority to withhold funds for any country or organization if he certifies that the funds would be used for coerced abortions overseas. In May, the State Department sent a fact-finding team to China to investigate allegations that UNFPA participates in China’s forced sterilization and abortion program, with the results of their investigation due in early July.
In addition, the Senate-passed bill would provide another $1.0 million for the Centers for Disease Control. Another $500,000 would be provided for Children and Families Services and Programs to carry out the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act. Also, $37 million would be provided for the District of Columbia’s Human Support Services. Of this amount, $11 million would be allocated for the Child and Family Services Agency and $26 million for the Department of Mental Health.
Both the House- and Senate-passed bills would provide another $75 million for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) to finance increased participation in the WIC program, as well as the increased food costs associated with the program. The WIC program has already been allocated $4.348 billion in FY2002.
The House- and Senate-passed bills also would appropriate $1.0 billion for Pell Grants to prevent an expected shortfall in the student loan program due to higher program costs related to the economic downturn and the increasing number of individuals seeking post-secondary education.
House and Senate appropriators are expecting to send the FY2002 supplemental appropriations conference bill to the President before the July 4th recess.
