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Senate Considers Continuing Resolution

On March 12, the Senate began consideration of a substitute amendment to the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act of 2013 (H.R. 933) to fund all government agencies and programs through September 30, 2013. The Senate is scheduled to resume consideration of the measure on March 18. The House passed H.R. 933 on March 6 (see The Source, 3/8/13). In September 2012, Congress passed the Continuing Appropriations for FY2013 Resolution (P.L. 112-175) (see The Source, 9/21/12) to fund the government through March 27, 2013.

Sponsored by Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), the substitute amendment to H.R. 933 would provide a total of $1.043 trillion in discretionary spending, equal to H.R. 933. The House and Senate versions of the bill would extend most funding levels from last year’s continuing resolution, but would include full-year appropriations bills to fund the Department of Defense (DoD) and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

According to a Senate Appropriations Committee summary, in addition to separate bills to fund the DoD and the VA, the Senate substitute would include full-year appropriations bills for Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration and Related Agencies; Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies; and Homeland Security. The legislation would provide $39.609 billion in discretionary funds for the Department of Homeland Security, $9 million above FY2012.

The charts below compare funding levels in the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration and Related Agencies and Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies spending bills in the Senate substitute amendment to FY2012 spending levels; the funding levels below do not reflect cuts from sequestration.

Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration and Related Agencies

Program/Agency

FY2012

Senate substitute

Department of Agriculture – Domestic Food Programs

Child Nutrition Programs $18.151 billion $19.916 billion
Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) $6.618 billion $7.046 billion
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) $80.402 billion $77.29 billion
Commodity Assistance Program $242.336 million $253.952 million
P.L. Title II Food for Peace $1.466 billion $1.435 billion
McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program $184 million $184 million
Food and Drug Administration $2.497 billion $2.51 billion

Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies

Program/Agency

FY2012

Senate substitute

Department of Justice

Office on Violence Against Women $412.5 million $416.5 million
Grants to Combat Violence Against Women (STOP Grants) $189 million $189 million
Grants to Encourage Arrest Policies $50 million $50 million
Transitional Housing Assistance $25 million $25 million
Research and Evaluation on Violence Against Women $3 million $3.5 million
Sexual Assault Victims Services $23 million $25 million
Rural Domestic Violence and Child Abuse Enforcement $34 million $36.5 million
Violence on College Campuses $9 million $9 million
Civil Legal Assistance $41 million $41 million
Elder Abuse Grant Program $4.25 million $4.25 million
Safe Havens Program $11.5 million $15.5 million (includes Court Training and Improvement Program)
Education and Training for Disabled Female Victims $5.75 million $5.75 million
Court Training and Improvement Program $4.5 million See Safe Havens Program above
Research on Violence Against Indian Women $1 million $1 million
Indian Country Sexual Assault Clearinghouse $500,000 $500,000
National Resource Center on Workplace Responses $1 million $500,000
Consolidated Youth Oriented Program $10 million $10 million
Office of Justice Programs $2.321 billion $2.2 billion
Victims of Trafficking Grants $10.5 million $13.5 million
Prison Rape Prevention and Prosecution $12.5 million $12.5 million
Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) $4.5 million $6 million
National Sex Offender Public Website $1 million $1 million
DNA Initiative $125 million $125 million
Debbie Smith Backlog Grants $117 million $117 million
Sexual Assault Forensic Exam Program Grants $4 million $4 million

Related Agencies

Commission on Civil Rights $9.193 million $9.4 million
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission $373.136 million $370 million
Legal Services Corporation $348 million $365 million

The bill, which also would modify certain programs funded by the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies and the State, Foreign Operations, and Related Agencies spending bills, would:

  • Provide $2.328 billion for the Child Care and Development Block Grant program, $50 million above FY2012;
  • Provide $8.003 billion for the Head Start program, $33.5 million above FY2012;
  • Extend the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program through September 30, 2013;
  • Provide $8.47 billion for Global Health Programs, $302 million above FY2012;
  • Provide $2.75 billion for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), $131 million above FY2012;
  • Provide $5.72 billion for the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) program, $177 million above FY2012; and
  • Provide $1.65 billion for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB, and Malaria, $600 million above FY2012.