Spending Bills Make Progress in House

Military Construction, Veterans’ Affairs, and Related Agencies

On June 14, the House approved, 411-5, the FY2012 Military Construction, Veterans’ Affairs, and Related Agencies spending bill (H. R. 2055). The House Appropriations Committee approved the measure on May 24 (see The Source, 5/27/11).

The bill would provide $142.032 billion in overall funding for FY2012 for military construction projects at the Department of Defense. This amount is $3.308 billion over FY2011, but $1.253 billion below President Obama’s request. The Department of Veterans’ Affairs (VA) would receive $129.726 billion in FY2012, which is $7.854 billion over FY2011, but $475.737 million below the administration’s request. The VA total includes $52.541 billion in advance appropriations for the Veterans’ Health Administration.

*Includes funding for construction and operations and maintenance for the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Defense-Wide.

Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and Related Agencies

On June 16, the House approved, 217-203, the FY2012 Agriculture, Rural Development, FDA, and Related Agencies spending bill (H.R. 2112). The House Appropriations Committee passed the bill on May 31 (see The Source, 6/3/11).

The bill would provide $17.25 billion in discretionary funds for FY2012, which includes funding for domestic and international food programs, as well as the FDA. This amount is $2.669 billion below FY2011 and $5.039 billion below President Obama’s request. Mandatory programs would be funded at $108 billion in FY2012, for a total of roughly $125.25 billion in overall funding.

The legislation would fund the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) at $6.047 billion and the breastfeeding peer counseling program at $75 million. In its report, the committee expressed its concern about expenditures for administrative costs and counseling within WIC (p. 103). H.R. 2112 would reduce funding for the WIC Farmers’ Market Nutrition program from $20 million to $15 million. The program gives vouchers to WIC participants for the purchase of fresh fruits and vegetables at state-approved farmers’ markets (p. 103).

During consideration of the bill, the House approved, 240-176, an amendment by Rep. Steve King (R-IA) to prohibit funds from being used for mifepristone, commonly known as RU-486 or the “morning-after pill.”

The House rejected the following amendments:

• An amendment by Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC) to further reduce the bill’s spending by $82.5 million, and to eliminate funding for the breastfeeding peer counselors program ($75 million) and the breastfeeding performance awards program ($7.5 million), 119-306;
• An amendment by Rep. Paul Broun (R-GA) to reduce funding for the Food for Peace program ($1.04 billion) by $940.198 million, 108-316;
• An amendment by Rep. Broun to eliminate funding for the McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition program ($180 million), 120-303;
• An amendment by Rep. Broun to reduce funding for WIC by $604 million, 64-360;
• An amendment by Rep. Laura Richardson (D-CA) to increase funding for the Commodity Assistance Program by $10 million, 200-224;
• An amendment by Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) to reduce funding for the Food for Peace program by $1 billion, among other provisions, 83-338;
• An amendment by Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ) to reduce funding for the Food for Peace program by $100 million, 124-300;
• A second amendment by Rep. Gosar to reduce funding for the Food for Peace Program by $100 million, 139-285; and
• An amendment by Rep. John Dingell (D-MI) to increase funding for the FDA by $49 million, 178-241.

Defense

On June 14, the House Appropriations Committee approved, by voice vote, the FY2012 Defense spending bill; the Defense subcommittee approved the measure on June 1 (see The Source, 6/3/11).

According to the committee report, the bill would provide $649.223 billion in mandatory and discretionary funds for FY2012. This amount is $21.917 billion less than FY2011 and $8.074 billion less than the president’s request. The overall funding level includes $118.567 billion for overseas contingency operations, $132.092 billion for military personnel, and $2.3 billion for military family programs.

The bill would provide $32.317 billion for the Defense Health Program, which is $935.261 million above FY2011 and $118.689 million over President Obama’s request. The amount includes $120 million for the peer-reviewed breast cancer research program (p. 259 of the committee report); the program received $150 million in FY2011. The legislation also would provide $16 million for the peer-reviewed ovarian cancer research program, which received $20 million in FY2011. The global HIV/AIDS prevention program would receive $8 million, $19 million below FY2011.

Financial Services, General Government, and Related Agencies

On June 16, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services, General Government, and Related Agencies approved, by voice vote, its FY2012 spending bill.

According to the committee chart, the bill would provide $19.895 billion in FY2012 for the Department of the Treasury, the District of Columbia, and several federal agencies, including the Small Business Administration (SBA). This amount is $1.853 billion below FY2011 and $5.788 billion below the president’s request.

The SBA would receive $978.306 million in FY2012, which is $248.568 million more than FY2011 and $7.133 million less than the administration request.

The District of Columbia would receive $637.078 million. This amount is $61.64 million less than FY2011 and $79.622 million less than the president’s request. The funding includes $224.394 million for the D.C. courts ($18.539 below FY2011 and $4.674 million below the president’s request), $37.241 million for the Public Defender Service (the same as FY2011 but $4.245 million below the administration’s request), and $30 million for resident tuition support ($5.03 million less than FY2011 and $5.1 million less than the president’s request).

The committee summary indicates that the bill maintains the provisions prohibiting federal and local funds from being used for abortion services in the District of Columbia and the use of federal funds for abortion services within federal employee health benefits.