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Three FY2010 Spending Measures Clear House Floor; Provisions on Nutrition, Global Women’s Issues, Women Veterans Included

This week, the House approved the FY2010 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies; State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs; and Agriculture, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Related Agencies spending bills.

Agriculture, FDA, and Related Agencies

On July 9, the House approved, 266-160, the FY2010 Agriculture, FDA, and Related Agencies spending bill (H.R. 2997). The House Appropriations Committee approved the measure on June 18 (see The Source, 6/18/09). The Senate Appropriations Committee approved its version of the measure on July 6 (see The Source, 7/10/09).

During debate on the measure, the House defeated the following amendments:

  • an amendment by Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) to cut discretionary spending in the five by five percent, 185-248; and
  • an amendment by Rep. Paul Broun (R-GA) to reduce spending for the FDA to FY2009 levels, 135-292.

The committee report details a number of programs of interest to women and their families:

 

Agency/Program FY2009 FY2010 President’s Request FY2010 House Committee Report

United States Department of Agriculture

Food & Nutrition Service $76.155 billion $86.31 billion (p. 117 of the House report) $86.096 billion (p. 117)
Child Nutrition Services $14.952 billion $16.797 billion (p. 111-112) $16.8 billion (p. 52)
Special Supplemental Nutrition Programs for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) $6.86 billion $7.777 billion (p. 113) $7.541 billion (p. 53)
Special Nutrition Assistance Program (formerly the Food Stamp program) $53.969 billion $61.352 billion (p. 111) $61.352 billion (p. 54)
Commodity Assistance Program $230.8 million $233.388 million (p. 114) $255.57 million (p. 55)
P.L. 480 Food for Peace $1.226 billion $1.693 billion (p. 105) $1.693 billion (p. 58)
McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition program $100 million $199.5 million (p. 106) $199.5 million (p. 58)

Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

FDA $2.039 billion $2.338 billion (p. 61 of the House report) $2.338 billion (p. 61)
Mammography Clinic User Fees (P.L. 102-539) $19.318 million (p. 119 of the House report) $19.318 million (p. 119 of the House report) $19.318 million (p. 119)

Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies

On July 10, the House approved, 415-3, the FY2010 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies spending bill (H.R. 3082). The House Appropriations Committee approved the measure on June 23 (see The Source, 6/26/09). The Senate Appropriations Committee approved its version of the measure on July 7 (see The Source, 7/10/09).

During debate on the measure, an amendment by Rep. Chet Edwards (D-TX) to increase funding for the Veterans’ Health Administration by $1 million, offset by a reduction to the Veterans’ Health Administration general expenses account was approved, by voice vote.

As requested by the administration, the bill would provide $1.959 billion for family housing in FY2010, $1.199 billion below FY2009.

The committee report details a number of programs of interest to women and their families:

The committee “remains concerned about the ability of installations and surrounding communities that are gaining personnel under either BRAC [Base Realignment and Closure] or Growing the Force to accommodate rapidly growing numbers of military dependent school-age children in adequate educational facilities. The committee therefore directs the Department of Defense (DoD) to submit a report on the steps currently being taken to address this problem with both DoD schools and local educational agencies (LEAs)” (p. 18-19).

The committee report states, “In September 2006, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) released Revised Recommendations for HIV Testing of Adults, Adolescents, and Pregnant Women in Health-Care Settings. These new recommendations advised routine HIV screening of adults, adolescents, and pregnant women and also recommended reducing barriers to HIV testing. Public Law 110-387 repealed the limitation on authority for the Department [of Veterans’ Affairs] to conduct wide-spread HIV testing so that the department could adopt these recommendations. The committee directs the department to provide a report to the committees on Appropriations of both houses of Congress by January 22, 2010, on its progress to more closely align department policy with CDC recommendations to include any barriers that prevent full implementation of those recommendations” (p. 42).

The committee “is pleased that the Department of Veterans Affairs is making progress in increasing the percentage of federal contract dollars awarded to women- and minority-owned businesses and for other federal contracting programs for small businesses…The committee directs the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide a report to the committee detailing the results of their women- and minority-owned business technical assistance and outreach program reviews, report the percentage of federal procurement contracts and subcontracts awarded to women- and minority-owned businesses, and identify how the Department of Veterans Affairs plans to increase diversity in federal procurement and contract awards” (p. 35-6).

State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs

On July 9, the House approved, 318-106, the FY2010 State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs spending bill (H.R. 3081). The House Appropriations Committee approved the measure on June 18 (see The Source, 6/26/09). The Senate Appropriations Committee approved its version of the measure on July 9 (see The Source, 7/10/09).

During debate on the measure, an amendment by Rep. Nita Lowey (D-NY) to, among other provisions, increase funding for maternal health programs by $10 million was approved, 261-168.

An amendment by Rep. Steve Buyer (R-IN) to reduce funding for diplomatic and consular affairs programs, the United States Agency for International Development, and global health programs to FY2009 levels was defeated, 156-271.

The committee report details a number of programs of interest to women and their families:

 

Agency/Program FY2009 FY2010 President’s Request FY2010 House Bill (H.R. 3081)
State Department

(Diplomatic and Consular Programs)

$7.063 billion (including emergency and supplemental funding in P.L. 111-32 and 110-252) $8.96 billion $8.229 billion (p. 136)
International Peacekeeping $2.389 billion (including emergency and supplemental funding in P.L. 111-32 and 110-252) $2.26 billion (p. 15) $2.125 billion (p. 25)
Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons $12 million $7.183 million (p. 60 of House report) $12 million (p. 60)

Bilateral Economic Assistance

Migration and refugee assistance $1.671 billion (including emergency and supplemental funding in P.L. 111-32 and 110-252) $1.48 billion (p. 21) $1.48 billion (p. 84)

United States Agency for International Development (USAID)

USAID $1.059 billion (including emergency and supplemental funding in P.L. 111-32 and 110-252) $1.439 billion (p. 47) $1.389 billion (p. 36)
Global Health and Child Survival $7.339 billion (including emergency and supplemental funding in P.L. 111-32 and 110-252) $7.595 billion (p. 20) $7.784 billion (p. 40)
Child Survival and Maternal Health $495 million $523 million (p. 41) $528 million (p. 41)
Vulnerable Children $15 million $13 million (p. 41 of House report) $15 million (p. 41)
Family Planning/Reproductive Health $455 million $475 million (p. 49) $520 million (p. 41)
President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) (P.L. 108-25) HIV/AIDS

 

 

$5.195 billion $5.259 billion (p. 20) $5.409 billion (p. 41)
Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB, and Malaria $600 million $600 million (p. 20) $750 million (p. 41)
HIV/AIDS — USAID $350 million $350 million (p. 41) $350 million (p. 41)
Microbicides $45 million $45 million (p. 41 of the House report) $45 million (p. 41)
Assistance for Europe, Eurasia, and Central Asia $650 million $762.253 million (p. 72 of the House report) $722.253 million (p. 72)
Child Survival and Maternal Health $8.465 million $10.77 million (p. 229) $13.939 million (p. 72)
Family Planning/Reproductive Health $9 million $7.838 million (p. 214) $9.608 million (p. 72)
Millennium Challenge Corporation $875 million $1.425 billion (p. 29) $1.4 billion (p. 89)

International Organizations and Programs

U.N. Children’s Fund (UNICEF) $130 million $128 million (p. 45) $132 million (p. 102)
U.N. Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) $4.5 million $1.5 million (p. 102) $6 million (p. 102)
UNIFEM Trust Fund $2.5 million — (p. 45) $3 million (p. 102)
U.N. Population Fund (UNFPA) $30 million $50 million (p. 45) $60 million (p. 102)

Family Planning/Reproductive Health: The committee notes that “an estimated one in seven women in the developing world still lack access to modern contraceptives.” The committee report retains “prior year language stating that funds cannot be used to pay for the performance of abortions as a method of family planning or to motivate or coerce any person to practice abortion” (p. 47-48).

Of the $175 million that would be provided for women and girls in Afghanistan, programs targeting maternal and child health would receive $25 million (p. 65).

Women and HIV/AIDS: The committee report details programs of interest to women and their families. Specific language related to women and HIV/AIDS, including prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT), can be found on pages 44-45, where the committee directs the Office of the Global AIDS Coordinator to “improve the ability of programs to offer the most effective drug regimens, and to encourage stronger linkages between PMTCT and care and treatment programs.” The committee also recommends $45 million for microbicide development (pp. 44 and 48).

Women and Business/Leadership: The committee recommends $1 billion for “to sustain and expand agricultural development and food security activities initiated in the previous fiscal year… USAID shall continue implementation of a multi-faceted program strategy that provides immediate relief to vulnerable populations in the short-term while also supporting long-term, environmentally and economically sustainable agricultural practices in food insecure countries to reduce the dependence on food aid. This strategy must integrate with other bilateral and multilateral programs and should prioritize programs for small-holder farmers, women farmers and other vulnerable populations” (p. 49).

Microfinance programs would receive $265 million in FY2010, with half of the funds targeted to people living in poverty, including women. The committee also encourages USAID to reach out to women via their Solar Energy Microfinance Initiative, a program designed to bring clean, renewable energy to rural communities (p. 53).

Women’s leadership programs would receive $20 million in FY2010 (p. 55). Programs for women in Afghanistan would receive $175 million (p. 65); of that amount $20 million would be “provided for training and equipment to improve the capacity of women-led Afghan nongovernmental organizations, and to support the activities of such organizations” (p. 65).

Iraq would receive $400 million in FY2010, including up to $50 million for the Middle East Partnership Initiative “to be used to support an Iraqi women’s democracy initiative (p. 63). The committee also directs $20 million to address “the plight of women and religious minorities, including Iraqi Christians, amongst displaced and refugee populations” (p. 63).

Violence Against Women: The committee recommends $60 million for general aid to the Democratic Republic of Congo, with priority given to programs that assist women and girls (p. 60). Two million dollars is recommended “to support legal reform initiatives and programs to combat crimes of violence that specifically target women and girls in order to bring Guatemalan law in line with international standards on violence and discrimination against women” (p. 56).

The committee would provide $205.325 million for Mexico; it remains concerned about violence against women in Mexico…[and] encourages the Department of State to support ongoing efforts to identify unknown women murder victims in Ciudad Juarez and Chihuahua, Mexico, through forensic analysis, including DNA testing, conducted by independent, impartial experts already working in the state who are sensitive to the special needs and concerns of the victims’ families. Support should also be provided for efforts to encourage families from Chihuahua and other Mexican states that have women or girls missing in their families…” (p. 80).

The report would provide $12 million for USAID to combat trafficking in persons. Of that amount, up to $2 million would be allocated to “India, to provide assistance to victims of trafficking, rape and sexual violence, and to support programs to prevent and combat these crimes against women. The committee recommendation includes up to $2 million for programs to improve the capacity of institutions in Cambodia…to combat human trafficking and violence against women and children” (p. 69-70).

The committee also “urges the Department of State to focus training on how to prevent and respond to gender-based violence against women and girls. The committee directs the secretary of State to report to the committees on Appropriations not later than March 1, 2010, on efforts to provide United States assistance to foreign police to address gender-based violence” (p. 76). Additional language on strengthening protection for women and girls displaced by conflict is included (p. 85).

According to the report, “The committee continues to include language requiring that the UN take appropriate measures to prevent UN employees, contractor personnel, and peacekeeping forces serving in any UN peacekeeping mission from trafficking in persons, exploiting victims of trafficking, or committing acts of illegal sexual exploitation, and that the UN hold accountable individuals who engage in such acts while participating in the peacekeeping mission, including the prosecution in their home countries…” (p. 26).

Young Women/Girls: The committee “recognizes that the practice of child marriage undermines investments of the United States and the international community in programs that seek to improve education, health, economic, and legal status for women and girls in some developing countries” (p. 54).

Provisions on education, including increasing literacy rates, can be found on pp. 52 and 65.

The report states, “Cognizant of the requirement in the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Reauthorization Act of 2008 (P.L. 110-457), the committee urges the Department of State to work with the Departments of Health and Human Services and Homeland Security to develop a pilot program, to be implemented by a reputable international and/or nongovernmental organization with relevant expertise, to repatriate unaccompanied alien children” (p. 87).