In a departure from last year, both the House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittees on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education approved their FY2001 spending bills on May 9. The Senate Appropriations Committee approved the measure the next day, readying the bill for floor consideration. Last year, neither the Senate nor the House marked up their bills until the end of September and beginning of October, respectively. In the end, the measure was rolled into an omnibus appropriations bill (P.L. 106-113). Budget constraints have forced appropriators to make tough decisions in terms of program funding. While several health and education programs received substantial increases, many Department of Labor programs were reduced.
Overall, the House bill would provide $342.2 billion in total spending, and the Senate bill would provide $341.2 billion, roughly $6 billion less than the President’s request. The House bill would provide $100 billion in discretionary spending, while the Senate bill would provide $104.5 billion in discretionary spending due to budgeting maneuvers.
Senate Bill
In a show of bipartisan support, both the Senate subcommittee and full committee approved the as-yet-unnumbered Labor-Health and Human Services-Education bill by voice vote. Despite the support, the President issued a veto threat hours after the committee approved the measure. A detailed summary of the Senate bill was not available at press time. The following are a few highlights of funding for programs affecting women and families.
Under the Senate bill, funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) would receive a $2.7 billion increase to $20.5 billion. The Ryan White Care Act would receive $1.6 billion, a $55.4 million increase over last year. Title X, the nation’s family planning program, would receive a $15 million increase to $253.9 million. The Child Care and Development Block Grant would be funded at $2 billion, representing an $817 million increase over FY2000. Head Start would receive a $1 billion increase to $6.2 billion. A youth violence initiative would be funded at $1.2 billion, a $280 million increase over FY2000.
Additionally, the Senate bill would increase the maximum Pell Grant award by $350 to $3,650. The 21st Century After School Programs would be funded at $600 million, a $146.6 million increase over last year. The committee also adopted, by voice vote, an amendment by Sen. Judd Gregg (R-NH) that would allow community-based organizations to apply for grants under the 21st Century After School Program.
The Senate measure also would provide $1.3 billion for school construction and $1.4 billion for year three of a seven-year class size reduction initiative proposed by the President. The class size reduction initiative received $1.3 billion in FY2000. House Bill
Noting the difficulty appropriators face, House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Chair John Porter (R-IL), stated, “We wrote the best possible bill despite a difficult allocation.” Setting the stage for partisan committee debate, the House subcommittee approved its measure by a party-line vote of 8-6. The House Appropriations Committee is tentatively scheduled to mark up the bill on May 24.
Under the House bill, funding for NIH would be increased by $1 billion to $18.8 billion. The Ryan White CARE Act would receive $1.7 billion. Title X would receive $238.9 million. The Child Care and Development Block Grant would receive $2 billion and Head Start would receive $5.7 billion. The Maternal and Child Health Block Grant would be level-funded at $709.1 million.
HIV/AIDS prevention programs at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention would receive $734.4 million, an increase of $39.7 million over FY2000. CDC programs to prevent the spread of sexually transmitted diseases would be funded at $150.7 million, a $14.9 million increase over last year. Additionally, breast and cervical cancer screening would receive a $4.9 million increase to $171.4 million. The Public Health Service’s Office on Women’s Health would receive a $1 million increase to $16.5 million.
Several 1994 Violence Against Women Act programs were level-funded, including runaway youth prevention, which received $15 million, the domestic violence hotline, which received $1.96 million, and battered women’s shelters, which received $101.1 million.
The maximum Pell grant award would be increased by $200 to $3,500. The 21st Century After School Program would be funded at $600 million. The House bill does not fund the President’s class size reduction initiative, nor does it fund school construction.
Additionally, the Child Care Access Means Parents in School program would receive a $10 million increase to $15 million in FY2001, and the Women’s Educational Equity Act would be level-funded at $3 million.
The Women in Apprenticeships and Nontraditional Occupations Act would be level-funded at $1 million. The President did not request funding for the program. The Department of Labor’s Women’s Bureau would also be level-funded at $8.8 million. Dislocated worker assistance would receive $1.4 billion, an increase of $207 million over last year.
