On July 19, the House Budget Committee approved, 22-14, the FY2018 Budget Resolution (as-yet-unnumbered).
The legislation would cap FY2018 federal spending at $1.132 trillion. This exceeds the level set forth in the Budget Control Act (P.L. 112-25) by $68 billion. The resolution would allocate $621.5 billion for discretionary defense spending, an increase of $72 billion; non-defense discretionary spending would be set at $511 billion, a decrease of $5 billion.
The resolution includes $41.521 billion in FY2018 budget authority for International Affairs, which includes funding for global health and other programs, and $24.223 billion for Agriculture, including food nutrition programs. Programs within the Education, Training, Employment, and Social Services function, which provides funding for the Departments of Education and Health and Human Services, would receive $69.92 billion.
In addition, the resolution would allocate $491.789 billion for Income Security, which includes funding for several family support programs, $176.704 billion for Veterans Benefits and Services, and $51.367 billion for the Administration of Justice, which would fund programs at the Department of Justice.
According to the committee summary, the measure includes reconciliation instructions for several House committees to recommend at least $203 billion in mandatory savings and reforms to the Budget Committee by October 6. It also assumes the passage of H.R. 1628, the American Health Care Act, and incorporates its related savings. The House passed H.R. 1628 on May 4 (see The Source, 5/5/17); a comparable effort has stalled in the Senate.
Additional details of the budget resolution will be made available when the committee releases its report.
