President Obama Submits Final Budget to Congress
On February 9, President Obama submitted to Congress his FY2017 budget proposal. The president’s final budget proposal before leaving office, the document details his spending priorities for the upcoming fiscal year, which begins on October 1.
The budget provides $4.147 trillion in overall spending for FY2017. The proposed budget complies with the discretionary spending cap of $1.149 trillion set forth in the Bipartisan Budget Act (P.L. 114-74). In December, Congress passed an omnibus spending bill (P.L. 114-113) that funds the federal government through September 30 (see FY2016 Appropriations Summary).
The charts below summarize funding levels for various programs important to women and their families. The administration also outlines several priorities for women in its fact sheet: “Supporting Women and Working Families.”
The budget proposes $155 billion in overall spending in FY2017 for the Department of Agriculture. This amount includes $130 billion and $25 billion in mandatory and discretionary spending, respectively. The administration’s request totaled $164 billion in overall spending in FY2016.
Program/Agency |
FY2016 |
President’s FY2017 Request |
Food and Nutrition Service |
$110.004 billion |
$111.973 billion |
Child Nutrition Programs |
$22.163 billion |
$23.231 billion |
Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) |
$6.35 billion |
$6.35 billion* |
Special Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) |
$80.849 billion |
$81.689 billion |
Commodity Assistance Program |
$296.217 million |
$313.139 million |
Foreign Agricultural Service |
||
P.L. 480 Title II Food for Peace |
$1.716 billion** |
$1.35 billion |
McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition |
$201.626 million |
$182 million |
*Includes $80 million for breastfeeding peer counseling and other related activities.
**Includes a one-time allocation of $250 million for emergency food assistance. Defense
The Department of Defense budget proposes a $523.9 billion base budget for FY2017, which is $2.2 billion over FY2016. In addition, the request would provide $58.8 billion for overseas contingency operations (OCO), bringing the overall request to $582.7 billion.
The department summary notes that the budget fully funds the “secretary’s recently announced package of family-focused reforms, including expanded maternity leave for service women and paternity leave for service men, improved mothers’ rooms on military installations, and enhanced hours at child development centers to recognize our service members’ often unpredictable schedules. Taken together, these reforms will improve both retention and quality of life for our service men and women and their families.”
Program/Agency |
FY2016 |
President’s FY2017Request |
Defense Health Program |
$32.329 billion |
$33.468 billion |
Military Personnel |
$135.33 billion |
$135.269 billion |
Family Housing |
$1.261 billion |
$1.32 billion |
Child Care and Youth Programs |
$1.2 billion |
$1.3 billion |
Military Spouse Employment |
$100 million |
$100 million |
The administration’s request includes $69.4 billion in discretionary funds for the Department of Education. This amount represents a $1.3 billion increase over FY2016.
Program/Agency |
FY2016 |
President’s FY2017 Request |
Title I Grants to LEAs |
$14.91 billion |
$15.359 billion |
Special Education Grants for Infants and Families |
$458.556 million |
$503.6 million |
Child Care Access Means Students in School (CCAMPIS) |
$15.14 million |
$15.1 million |
Office for Civil Rights |
$107 million |
$137.708 million |
Department of Health and Human Services
The president’s FY2017 request for the Department of Health and Human Services provides $1.15 trillion in overall budget authority. This amount is $33.279 billion over the request for FY2015 and includes $82.759 billion in discretionary funding.
Program/Agency |
FY2016 |
President’s FY2017 Request |
Food and Drug Administration |
$2.73 billion |
$2.743 billion |
User Fees |
$2.017 billion |
$2.286 billion |
Mammography User Fees |
$20.109 million |
$21 million |
Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) |
$6.197 billion |
$5.743 billion |
Community Health Centers (discretionary) |
$1.492 billion |
$1.342 billion |
Maternal and Child Health Bureau |
$845.117 million |
$845.117 million |
Maternal and Child Health Block Grant |
$638.2 million |
$638 million |
Heritable Disorders |
$13.883 million |
$14 million |
Universal Newborn Hearing Screening |
$17.818 million |
$18 million |
Healthy Start |
$103.5 million |
$104 million |
Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency Act |
$2.323 billion |
$2.332 billion |
Ryan White Part C – Early Intervention |
$205 million |
$280 million* |
Ryan White Part D – Children, Youth, Women, and Families Programs |
$75.088 million |
$0* |
Family Planning |
$286.479 million |
$300 million |
$7.178 billion |
$7.013 billion |
|
Global Health |
$427.121 million |
$442.121 million |
HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STDs, and TB Prevention |
$1.122 billion |
$1.128 billion |
National Institutes of Health (NIH) (overall) |
$32.311 billion |
$33.136 billion |
National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities |
$279.718 million |
$279.68 million |
Administration for Children and Families (overall) |
$53.416 billion |
$63.005 billion |
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) |
$17.345 billion |
$17.347 billion |
Child Support Enforcement |
$4.088 billion |
$4.342 billion |
Refugee and Entrant Assistance (aid to victims of trafficking) |
$18.755 million |
$22 million |
Child Care Development Block Grant |
$2.761 billion |
$2.962 billion |
Children and Families Services Programs |
$10.984 billion |
$11.725 billion |
Head Start |
$9.168 billion |
$9.602 billion |
Family Violence/Battered Women’s Shelters |
$158 million |
$163 million |
National Domestic Violence Hotline |
$8.25 million |
$12 million |
Promoting Safe and Stable Families (overall)** |
$532 million |
$575 million |
Office of the Secretary, General Department Management |
$531 million |
$555 million |
Pregnancy Assistance Fund |
$23 million |
$25 million |
Teen Pregnancy Prevention Community Grants |
$101 million |
$104.79 million |
Office for Civil Rights |
$38.798 million |
$42.705 million |
Office of Minority Health |
$56.67 million |
$56.67 million |
Office on Women’s Health |
$32.14 million |
$32.14 million |
Minority HIV/AIDS |
$53.9 million |
$53.9 million |
*The budget proposes to consolidate funding for Ryan White Part D into Part C. “The consolidated Part C program will emphasize care across all vulnerable populations, genders, and ages, thus assuring services for women, infants, children, and youth throughout the program.”
**The total for Promoting Safe and Stable Families includes funding for abstinence education and the Personal Responsibility Education Program.
Department of Housing and Urban Development
The administration’s request includes $37.983 billion in discretionary funding for the Department of Housing and Urban Development in FY2017. This amount is $176 million over FY2016.
Program/Agency |
FY2016 |
President’s FY2017 Request |
Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS |
$335 million |
$335 million |
Family Self-Sufficiency |
$75 million |
$75 million |
The president requested $28.976 billion in discretionary funds for FY2017. This amount is $265 million over FY2016, and includes $2 million in new funding for Competitive Grants for Girls in the Justice System.
Program/Agency |
FY2016 |
President’s FY2017 Request |
$480 million |
$489 million* |
|
Grants to Combat Violence Against Women (STOP Grants) |
$215 million |
$200 million |
Transitional Housing Assistance |
$30 million |
$30 million |
Research and Evaluation on Violence Against Women |
$5 million |
$3 million |
Sexual Assault Victims Services |
$35 million |
$35 million |
Rural Domestic Violence and Child Abuse Enforcement |
$34 million |
$34 million |
Violence on College Campuses |
$20 million |
$26 million |
Civil Legal Assistance |
$45 million |
$52.5 million |
Elder Abuse Grant Program |
$5 million |
$6.25 million |
Grants to Support Families in the Justice System |
$16 million |
$16 million |
Education and Training for Disabled Female Victims |
$6 million |
$6 million |
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 |
$500,000 |
$500,000 |
Consolidated Youth-Oriented Program |
$11 million |
$11 million |
Office of Justice Programs |
$1.883 billion |
$1.603 billion |
Victims of Trafficking Grants |
$45 million |
$0** |
Prison Rape Prevention and Prosecution |
$10.5 million |
$10.5 million |
Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) |
$9 million |
$6 million |
DNA Initiative |
$125 million |
$105 million |
*The budget proposes $326 million for Violence Against Women programs within the Crime Victims Fund. Combined with a direct allocation of $163 million, the Office on Violence Against Women would receive
$489 million in FY2017 under the president’s proposed budget.
**Funding for this program was moved into the Crime Victims Fund. Department of Labor
President Obama requested $45.9 billion for programs at the Department of Labor. This amount is $200 million over FY2016 and includes $12.8 billion and $33.1 billion in discretionary and mandatory funding, respectively. The amount also includes $2 billion for the Paid Leave Partnership Initiative.
Program/Agency |
FY2016 |
President’s FY2017 Request |
Dislocated Worker’s Assistance |
$1.242 billion |
$1.334 billion |
Women in Apprenticeships |
$994,000 |
$0* |
Women’s Bureau |
$11.536 million |
$12.902 million |
International Labor Affairs |
$86.125 million |
$101.23 million |
*The budget summary notes that “The goal of improving the recruitment and participation of women in apprenticeships, including in non-traditional occupations, will be addressed more effectively through the Apprenticeship Grants, including the funding for Community-Based Organizations and Workforce Intermediaries for innovative strategies that increase diversity in apprenticeship.”
The administration proposes $50.1 billion in discretionary funds for the Department of State and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in FY2017. This amount includes $14.9 billion for overseas contingency operations.
The budget submission notes that “USAID, through its 2012 Gender Equality and Female Empowerment Policy, and the Department of State are systematically addressing gender inequality in all foreign assistance programming and implementing commitments under the 2011 Women, Peace, and Security National Action Plan and the 2012 U.S. Strategy to Prevent and Respond to Gender-Based Violence globally.” In addition, the proposal would provide up to $35 million in FY2017 for the Let Girls Learn Initiative.
Program/Agency |
FY2016 |
President’s FY2017 Request |
Diplomatic and Consular Affairs |
$5.623 billion |
$6.54 billion |
International Peacekeeping |
$666.574 million |
$806.93 million |
Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons |
$12 million |
$20.7 million |
U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) |
$1.378 billion |
$1.44 billion |
Bilateral Economic Assistance |
||
Migration and Refugee Assistance |
$931.886 million |
$922.597 million |
Global Health and Child Survival (State and USAID) |
$8.503 billion |
$8.577 billion |
President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) |
$5.67 billion |
$5.67 billion |
Maternal and Child Health |
$750 million |
$814.5 million |
Vulnerable Children |
$22 million |
$14.5 million |
Family Planning/Reproductive Health |
$523.95 million |
$544 million |
Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB, and Malaria |
$1.35 billion |
$1.35 billion |
HIV/AIDS – USAID |
$330 million |
$330 million |
Microbicides |
$45 million |
$45 million |
International Organizations and Programs |
||
U.N. Children’s Fund (UNICEF) |
$132.5 million |
$132 million |
U.N. Women (formerly UNIFEM) |
$7.7 million |
$14 million |
U.N. Population Fund (UNFPA) |
$32.5 million |
$35 million |
Department of Veterans Affairs
The administration requests $182.3 billion in overall funding for FY2017, which includes $78.7 billion and $103.6 billion in discretionary and mandatory funds, respectively.
The summary notes that women veterans comprised nearly 15 percent of active duty military forces and 19 percent of the National Guard and Reserves, and states: “The growing number of women veterans means that VA must provide services and infrastructure suited to gender-specific needs…VA is anticipating and preparing not only for the increase in the number of women veterans but also for the accompanying complexity and longevity of their treatment needs.”
Program/Agency |
FY2016 |
President’s FY2017 Request |
Women Veterans |
$475 million |
$515 million |
Other Agencies
In addition to the departments listed above, the budget request includes funding for several independent federal agencies, including the Small Business Administration, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Commission on Civil Rights, and the Legal Services Corporation.
Program/Agency |
FY2016 |
President’s FY2017 Request |
$871.042 million |
$878 million |
|
Women’s Business Centers |
$17 million |
$16.7 million |
National Women’s Business Council |
$1.5 million |
$1.5 million |
Microloan Technical Assistance |
$25 million |
$31 million |
Small Business Development Centers |
$117 million |
$115 million |
$364.5 million |
$346.646 million |
|
$9.2 million |
$9.43 million |
|
$385 million |
$475 million |