On March 29, the House approved, 216-210, its version of the FY2008 budget resolution (H. Con. Res. 99), which provides spending guidelines for the upcoming fiscal year. The House Budget Committee cleared the spending measure on March 21. The Senate passed its version of the FY2008 budget on March 23 (see The Source, 3/23/07).
The resolution would provide $954.9 billion in discretionary spending, $503.8 billion for defense spending, and $145.2 billion for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. This amount includes $82.3 billion for education, training, employment and social services, and increases funding for Head Start and Title I education programs. The measure also would provide $54.2 billion for health care programs.
Of the $35.3 billion in discretionary funds for international affairs, the budget resolution would provide $5.4 billion, equal to the president’s request, for the Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), which includes the Global HIV/AIDS initiative. The measure also would include funding of $100 million for the McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program, also equal to the president’s request, and would increase funding for Head Start.
The budget resolution also establishes a $50 billion reserve fund to expand and improve coverage under the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP).
The House defeated the following substitute amendments:
|
