This week, the House approved its first two FY2004 spending bills of the yearHomeland Security and Military Construction. The House Appropriations Committee approved the following bills: Agriculture; Defense; Interior; Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education; and Legislative Branch.
The Senate Appropriations Committee approved the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education bill and the military construction bill.
Senate Action
Labor, Health and Human Services (HHS), Education
On June 25, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved, 26-3, the FY2004 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education appropriations bill (as-yet-unnumbered). The Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education had approved, 11-3, the same measure the day before. The measure would allocate $137.6 billion in FY2004, an increase of close to $5 billion over FY2003, but $389 million less than the President’s request and $445 million less than the bill approved by the House Appropriations Committee the same day.
During consideration of the bill, Sen. Robert Byrd (D-WV) offered an amendment that would have fully funded the No Child Left Behind Act at $18.5 billion. The amendment was defeated, 14-15.
While all of the funding levels for programs of particular interest to women and their families were not available as of press time, here are some highlights from the bill:
Department of Labor
Dislocated workers assistance would receive $1.4 billion, maintaining the FY2003 funding level and providing $48.7 million over the President’s budget request.
Department of Health and Human Services
Health Resources and Services Administration:
Community Health Centers would receive $1.627 billion in FY2004, a $122.3 million increase over FY2003.
Ryan White: The Ryan White Care Act would receive a $23.6 million increase over the FY2003 funding level to $2 billion, slightly more than the President’s budget.
Family Planning: Title X, the nation’s family planning program, would receive $233 million, $18.5 million more than FY2003 and $10 million more than the President’s request.
Abstinence-only Education: The bill would provide $73.1 million for the abstinence education program in the Maternal and Child Health Block Grant, an $18.4 million increase over FY2003 and $60 million more than the President’s request.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): The measure would allocate $4.4 billion in FY2004, $147.9 million above the FY2003 level and $83 million more than the level requested by the President.
National Institutes of Health (NIH): The NIH would receive $27.9 billion in FY2004, a $1 billion increase over FY2003 and $318.6 million more than the President’s request.
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA): SAMHSA would receive $3.2 billion in FY2004. This allocation is $62.8 million more than the FY2003 level but $200 million less than the President’s request.
Head Start: Head Start would receive a $148 million increase over FY2003, bringing the total to $6.8 billion. This funding level would allow Head Start to maintain current service levels, while ensuring that quality improvements and training elements are fully implemented.
National Family Caregiver Support: The bill would level-fund the National Family Caregiver Support program at $149 million, an increase of $7.5 million above the President’s request.
Department of Education
No Child Left Behind: Grants to local educational agencies under the No Child Left Behind Act (P.L. 107-110) would receive an increase of $666 million, for a total of $12.3 billion in FY2004, as requested by the President.
Reading First: The bill would fully fund the Reading First program at the requested level of $1 billion, a $6.5 million increase over FY2003.
Teacher Quality: As requested by the President, the measure would allocate $2.8 billion for professional development programs to provide states and school districts with the tools to improve teacher quality.
21st Century Community Learning Centers: The bill would provide $1 billion for 21st Century Community Learning Centers in FY2004, $6.5 million more than FY2003 and $400 million more than the President’s request.
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA): Total spending for special education in FY2004 would be $10.7 billion, a $999.5 million increase over FY2003 and $300 million more than the President’s request.
Pell Grants: The bill would level-fund Pell grants at the maximum grant of $4.050 billion, $50 million more than the President’s request.
Military Construction
On June 26, the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction approved, by voice vote, its FY2004 appropriations bill (as-yet-unnumbered). The measure would allocate $9.2 billion, a $1.5 billion decrease from the FY2003 appropriations bill (P.L. 107-249) and $79 million more than the President’s request.
Under the measure, $4 billion would be allocated for military family housing, of which $1.2 billion would be allocated for new family housing units and improvements to existing units, and $2.8 billion would be used for the operation and maintenance of existing units. Congress allocated $4.23 billion in FY2003 for military family housing.
In addition, the measure would allocate $16.1 million for child development centers. In FY2003, Congress provided $18 million for child development centers.
House Action
Agriculture
On June 25, the House Appropriations Committee approved, by voice vote, the FY2004 agriculture appropriations bill (as-yet-unnumbered). The measure would allocate $17.005 billion, an $872 million decrease from the FY2003 appropriations bill (P.L. 108-7).
The measure would provide $4.588 billion for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), a $107.7 million decrease below FY2003 and $180.9 million less than the President’s request. The recommendation includes a $150 million reserve should program costs or participation exceed estimates. Reductions in this program are based on new information from the Agriculture Department detailing declining program participation and lower food costs than originally estimated in the President’s FY04 budget request.
Child nutrition programs would receive $11.418 billion in FY2004, an $838 million increase over FY2003 as requested by the President.
Other funding levels include $1.389 billion for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), $15.5 million above last year and $5.4 million below the President’s request; and $1.192 billion for the Food for Peace Program, $7 million more than the level requested by the President.
Labor, HHS, Education
The same day, the House Appropriations Committee approved, 33-23, the FY2004 Labor-HHS-Education appropriations bill (as-yet-unnumbered). The measure would allocate $138.04 billion in FY2004, a $5.68 billion increase over the FY2003 appropriations bill (P.L. 108-7) and $50 million more than the President’s request.
Programs of particular interest to women and their families would receive the same level of funding as they did in the bill approved by the Subcommittee on June 19 (see The Source, 6/20/03).
During consideration of the bill, Rep. David Obey (D-MI) offered a substitute amendment to provide increased funding levels for certain programs in the Chair’s mark, including: a $1 billion increase for Title I grants over FY2003; $3.175 billion for teacher quality grants under the No Child Left Behind Act; $73 million for Community Health Centers; $67 million for the Maternal and Child Health Block Grant; a 20 percent increase for infectious disease control programs at the CDC; and an overall 5.5 increase for the NIH. These increases would have been offset by scaling back the 5 percent tax cut for taxpayers with an annual income of more than $1 million as included in the Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003 (P.L. 108-27). The amendment was defeated, 28-35.
Defense
On June 26, the House Appropriations Committee approved, by voice vote, the FY2004 defense appropriations bill (as-yet-unnumbered). The measure would allocate $368.7 billion in FY2004, a $13.6 billion increase over the FY2003 appropriations bill (P.L. 107-248).
Several women’s health research programs would be funded under the bill: $150 million for the Army’s Peer-Reviewed Breast Cancer Research Program and $10 million for the Ovarian Cancer Research Program. Both breast cancer research and ovarian cancer research would be level-funded.
The bill also would provide $5 million for the establishment of a Gynecologic Disease Program and $16 million for the Comprehensive Reproductive System Care Program.
Military Construction
On June 26, the House passed, 428-0, the FY2004 military appropriations bill (H.R. 2559). The measure would allocate $9.2 billion, a $1.5 billion decrease from the FY2003 appropriations bill (P.L. 107-249) and $79 million above the level requested by the President.
Under H.R. 2559, $3.9 billion would be allocated for military family housing, of which $1.2 billion would be allocated for new family housing units and improvements to existing units, and $2.7 billion would be used for the operation and maintenance of existing units. Congress allocated $4.23 billion in FY2003 for military family housing.
In addition, H.R. 2559 would allocate $16 million for child development centers. In FY2003, Congress provided $18 million for child development centers.
