This week, the House and Senate approved an emergency supplemental spending bill for disaster-relief activities related to Hurricanes Charley and Frances. The House approved the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education spending bill. The Senate began its consideration of the Department of Homeland Security spending bill. Senate Appropriations subcommittees approved the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies; and Transportation, Treasury, and Independent Agencies spending bills.
To date, the Department of Defense spending bill is the only one of the thirteen FY2005 spending bills that has been enacted into law.
House Action
Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education
On September 9, the House approved, 388-13, the FY2005 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education spending bill (H.R. 5006). The House Appropriations Committee approved the measure on July 14 (see The Source, 7/16/04).
H.R. 5006 would allocate $142.53 billion in FY2005, a $2.77 billion increase over FY2004 and $202 million above the administration’s request.
During consideration of the bill, the House approved, 223-193, an amendment offered by Rep. David Obey (D-WI) that would block the Department of Labor from using funds in the bill to implement its rule on overtime pay, which was first published in March 2003. Under the final rule, full-time workers who earn up to $23,660 per year will be automatically eligible for overtime pay. The Department of Labor estimates that an additional 1.3 million white-collar workers will be eligible for overtime pay. The rule went into effect on August 23.
The House approved, by voice vote, an amendment by Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) that would provide $3 million for the Women’s Educational Equity Act (WEEA) from funding made available for school improvement programs.
Citing the gender disparities in science and mathematics, Rep. Maloney stated, “In 2003, male students scored higher on average than female students in mathematics. Girls represent only 17 percent of the computer science AP takers. Women are roughly 20 percent of IT professionals. Women receive less than 28 percent of the computer science bachelor’s degrees, down from a high of 37 percent in 1984. Women make up just 9 percent of engineering-related bachelor’s degrees. These statistics are unacceptable, but would be worse without WEEA.” She argued that the program “has made a difference in the lives of millions of girls and women for 30 years by training teachers to treat boys and girls fairly in the classroom, teaching about reducing sexual harassment, and encouraging girls to study math and science among many other things. WEEA ensures that girls and women will succeed in school, plain and simple.”
The House also approved, by voice vote, an amendment by Rep. Randy Neugebauer (R-TX) that would prohibit the National Institute of Mental Health from funding grants for research projects on how college students express themselves through dorm decorations and web pages and on what makes a meaningful day for college students.
The House rejected the following amendments:
n amendment by Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX) that would have provided an additional $2.5 million for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and an additional $1.5 million for the National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities to fund research on lupus. The amendment would have been offset by a $4 million reduction in funding for Children and Family Services Programs. The amendment was defeated, 112-305;
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Report Language
Department of Labor
As requested by the administration, the Department of Labor’s Women’s Bureau would receive $9.55 million in FY2005, $287,000 more than FY2004. The House Appropriations Committee report accompanying H.R. 5006 states that the committee “intends that the Women’s Bureau increase funding for Women Work! training and technical assistance services for programs that assist women in transition to reenter the workforce. Women Work! has valuable experience, is uniquely qualified to deliver these services through its national network, and has demonstrated results through outcome assessments. An increase in funding is needed to meet the needs of more than 1,000 programs in the Women Work! Network.”
Dislocated workers assistance would receive $1.48 billion in FY2005, $23 million more than FY2004 and $95.3 million above the administration’s request. The report indicates that the secretary of labor may use up to $50 million “to carry out the Community College/Community-Based Job Training Initiative. The Committee encourages the Secretary to ensure that funds used for the Initiative to strengthen partnerships between community colleges, employers, and local workforce investment boards.”
The bill would include $35.55 million for the Bureau of International Labor Affairs (ILAB). This amount is $75.1 million below the FY2004 level and $5 million above the administration’s request. Report language notes that the ILAB “will continue to coordinate the Department’s global responsibilities in 2004 and to provide expert support for many of the Administration’s international initiatives, including the promotion of core labor standards and the elimination of exploitative child labor.”
H.R. 5006 does not include the $50 million requested by the administration for Personal Reemployment Accounts. The bill also does not include the $40 million requested for the Prisoner Re-entry Initiative. Legislation has not been enacted to create these programs.
Department of Health and Human Services
Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA): Under the bill, HRSA would receive $6.27 billion in FY2005, $450 million below FY2004 and $244 million above the administration’s request. Community Health Centers would receive $1.84 billion in FY2005, an increase of $208 million above FY2004 and equal to the administration’s request.
H.R. 5006 would provide $729.8 million for the Maternal and Child Health Block Grant, a $4.4 million decrease below the FY2004 level and equal to the administration’s request. Of this amount, $4 million would be provided to continue the sickle cell newborn screening program and its locally based outreach and counseling efforts.
The bill would allocate $2 million for newborn and child screening for heritable disorders. According to the report, “Newborn screening is used for early identification of infants affected by certain genetic, metabolic, hormonal and or functional conditions for which there is effective treatment or intervention. Screening detects disorders in newborns that, left untreated, can cause death, disability, mental retardation and other serious illnesses.”
The committee “commends HRSA for its support of the Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) program support center and encourages the Maternal and Child Health Bureau to continue its efforts in this area of service. The Committee is pleased that the SIDS and Other Infant Death Support Center is collaborating with the National Institutes of Health to address the disproportionately high incidence of SIDS among African Americans.”
The Healthy Start infant mortality initiative would receive $97.75 million in FY2005, $249,000 less than FY2004 and equal to the administration’s request. The measure also would provide $9.87 million for universal newborn hearing screening. Under the administration’s request, this program would not have been funded.
The report notes that “since 1990, the Maternal and Child Health Bureau has worked in cooperative agreement to run the National Fetal Infant Mortality Review (NFIMR) program. NFIMR provides training and assistance to enhance cooperative partnerships among local community health professionals, public health officers, community advocates and consumers to reduce infant mortality. The goal is to improve local services and resources for women, infants and families, to remove barriers to care, and to ensure culturally appropriate, family friendly services. Such efforts are crucial to understanding and addressing infant health disparities in communities at highest risk. The Committee encourages HRSA to continue to use Healthy Start funds to support the NFIMR project.”
The measure would not provide additional funding for the National Cord Blood Stem Cell Bank program “pending the completion of the Institute of Medicine report on the structure and administration of such a program.” Last year, Congress allocated $10 million for the establishment of the program. The administration requested $9.94 million for the program.
Ryan White: The Ryan White Care Act would receive a $35 million increase over the FY2004 funding level to $2.07 billion, $20 million more than the administration’s request. Of this amount, $73.1 million would be provided to help children, youth, women, and families infected with, or affected by, HIV/AIDS. The committee “expects that Ryan White AIDS activities that are targeted to address the growing HIV/AIDS epidemic and its disproportionate impact upon communities of color, including African Americans, Latinos, Native Americans, Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders will be supported at no less than the fiscal year 2004 level.”
Family Planning: Title X would receive $278.2 million in FY2005. This amount is $1.8 million less than the FY2004 funding level and equal to the administration’s request. According to the report, Title X “provides grants to public and private non-profit agencies to support a range of family planning and reproductive services, as well as related preventive health services such as patient education and counseling, breast and cervical cancer examinations, STD and HIV prevention education, counseling and testing and referral, and pregnancy diagnosis and counseling. The program also supports training for providers, an information and education program, and a research program which focuses on family planning service delivery improvements. The Committee encourages HRSA to work with CDC to implement HIV/AIDS testing and counseling as part of the services provided in family planning centers.”
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): The measure would allocate $4.48 billion for the CDC in FY2005, $270 million less than FY2004 and $15 million above the administration’s request. Of this total, $119.2 million would be provided for the prevention of birth defects, developmental disabilities, and disability and health activities. That would represent a $5.7 million increase over the FY2004 level and a $6.3 million increase over the administration’s request. The total includes $907,000 for the national spina bifida program and $500,000 for the national campaign to increase the number of women taking folic acid daily. According to the report, the committee “is pleased to learn that severe brain and spinal defects have dropped 27 percent in the U.S. since certain food producers have been required to fortify their foods with folic acid. The Committee encourages CDC to work with producers of suitable ethnic foods, such as tortillas, so ethnic populations may also benefit from folic acid fortification.”
Chronic disease prevention and health promotion would receive $915.7 million, a $56.7 million increase over FY2004 and $300,000 above the administration’s request. Within that amount, $49 million would be provided for heart disease and stroke, $328.6 million for cancer prevention and control, $25.8 million for arthritis and other chronic diseases, and $54.6 million for safe motherhood and infant health.
Within the amount provided for cancer prevention and control, $220.9 million would be allocated for the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program. As requested by the administration, this amount represents a $10 million increase over the FY2004 level. Within the amount provided for arthritis and other chronic diseases, $993,000 would be allocated for the National Lupus Patient Registry.
According to the report, the committee “recognizes that childhood and adolescent obesity is a serious and growing health concern. It is linked to the recent rise in Type 2 diabetes and exposes them to greater risk for 42 diseases as an adult, including coronary heart disease and some cancers. The Committee urges the CDC to undertake an epidemiological study of the long-term impact of childhood and adolescent obesity. The Committee also encourages the CDC to fund school and community pilot programs that will increase nutritional awareness and that emphasize the importance of limiting non-nutritive carbohydrates.”
H.R. 5006 would provide $65 million for the Childhood Obesity Prevention Program, known as VERB. The report states that the committee “understands that evaluation results from the first year of funding for VERB demonstrate that the campaign has directly resulted in improved physical activity among the targeted age group, 9-to-13 year-olds. Funds will be used to support the fourth year of this national campaign, including updating the campaign’s creative positioning and messages as well as marketing strategies and tactics in order to keep up with the rapidly changing target audience. Funds also will be used to continue a rigorous evaluation of the campaign’s effectiveness.”
The House Appropriations Committee “continues to be interested in pulmonary hypertension (PH), a rare, progressive and fatal disease that predominantly affects women, regardless of age or race. Because early detection of PH is critical to a patient’s survival and quality of life, the Committee continues to encourage CDC to give priority consideration to supporting a cooperative agreement with the pulmonary hypertension community designed to foster greater awareness of the disease.”
Report language states, “The Committee encourages the CDC to expand research on the cause of preterm birth, the prevention of preterm delivery for women at risk and the social and environmental factors exacerbating higher rates of preterm delivery in African-American women.”
The committee encourages the CDC “to prioritize abstinence education among adolescents served through the Divisions of Adolescent School Health. Abstinence Education is consistent with the strategic direction of CDC in providing greater holistic health protection for young people and should be prioritized in activities funded through grants, cooperative agreements and other partnerships with DASH.”
The bill would provide $1.15 billion for HIV/AIDS, sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), and tuberculosis prevention at the CDC, a decrease of $150 million below the FY2004 level and $6 million above the administration’s request. Of that amount, $142.8 million would be provided for global HIV/AIDS programs, $150.7 million less than FY2004 and equal to the administration’s request. In addition, $172.9 million would be provided for STD activities. H.R. 5006 does not provide funding for the International Mother and Child HIV Prevention Initiative because funding was requested by the Global AIDS Coordinator’s Office at the State Department. Last year, Congress allocated $150 million for the initiative.
According to the report, the committee “applauds CDC’s steps to emphasize HIV testing to identify infected persons who are not aware of their own infection and to get them into treatment and prevention services. The Committee encourages the CDC to work specifically with federal programs providing reproductive health services to women to implement HIV/AIDS testing and counseling as a part of the Advancing HIV Prevention Initiative.”
The committee “expects the CDC to allocate not less than the fiscal year 2004 level for activities that are targeted to address the growing HIV/AIDS epidemic and its disparate impact on communities of color, including African Americans, Latinos, Native Americans, Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders. The Committee expects CDC to follow the fiscal year 2002 report accompanying this bill regarding the disbursement of these funds.”
The measure provides an increase of $5 million above the FY2004 level to expand infertility prevention activities for the uninsured and underinsured women. The report states that the committee “understands that in six regions, which represent the most highly populated areas, screening activities reach only 36 percent of women in need.”
National Institutes of Health (NIH): The NIH would receive $28.5 billion in FY2005, $518 million above FY2004, but $305 million less than the administration’s request.
According to the report, the committee understands that the National Cancer Institute (NCI) “will soon begin implementing a human embryonic stem cell program. The Committee requests NCI to submit a report to the Committee on December 1, 2004 listing the human embryonic stem cell research grants that NCI has awarded, the requests for proposals on human embryonic stem cell research that have been developed by NCI, and a plan describing how NCI will further develop its human embryonic stem cell research program.”
The committee “is encouraged by [the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute] NHLBI’s growing interest in scleroderma, a chronic and progressive disease that predominantly strikes women. Scleroderma is disfiguring and can be life-threatening, affecting multiple systems including the heart and lungs. More research is needed to develop safe, effective treatments and to identify the causes of the complications of scleroderma that include pulmonary fibrosis, pulmonary hypertension, myocardial fibrosis, cardiac arrhythmias, pericarditis, and Raynaud’s Phenomenon.”
The report states, “Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a rare, progressive and fatal disease that predominantly affects women, regardless of age or race. PH causes deadly deterioration of the heart and lungs and is a secondary condition in many other serious disorders such as scleroderma and lupus. The Committee continues to view research in this area as a high priority and commends NHLBI’s efforts to promote PH-related research. The Committee encourages the Institute to continue funding for basic research, gene therapy and clinical trials of promising pharmaceuticals, and to take appropriate measures to ensure the submission of high quality proposals in this area.”
The committee encourages the NHLBI “to establish a universal treatment algorithm (after consultation with established medical associations) for the treatment of Von Willebrand disease. At present there is no accepted treatment algorithm in the United States for this condition. The Committee also recognizes that Von Willebrand disease is an under-recognized and under-diagnosed disease. The Committee believes that there are instances where women who are suffering from idiopathic menorrhagia are needlessly subjected to invasive procedures such as hysterectomies. The Committee encourages NHLBI to launch a pilot program among obstetricians and gynecologists treating patients, especially young women, with idiopathic menorrhagia to provide a blood test for Von Willebrand disease. Such a program would act to confirm if a link exists between menorrhagia and Von Willebrand disease in addition to providing the benefits of early detection and treatment.”
The report indicates that the committee “is aware that research on saliva has progressed rapidly and holds the potential to be an inexpensive non-invasive diagnostic tool for early detection of breast cancer, osteoporosis, hepatitis, HIV, and Sjogren’s disease. The Committee encourages [the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research] NIDCR to work cooperatively with NCI and other appropriate institutes in pursuing research initiatives on the development of saliva as a diagnostic tool.”
According to the report, the committee “is pleased by the unprecedented scientific advances in the area of interstitial cystitis (IC) research, particularly in the area of urinary markers. The Committee understands that this progress is due in large part to investments in basic science research. Therefore, the Committee encourages [the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases] NIDDK to continue to aggressively support IC-specific basic science initiatives, particularly through program announcements. The Committee also encourages NIDDK to work closely with the IC patient community on developing and funding an IC awareness campaign for both the public and professional community, as well as to host a consensus conference on the definition of IC. The absence of a uniform definition which accurately captures the condition and the affected population is negatively impacting patients in terms of diagnosis and treatment as well as researchers in terms of literature review and their research activities.”
The committee “encourages NIDDK, in concert with other NIH institutes, to increase research into disease-related osteoporosis and/or bone disorders. NIDDK should consider supporting research on the role of genetics, the effects of these diseases on bone turnover and altered bone metabolism, the impact of environmental and lifestyle factors, their effects on bone quality and fracture incidence, the role of bone marrow changes, the use of agents to increase bone mass, and the therapeutic use of new technologies to combat osteoporosis.”
The report states, “The Committee recognizes the interest in the June 2002 NIH-STD Condom Report and the attention that this report calls to the epidemic of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) that the nation is experiencing. The Committee encourages NIH to continue its practice of making advances in STD research available to the public and to health practitioners through websites and other publications.”
The committee is pleased with the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development’s (NICHD) continued efforts “to extend the reach of its ‘Back to Sleep’ campaign to underserved populations and daycare providers. The Committee encourages NICHD to transition from its SIDS five-year research plan to a more comprehensive plan focusing on SIDS, stillbirth, and miscarriage. The Committee requests that NICHD determine an appropriate means of including research on these causes of infant mortality into one inclusive plan.”
The committee “encourages NICHD to support genomic and proteomic research in the area of prematurity to hasten a better understanding of the pathophysiology of premature birth, discover novel diagnostic biomarkers, and ultimately aid in formulating more effective interventional strategies to prevent premature birth.”
According to the report, “The rates of premature births have increased 29 percent since 1981 to over 480,000 babies in 2002. African-American infants are nearly twice as likely as non-Hispanic white infants to be born prematurely. Premature birth is the leading cause of death in the first month of life. Premature birth can happen to any pregnant woman and the causes of nearly half of all preterm births are unknown. The Committee commends NICHD for its work on preterm birth and encourages enhanced efforts to research the underlying causes of preterm delivery, to identify prevention strategies and improve the treatment and outcomes for infants born preterm.”
The committee “was encouraged about the research results from NICHD’s Maternal Fetal Medicine Units Network on the identification of a therapy, progesterone, that prevents recurrent preterm birth in high-risk women. The Committee understands that this is one of the first advances in this area, despite extensive efforts over decades. The Committee encourages NICHD to build on this finding through continued support of the MFMU Network.”
The report states that the committee “applauds NICHD efforts in addressing stillbirth, a major public health issue with morbidity equal to that of all infant deaths. The Committee understands that NICHD has established a cooperative network of clinical centers and a data center to address this issue with a standard protocol. The Committee encourages NICHD to strongly support this effort.”
The committee “commends NICHD for its support of demographic research. This research has provided critical scientific knowledge on issues such as work-family conflicts, family formation and structure, childcare, adolescent health and wellness, family and household behavior, the role of maternal employment, and parental involvement on child development. The Committee encourages NICHD to continue support for the Population Research Infrastructure program. The diverse research supported by this program has yielded key findings in areas such as fertility, health disparities, immigration and migration trends, and family dynamics.”
The committee encourages the National Institute on Aging “to strengthen support of research into the pathophysiology of osteoporosis, Paget’s disease and osteogenesis imperfecta. Research is needed in the areas of genetics, the role of cell aging and altered metabolism, environmental and lifestyle factors, bone responsiveness to weight bearing, bone quality and fracture incidence, bone marrow changes, new agents to increase bone mass, the therapeutic use of new technology, and the comorbidity of metabolic bone diseases with chronic diseases of aging.”
The committee commends the National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR) “for its longstanding support of research to reduce health disparities among minorities. Along with research in promoting the health of minority men, NINR has focused past efforts on identifying risk factors and strategies to reduce the high rates of low birth-weight babies born to minority women. The Committee encourages NINR to expand these efforts to study other women’s health issues and to measure health indicators such as physiological, socioeconomic, emotional, environmental, cultural, and genetic factors.”
The committee encourages the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine “to conduct research on women in their thirties and forties with respect to bone health and nutrition, including the use of supplements and nutraceuticals, in an effort to determine whether such strategies can prevent osteoporosis and fractures later in life. In addition, the Committee encourages support for research on the effects of complementary and alternative medicine on bones and pain management in people with metabolic bone diseases.”
According to the report, the committee encourages the National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NCMHD) “to support research that furthers the understanding of causes and consequences of scleroderma, a chronic, degenerative disease of collagen production, present among African Americans, Hispanic and Native American men and women. NCMHD is encouraged to establish epidemiological studies to address the prevalence of scleroderma among these populations, as statistics indicate that African Americans have a slightly higher incidence of scleroderma. This population is also likely to be diagnosed at a younger age and tends to be diagnosed more often with the diffuse form of scleroderma.”
The report states, “The Office of Research on Women’s Health (ORWH) works in collaboration with the Institutes and Centers of NIH to promote and foster efforts to address gaps in knowledge related to women’s health through the enhancement and expansion of funded research and/or the initiation of new investigative studies. The ORWH is responsible for ensuring the inclusion of women in clinical research funded by NIH, including the development of a computerized tracking system and the implementation of guidelines on such inclusion. This Office is also involved in promoting programs to increase the number of women in biomedical science careers, and in the development of women’s health and sex and gender factors in biology as a focus of medical/scientific research.”
The committee “is pleased with the increased focus on irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) at the ORWH. It is estimated that between 25 and 45 million Americans, disproportionately women, suffer from IBS.”
According to the report, “Twenty to thirty percent of women in the U.S. of reproductive age suffer from uterine fibroids, a benign tumor that affects their reproductive health. Research on treatment has been limited, and often women have unnecessary hysterectomies when less costly and invasive treatments may be possible. In conjunction with NICHD, NIEHS [the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences], and NCMHD, ORWH is encouraged to intensify and coordinate programs to support research on uterine fibroids.”
The report states, “Microbicides, a class of products that would be applied topically to prevent HIV, represent a promising prevention strategy, with the potential to be especially significant in preventing HIV in women, who now account for more than half of the individuals newly infected with HIV globally. Once developed, microbicides and vaccines would serve as complementary HIV prevention technologies. The Committee is concerned that microbicide research at NIH is currently conducted with no single line of administrative accountability or specific funding coordination. The Committee urges NIH to consider establishing a lead office to coordinate research among institutes and with other Federal agencies.”
The report indicates that Lupus “is a disabling and life-threatening autoimmune disease which affects more than 1.5 million Americans, 90 percent of whom are women. It causes the immune system to attack the body’s own cells and organs, including the kidneys, heart, lungs, brain, blood and skin. Lupus is two to three times more common among African Americans, Native Americans, Hispanics, and Asians, than among Caucasians. Lupus is a disease of rampant, uncontrolled inflammation caused by multiple genes. Scientists know some of the specific proteins that trigger lupus and are approaching a time when new strategies in molecular medicine can be applied to improve the function of these proteins and prevent lupus flares. Because lupus is a multifaceted disease, the Committee encourages the Director to ensure that all relevant institutions work closely and collaboratively to maximize the output of our national investment in lupus research. To ensure that progress is maximized, the Committee requests NIH to develop a five-year trans-NIH research plan for the full spectrum of lupus research.”
The committee “recognizes that spina bfida is the leading permanently disabling birth defect in the U.S. and encourages NIH to put a higher priority on research into primary and secondary prevention of this condition. While through research we have learned that Spina Bfida is highly preventable through proper nutrition, including appropriate folic acid consumption, too many pregnancies are still affected each year by this devastating birth defect.”
According to the report, “Rett syndrome is a genetically inherited neurological disorder seen almost exclusively in females and found in many racial and ethnic groups worldwide…The Committee is very encouraged by the most recent advances that have taken place in Rett syndrome research. Important breakthroughs in methods to detect previously undetected genetic variations and, most importantly, critical new discoveries in understanding the genetics of Rett syndrome are likely to catapult treatments not only for Rett syndrome but pave the way for greater understanding of other neurological impairments ranging from autism to schizophrenia…Since Rett syndrome is a multi-faceted disorder, the Committee encourages NIH to partner with existing advocacy groups and to continue to work to promote continuity across Institutes in their Rett syndrome research.”
The report states, “The Institute of Medicine has released a study demonstrating that all biological research must be cognizant of the differences that result from the sex of the patient, tissue or cell. One of the areas where such differences are most pronounced is in the field of neuroscience. For this reason, the Committee encourages the institutes involved in brain research to include sex-based biology as part of the research conducted and to analyze and report research results in this manner, when appropriate. The Committee would like a report from the Director on the progress of this effort in next year’s hearings.”
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA): SAMHSA would receive $3.39 billion in FY2005, $21 million more than FY2004, but $159 million below the administration’s request.
Center for Mental Health Services: The bill would provide $868.9 million for mental health services, $23.4 million more than FY2004, but $21.7 million less than the administration’s request. As requested by President Bush, the Mental Health Performance Partnership would receive $414.2 million in FY2005, a $1 million decrease below the FY2004 level.
H.R. 5006 does not include the $10 million requested by the administration for the Samaritan Initiative. Congress has not yet approved legislation authorizing the program.
Center for Substance Abuse Treatment: The measure would provide $2.12 billion for substance abuse treatment programs. This allocation is $6 million less than FY2004 and $141 million less than the administration’s request. The Substance Abuse Performance Partnership would be level-funded at $1.71 billion, $40 million less than the administration’s request.
Administration for Children and Families Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ): The bill would provide $303.6 million for AHRQ in FY2005, $400,000 less than FY2004 and equal to the administration’s request.
According to the report, the committee “is aware of a significant gap in information that is available to expectant mothers regarding umbilical cord blood donation. Cord blood transplants are used to treat a number of conditions, especially diseases of the blood and lymph system such as leukemia and lymphoma. The Committee encourages AHRQ to study and recommend the appropriate point in maternity care at which to provide full information on all cord blood donation options.”
Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG): The bill would grant the President’s request and provide $2.1 billion for the CCDBG in FY2005, a slight decrease below FY2004.
Social Services Block Grant: The Social Services Block Grant would be level-funded at $1.7 billion as requested by the President.
Child Support Enforcement: The measure would allocate $4.42 billion for payments to states for child support enforcement and family support programs. This amount is $150 million less than the FY2004 level and equal to the administration’s request.
International Trafficking: Under the Refugee and Entrant Assistance account, a program to aid victims of trafficking would receive $10 million, the same amount requested by the administration and $32,000 more than FY2004.
Children and Family Services Programs: Head Start would receive a $98 million increase over FY2004, bringing the total to $6.9 billion. This amount is $45 million below the administration’s request.
Consolidated runaway and homeless youth programs would receive $89.4 million in FY2005, $500,000 less than FY2004 and equal to the administration’s request. The measure does not include the administration’s request of $10 million for the Maternity Group Homes program.
According to the report, “It is the Committee’s expectation that current transitional living program grantees will continue to provide transitional living opportunities and supports to pregnant and parenting homeless youth, as is their current practice. To further ensure that pregnant and parenting homeless youth are able to access transitional living opportunities and supports in their communities, the Committee encourages the Secretary, acting through the network of federally-funded runaway and homeless youth training and technical assistance providers, to offer guidance to grantees and others on the programmatic modifications required to address the unique needs of pregnant and parenting youth and on the various sources of funding available for residential services to this population.”
The measure would provide $43.2 million for child abuse and neglect treatment and prevention activities. This amount is $8.6 million more than FY2004, but $21.8 million below the administration’s request.
Programs to increase abandoned infant assistance would receive $12.09 million in FY2005, $34,000 less than FY2004 and equal to the administration’s request.
As requested by President Bush, the bill would provide $291.99 million for child welfare services, $986,000 above the FY2004 level.
The committee recommendation does not include the $50 million that the administration requested for promoting responsible fatherhood and healthy marriages. Legislation has not been enacted to create this new program.
Adoption: The measure would provide $27.34 million for adoption opportunities, $58,000 less than FY2004. The bill would provide $32.1 million for adoption incentives, $24.65 million more than FY2004. The bill also would provide $12.91 million for adoption awareness programs, $46,000 above FY2004. All funding levels are equal to the administration’s budget request.
Mentoring Children of Prisoners: The Mentoring Children of Prisoners program would be level-funded at $50 million in FY2005 as requested by the administration.
Abstinence Education: The bill would provide $109.55 million for the abstinence education program, a $35 million increase over FY2004, but $76.88 million less than the administration’s request. Within the total, $10 million may be used to carry out a National Abstinence Education Campaign. The measure also would provide $4.5 million to study, track, and evaluate youth who receive abstinence education.
The committee “supports abstinence education…for adolescents ages 12 through 18, and supports expansion of efforts to present this abstinence message to America’s youth. Results from these programs are promising. It is important, however, to ensure that America’s youth do not receive mixed messages, or medically inaccurate information. Abstinence messages to a group of youth by a grantee must not be diluted by any instructor or materials from the same grantee. Nothing in the legislation is intended to prevent these adolescents from seeking health information or services. Nothing shall preclude entities that have a public health mandate from discussing other forms of sexual conduct or providing services, as long as this is conducted in a different setting than where and when the abstinence-only course is being conducted.”
Promoting Safe and Stable Families: The bill would provide $305 million for the Promoting Safe and Stable Families program, $99.3 million less than FY2004 and equal to the administration’s request.
Violence Against Women Act (VAWA): Funding for the National Domestic Violence Hotline would be level-funded at $3 million as requested by President Bush. In addition, battered women’s shelters would receive $125.65 million in FY2005, $752,000 less than FY2004 and equal to the administration’s request.
Administration on Aging
National Family Caregiver Support: The bill would provide $157 million for the National Family Caregiver Support program, a $3.4 million increase over FY2004 and $1.488 million above the administration’s request.
Office of the Secretary
Public Health Service’s Office on Women’s Health (PHS-OWH): The Office on Women’s Health would be level-funded at $29.1 million in FY2005 and equal to the administration’s request. The committee “encourages the Secretary to coordinate an effort among the PHS agencies to disseminate information to educate women and health care providers about the impact of uterine fibroids and available treatment options.”
Public Health Service’s Office of Minority Health (PHS-OMH): The measure would allocate $47.236 million to the Office of Minority Health, $8.3 million less than FY2004 and equal to the administration’s request.
Minority HIV/AIDS: As requested by President Bush, the measure would provide $52.8 million for minority AIDS prevention and treatment activities, a $3 million increase over FY2004.
Adolescent Family Life: The Adolescent Family Life program would be level-funded at $31.2 million in FY2005, $23.1 million below the administration’s request.
Department of Education
The report states, “Although the federal government contributes only about eight percent of all K-12 education spending in the United States, the role the federal government plays with regard to providing equal opportunity to education for all people in our society is an important one. Therefore, the Committee has focused its funding recommendations for K-12 education around the following principles: a quality teacher in every classroom; closing the achievement gap for poor and minority children by insisting on results; empowering parents; ensuring all third-grade children can read; more education, less paperwork; and spending for results.”
No Child Left Behind: Grants to local educational agencies under the No Child Left Behind Act (P.L. 107-110) would receive $13.34 billion in FY2005, $930 million more than FY2004 and equal to the administration’s request.
William F. Goodling Even Start Family Literacy Program: The measure would provide $246.91 million for the Even Start program in FY2005, a $1.39 million decrease below the FY2004 level. Under the administration’s budget request, the program would not have been funded.
Reading First and Early Reading First: The bill would provide $1.13 billion for the Reading First program, a $95 million increase over FY2004 as requested by the administration. The Early Reading First program would receive $132 million in FY2005, $37 million more than FY2004 and equal to the administration’s request.
Teacher Quality: The measure would provide $2.95 billion for teacher professional development programs. This amount is $5 million more than FY2004 and $20 million above the administration’s request. The bill would provide $45.29 million for the Transition to Teaching program to assist eligible members of the armed forces and mid-career professionals to obtain certification as teachers. This amount is $21,000 less than FY2004 and equal to the administration’s request. Math and Science Partnerships would be funded at $269.1 million in FY2005, $119.1 million above the FY2004 funding level and equal to the administration’s request.
Fund for the Improvement of Education: H.R. 5006 would provide $100 million in FY2005 for the fund for the improvement of education, $330.4 million less than FY2004 and $70.2 million below the administration’s request. Last year, Congress allocated $2.98 million of the total for women’s educational equity.
21st Century Community Learning Centers: The bill would provide $999 million for 21st Century Community Learning Centers in FY2005, $6 million less than FY2004 and equal to the administration’s request.
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA): Total spending for special education in FY2005 would be $11.1 billion, a $200 million decrease below FY2004 and equal to the administration’s request. Of this amount, $466.5 million would be allocated for grants for the Infants and Families program. This funding level is the same as the President’s request and $19.5 million above FY2004.
Education for Homeless Children and Youth: The bill would provide $70 million for education for homeless children and youth, $10 million more than FY2004 and $10.4 million above the administration’s request.
Vocational Education: In FY2005, $1.33 billion would be provided for vocational education, a $9 million decrease below the FY2004 level and $321 million above the administration’s request.
Adult Education: The measure would provide $590.2 million for adult education, a $3.5 million decrease below FY2004 and equal to the administration’s request.
Pell Grants: As requested by President Bush, Pell Grants would be funded at $12.83 billion, $753 million more than FY2004. The maximum Pell Grant award would be $4,050, the same maximum allowed in FY2004.
Child Care Access Means Parents in School (CCAMPIS): Funding for the CCAMPIS program would be level-funded at $16.1 million as requested by the administration.
Office for Civil Rights: The bill would provide $90.2 million for the Office for Civil Rights to enforce laws that prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, and age in all programs and institutions funded by the Department of Education. This funding level is $1 million above FY2004, but $2.6 million below the administration’s request.
Senate Committee Action
Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies
On September 8, a Senate Appropriations subcommittee approved, by voice vote, the FY2005 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies spending bill (as-yet-unnumbered).
The measure would allocate $16.8 billion in FY2005, $140 million less than FY2004, $50 million above the administration’s request, and $30 million more than the amount approved by the House on July 13 (see The Source, 7/16/04).
The bill would provide $5.2 billion for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, $560 million more than FY2004 and $420 million more than the administration’s request.
The measure would allocate $1.46 billion for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in FY2005, $70 million more than FY2004, but $39 million below the administration’s request.
Transportation, Treasury, and Independent Agencies
On September 9, a Senate Appropriations subcommittee approved, by voice vote, the FY2005 Transportation, Treasury, and Independent Agencies spending bill (as-yet-unnumbered).
The measure would allocate $90.6 billion in FY2005, a $1.7 billion increase above the FY2004 level, $1.7 billion above the administration’s request, and $700 million more than the amount approved by the House Appropriations Committee on July 22 (see The Source, 7/16/04).
The bill includes funding for job access and reverse commute grants, which are used to aid welfare-to-work recipients who live in “urbanized areas with populations greater than 200,000” and have transportation costs associated with their jobs. In addition, the measure also provides funding for the Minority Business Resource Center, minority business outreach, and the occupant protection incentive grants program.
A more detailed summary of the Senate spending bills will be available after full committee consideration.
Congress Approves Bill to Prevent Suicide Among Youth
On September 9, the House approved, 352-64, amendments to a bill (S. 2634) that would authorize grants for state suicide prevention programs. The Senate approved the House amendments by unanimous consent on the same day. The bill will now go to the White House for President Bush’s signature.
S. 2634 would authorize $82 million through FY2009 for the implementation of state-sponsored youth suicide early intervention and prevention strategies. The measure also would authorize grants aimed at suicide prevention programs on college campuses “to increase access to, and enhance the range of, services for students with mental and behavioral health problems that can lead to school failure, such as depression, substance abuse, and suicide attempts.” In addition, the bill would establish a technical assistance center to help local and state providers of suicide prevention programs.
As amended by the House, the bill would provide federal funding for those programs targeted only at individuals between the ages of 10 and 24. The underlying Senate bill would have included programs for children as young as age 6. In addition, the measure would require that entities receiving funds obtain prior written consent from parents for assessment services, school-sponsored programs, or treatment involving medication. The consent could be waived in an emergency situation or if the consent of the parent cannot be reasonably obtained.
Rep. Joe Barton (R-TX) explained that with the House amendments the bill “provides educational and support programs for children at risk of suicide. These suicide programs would be administered through a grant program through the States. It reflects a balanced and reasonable compromise that allows parents to have a direct role in determining whether their children participate in these long-range programs. At the same time, when there is a young man or woman in our country who is actively contemplating suicide, the bill would allow that emergency intervention could be done without any consent so that we stabilize that individual and prevent them from actually committing the suicide act at the time they are contemplating it.”
Speaking in opposition to the parental consent requirement, Rep. Bart Gordon (D-TN) stated, “Suicide is a silent epidemic in this country. There are about 600,000 teen suicide attempts each year that require emergency room care and hundreds of thousands more that are never reported. It is the third leading cause of death for older teens and the fourth leading cause of death for ages 10 to 14. Making it harder for schools to sponsor suicide-prevention programs undermines the goals of this legislation, and it perpetuates the very stigma that we are trying to overcome, and that is it is not okay to talk about youth suicide.”
Sponsored by Sen. Christopher Dodd (D-CT), the Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Act is named for the son of Sen. Gordon Smith (R-OR) who died last September at age 21.
