This week, the House approved the conference report for the FY2006 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies spending bill. In addition, the Senate approved the FY2006 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies spending bill.
To date, only three of the eleven FY2006 appropriations bills have been enacted into law: Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies; Legislative Branch; and Department of Homeland Security.
House Action
Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies
On October 28, the House approved, 318-63, the conference report for the FY2006 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies spending bill (H.R. 2744).
H.R. 2744 allocates $17.09 billion in FY2006, a $260 million increase over FY2005 and $350 million more than the administration’s request.
The bill provides $5.3 billion in FY2006 for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, $22 million above the FY2005 level and $47 million more than the budget request. Of that total, no less than $15 million is provided to continue the breastfeeding support initiative.
Child nutrition programs receive $12.7 billion in FY2006, an $879 million increase over FY2005 and $245 million more than the administration’s request.
The measure allocates $1.5 billion for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), $40 million more than FY2005 and $10 million above the budget request. Of that amount, no less than $4 million is provided for the Office of Women’s Health.
According to the conference report, “The conferees are aware that the FDA issued a monograph for sunscreen products in 2002, and the monograph was stayed shortly thereafter so that FDA could address the issue of measuring protection against UVA rays, which cause skin cancer. Since that time, no further official action has been taken by the FDA, although skins cancer rates continue to rise, especially among young persons and women. The conferees believe that a comprehensive monograph would be useful to consumers. Therefore, the conferees direct FDA to issue a comprehensive final monograph for over-the-counter sunscreen products, including UVA and UVB labeling requirements, within six months.”
As requested by President Bush, the Food Stamp Program is funded at $40.7 billion in FY2006, a $5.6 billion increase over FY2005.
Under the bill, $1.2 billion is provided for the Food for Peace Program, $23 million less than FY2005 and $265 million above the administration’s request. In addition, the McGovern-Dole Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program receives $100 million, a $13.2 million increase over FY2005 and equal to the budget request.
Senate Action
Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies
On October 27, the Senate approved, 94-3, the FY2006 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies spending bill (H.R. 3010). The Senate Appropriations Committee approved the measure on July 14 (see The Source, 7/16/05).
H.R. 3010 would allocate $145.69 billion in FY2006, a $2.23 billion increase over FY2005, $3.77 billion above the administration’s request, and $3.19 billion more than the amount approved by the House on June 24 (see The Source, 6/24/05).
During consideration of the bill, the Senate approved the following amendments by voice vote:
- an amendment by Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-MA) that would ensure that the Current Employment Survey continues the collection of data for the women worker series;
- an amendment by Sen. Richard Durbin (D-IL) that would prohibit funds in the bill from being used to disseminate scientific information that is deliberately false or misleading;
- an amendment by Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA) that would provide no less than $1 million for rapid oral HIV tests;
- an amendment by Sen. Bill Frist (R-TN) that would provide an additional $13 million for suicide prevention activities under the Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Act (P.L. 108-355), bringing the total to $132.8 million in FY2006;
- an amendment by Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) that would prohibit funds in the bill from being used to provide abstinence education that is “medically inaccurate” or “is unsupported or contradicted by peer-reviewed research by leading medical, psychological, psychiatric, and public health publications, organizations and agencies”;
- an amendment by Sen. Thad Cochran (R-MS) that would provide an additional $10 million for the Public Health Service’s Office of Minority Health, bringing the total to $61 million in FY2006. The amendment also would provide $2 million for research on sickle cell disease. The additional funding would be offset by a $12 million decrease in program management funding for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services;
- an amendment by Sen. John Sununu (R-NH) that would provide an additional $198.6 million for community health centers, bringing the total to $2.04 billion in FY2006;
- an amendment by Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI) that would require the secretary of Health and Human Services to undertake a family reunification effort in concert with national nonprofit organizations engaged in similar efforts; and
- an amendment by Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) that would block funding in the bill until the Departments of Health and Human Services and Education have reported specific actions taken to estimate improper payments under the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, Foster Care and Adoption Assistance, Medicaid, and State Children’s Health Insurance programs, the Child Care and Development Block Grant, and programs and activities under Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965.
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The Senate defeated the following amendments:
- an amendment by Sen. Kennedy that would have raised the maximum Pell Grant by $200 to $4,250 in FY2006, 48-51;
- an amendment by Sen. Christopher Dodd (D-CT) that would have provided an additional $160 million for the Head Start program, bringing the total to $7.03 billion in FY2006, 47-52;
- an amendment by Sen. Robert Byrd (D-WV) that would have provided additional funding for grants to local educational agencies under the No Child Left Behind Act (P.L. 107-110), 44-51; and
- an amendment by Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) that would have provided an additional $51.9 million for 21st Century Community Learning Centers, bringing the total to $1.04 billion in FY2006. The additional funding would have been offset by a $51.9 million decrease for departmental management at the Department of Education, 41-56.
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The following amendments were ruled non-germane:
- an amendment by Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) that would have ensured that low-income seniors and disabled individuals do not lose prescription drug coverage or suffer a gap in coverage due to implementation of the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 (P.L. 108-173);
- an amendment by Sen. Santorum that would have authorized $100 million for grants to promote family formation and healthy marriages; and
- an amendment by Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA) that would have required any additional funding for community health centers be directed to centers in areas affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
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The following amendments were considered and withdrawn:
- an amendment by Sen. Mark Dayton (D-MN) that would have fully funded the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act; and
- an amendment by Sen. Coburn that would have prohibited the use of funds in the bill for HIV Vaccine Awareness Day activities.
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