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Congress Approves Omnibus Spending Package

On May 4, Congress passed P.L. 115-31 the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2017, which provides funding through September 30, the end of FY2017. The spending package prevents a government shutdown that was previously avoided by H.J. Res. 49, a continuing resolution that funded the government through May 5 (see The Source, 4/28/17). President Trump signed the bill into law on May 5.

The measure complies with spending levels established by the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 (P.L. 114-74) and provides $1.07 trillion in discretionary funding; $93.5 billion would be allocated for overseas contingency operations (OCO). The legislation includes $551.1 billion for defense programs and $518.5 billion for nondefense programs. In addition, the bill includes $352 million to carry out the 21st Century Cures Act (P.L. 114-255) and allocates to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention $35 million in previously appropriated funds to address lead poisoning prevention in Flint, Michigan under P.L. 114-254 (see FY2017 Continuing Resolution Summary).

The agreement contains $2 million to establish the Women’s Suffrage Centennial Commission, which will plan and implement commemorations of the 100th anniversary of the passage and ratification of the 19th Amendment guaranteeing women the right to vote. The measure also contains funding for the Belmont-Paul Women’s Equality National Monument.

The chart below summarizes the current FY2017 funding levels for programs important to women and their families.

Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies

The FY2017 omnibus bill provides a total of $153.4 billion, which includes $20.9 billion in discretionary funding. This amount is $12.8 billion over FY2016, but $16 billion below President Obama’s FY2017 budget request.

The measure allocates $60 million for breastfeeding support initiatives and $13.6 million for the program’s infrastructure.

The legislation also contains $400,000 for the Women and Minorities in STEM Fields initiative within the National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

Program/Agency

FY2016

President’s FY2017 Request

FY2017

Department of Agriculture – Domestic Food Programs

Food and Nutrition Service

$109.796 billion

$111.763 billion

$108.111 billion

Child Nutrition Programs

$22.150 billion

$23.231 billion

$22.794 billion

Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)

$6.35 billion

$6.35 billion

 $6.35 billion

Special Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)

$80.849 billion

$81.689 billion

 $78.481 billion

Commodity Assistance Program

$296.217 million

$313.139 million

 $315.139 million

Department of Agriculture – Foreign Assistance

P.L. 480 Title II Food for Peace

$1.466 billion

$1.35 billion

 $1.466 billion

McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition

$201.626 million

$182.045 million

$201.626 million

Food and Drug Administration

Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

$4.739 billion

$4.798 billion

$4.714 billion

User Fees

$2.018 billion

$2.067 billion

$1.954 billion

Mammography User Fees

$20.109 million

$21 million

$20.522 million

 

Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies

The current spending bill provides $56.6 billion in discretionary funding for programs within the Departments of Commerce and Justice, as well as for several science-related agencies. This amount is $833 million over FY2016 and $2 billion over President Obama’s FY2017 request. The Department of Justice would receive $29 billion in FY2017, $143 million below FY2016.

The FY2017 bill includes $2 million for grants focusing on girls in the juvenile justice system and $72.5 million for missing and exploited children programs.

In addition, the measure contains funding to address domestic violence in tribal communities ($4 million), implement the Adam Walsh Act (P.L. 109-248) ($20 million), support the National Sex Offender Public Website ($1 million), and to address the backlog in testing sexual assault kits ($45 million).

Program/Agency

FY2016

President’s

FY2017 Request

FY2017

Office on Violence Against Women

$480 million

$489 million

$481.5 million

Grants to Combat Violence Against Women (STOP Grants)

$215 million

$200 million

$215 million

Transitional Housing Assistance

$30 million

$30 million

$30 million

Research and Evaluation on Violence Against Women

$5 million

$3 million

$3 million

Consolidated Youth-Oriented Program

$11 million

$11 million

$11 million

Sexual Assault Victims Services

$35 million

$35 million

$35 million

Rural Domestic Violence and Child Abuse Enforcement

$34 million

$34 million

$35 million

Violence on College Campuses

$20 million

$26 million

$20 million

Civil Legal Assistance

$45 million

$52.5 million

$45 million

Elder Abuse Grant Program

$5 million

$6.25 million

$5 million

Family Civil Justice

$16 million

$16 million

$16 million

Education and Training for Disabled Female Victims

$6 million

$6 million

$6 million

National Resource Center on Workplace Responses

$500,000

$500,000

$500,000

Indian Country-Sexual Assault Clearinghouse

$500,000

$500,000

$500,000

Research on Violence Against Indian Women

$1 million

$1 million

$1 million

Rape Survivor Child Custody Act

$2.5 million

$1.5 million

Office of Justice Programs

$1.883 billion

$1.676 billion

$1.691 billion

Victims of Trafficking

$45 million

$0

$45 million

Prison Rape Prevention and Prosecution

$10.5 million

$10.5 million

$10.5 million

Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA)

$9 million

$9 million

$9 million

DNA Initiative

$125 million

$105 million

$125 million

Debbie Smith Backlog Grants

$117 million

Did not specify

$117 million

Sexual Assault Forensic Exam

$4 million

Did not specify

$4 million

Related Agencies

Commission on Civil Rights

$9.2 million

$9.43 million

$9.2 million

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

$364.5 million

$376.646 million

$364.5 million

Legal Services Corporation

$385 million

$475 million

$385 million

 

Defense

The omnibus bill provides $516.1 billion in discretionary funding for FY2017. This amount is $2 billion over FY2016 and $16.3 billion over President Obama’s request.

The bill includes $120 million for breast cancer research, $20 million for ovarian cancer research, $8 million for global HIV/AIDS prevention, and $296 million for sexual assault prevention and response programs, including $25 million for the implementation and expansion of the sexual assault special victims counseling program.

The FY2017 bill also provides $10 million for the recruitment and retention of women in the Afghanistan National Security Forces and training of female security personnel, and $5 million for the Women in Military Service Memorial.

Program/Agency

FY2016

President’s FY2017 Request

FY2017

Military Personnel

$129.229 billion

$128.902 billion

$128.726 billion

Defense Health Program

$32.329 billion

$33.468 billion

$33.781 billion

 

Financial Services and General Government

The current spending bill provides $21.5 billion in discretionary funding. This amount is $1.97 billion less than FY2016 and $2.6 billion below President Obama’s FY2017 request and includes funding for the Small Business Administration.

The legislation continues the ban against using federal or local funds for abortions in the District of Columbia.

Program/Agency

FY2016

President’s FY2017 Request

FY2017

Small Business Administration

$871.042 million

$877.894 million

$886.671 million

Entrepreneurial Development Programs

$231.1 million

$230.6 million

$245.1 million

Women’s Business Centers

$17 million

$16.7 million

$18 million

National Women’s Business Council

$1.5 million

$1.5 million

$1.5 million

Microloan Technical Assistance

$25 million

$31 million

$31 million

Small Business Development Centers

$117 million

$115 million

$125 million

 

Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies

The omnibus bill provides $161 billion in discretionary funding for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services (HHS), Education, as well as other agencies and programs. This amount is $934 million less than FY2016 and $2.86 billion below President Obama’s request.

The bill extends through FY2018 the authorization for the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program and does not prohibit states from using federal grants for family planning and preventative screening services provided by Planned Parenthood.

The Department of Labor would receive $12.1 billion, which is $83 million below FY2016 and $710 million below President Obama’s FY2017 request.

HHS would receive $73.5 billion in FY2017. This amount is $2.8 billion over FY2016 and $3.8 billion over President Obama’s request. The amount includes funding for several women-specific chronic disease and health promotion, injury prevention and control, and substance abuse treatment programs within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The Department of Education would receive $68 billion in FY2017. This amount is $1.2 billion below FY2016 and $2.3 billion below President Obama’s FY2017 request.

Program/Agency

FY2016

President’s FY2017 Request

FY2017

Department of Labor

Dislocated Workers’ Assistance

$1.242 billion

$1.334 billion

$1.242 billion

Women in Apprenticeships

$994,000

$0

$0

Women’s Bureau

$11.536 million

$12.902 million

$12.53 million

International Labor Affairs

$86.125 million

$101.23 million

$86.125 million

Department of Health and Human Services

Health Resources and Services Administration

$6.384 billion

$5.983 billion

 

$6.461 billion

Community Health Centers

$1.491 billion

$1.341 billion

$1.491 billion

Maternal and Child Health Bureau

$845.117 billion

$845.117 billion

$863.617 billion

Maternal and Child Health Block Grant

$638.2 million

$638.2 million

$641.7 million

Heritable Disorders

$13.883 million

$14 million

$13.883 million

Universal Newborn Hearing Screening

$17.818 million

$17.818 million

$17.818 million

Healthy Start

$103.5 million

$103.5 million

$103.5 million

Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency Act

$2.323 billion

$2.298 billion

$2.319 billion

Ryan White Part C-Early Intervention

$205.079 million

$280.167 million

$201.079 million

Ryan White Part D-Children, Youth, Women and Families Programs

$75.088 million

$0

$75.088 million

Family Planning

$286.479 million

$300 million

$286.479 million

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (overall)

$7.233 billion

$7.039 billion

$7.255 billion

Global Health

$427.121 million

$442.121 million

$435.121 million

HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STDs, and TB Prevention

$1.122 billion

$1.127 billion

$1.117 billion

National Institutes of Health (overall)

$32.084 billion

$31.084 billion

$34.084 billion

National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities

$279.718 million

$279.68 million

$289.069 million

Administration for Children and Families (overall)

$32.758 billion

$34.761 billion

$33.975 billion

Child Support Enforcement

$4.071 billion

$4.277 billion

$4.277 billion

Refugee and Entrant Assistance (aid to victims of trafficking)

$18.775 million

$22 million

$18.755 million

Child Care Development Block Grant

$2.761 billion

$2.962 billion

$2.856 billion

Children and Families Services Program

$10.984 billion

$11.725 billion

$11.294 billion

Head Start

$9.168 billion

$9.602 billion

$9.253 billion

Family Violence/Battered Women’s Shelters

$150 million

$151 million

$151 million

National Domestic Violence Hotline

$8.25 million

$12.3 million

$8.25 million

Promoting Safe and Stable Families (overall)

$404.765 million

$424.765 million

$384.765 million  

Office of the Secretary—General Departmental Management

$520.837 million

$544.89 million

$525.457 million

Sexual Risk Avoidance

$10 million

$0

$15 million

Teen Pregnancy Prevention Community Grants

$101 million

$104.79 million

$101 million

Office of Minority Health

$56.67 million

$56.67 million

$56.67 million

Office on Women’s Health

$32.14 million

$32.14 million

$32.14 million

Minority HIV/AIDS

$53.9 million

$53.9 million

$53.9 million

Office for Civil Rights

$38.798 million

$42.705 million

$38.798 million

Department of Education

Title I Grants to LEAs

$14.91 billion

$15.36 billion

$15.46 billion

Special Education Grants for Infants and Families

$458.556 million

$503.556 million

$458.556 million

Child Care Access Means Parents  in School (CCAMPIS)

$15.134 million

$15.134 million

$15.134 million

Office for Civil Rights

$107 million

$137.708 million

$108.5 million

 

Military Construction, Veterans’ Affairs, and Related Agencies

During the 114th Congress, Congress enacted P.L. 114-223, a bill to fund the programs within the FY2017 Military Construction, Veterans’ Affairs, and Related Agencies spending bill (H.R. 2577) (see The Source, 9/30/17).

That bill incorporated $82.3 billion in discretionary funds for programs within H.R. 2577. This amount is $2.5 billion more than FY2016 and $372 million below the president’s FY2017 budget request.

Program/Agency

FY2016

President’s FY2017 Request

FY2017

Military Construction

$8.71 billion

$7.444 billion

$7.726 billion

Family Housing

$1.404 billion

$1.32 billion

$1.276 billion

Department of Veterans Affairs (overall)

$162.671 billion

$177.545 billion

$176.891 billion

Veterans Health Administration

$66.637 billion

$68.776 billion

$75.633 billion

 

State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs

The FY2017 omnibus bill provides $53.1 billion in discretionary funding for the State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs portion of the bill, and includes $16.5 billion in funding for overseas contingency operations. This amount is $594 million below the FY2016 level.

The measure provides $5.326 million for the Office of Global Women’s Issues, $5 million for programs that combat genital mutilation, $1.75 million for sexual violence in conflict, and $1 million for the UN Trust Fund to End Violence Against Women. $990 million also is allocated for famine prevention, relief, and mitigation.

The legislation includes funding within the Economic Support Fund for the Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women’s Issues and family planning and reproductive health programs at the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

The bill maintains longstanding prohibitions against using federal funding for abortions via the Tiahrt, Helms, and Kemp-Kasten amendments.

Program/Agency

FY2016

President’s FY2017 Request

FY2017

Diplomatic and Consular Affairs

$5.623 billion

$6.54 billion

$6.147 billion

International Peacekeeping

$666.574 million

$806.93 million

$552.904 million

Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons

$12 million

$20.7 million

$12.5 million

USAID

$1.3 billion

$1.44 billion

$1.45 billion

Bilateral Economic Assistance

Migration and Refugee Assistance

$931.886 million

$922.597 million

$912.802 million

Global Health and Child Survival (State and USAID)

$8.503 billion

$8.577 billion

$8.725 billion

President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR)

$5.67 billion

$5.67 billion

$5.67 billion

Maternal and Child Health

$750 million

$814.5 million

$814.5 million

Vulnerable Children

$22 million

$14.5 million

$23 million

Family Planning/

Reproductive Health

$523.95 million

$544 million

$523.95 million

Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB, and Malaria

$1.35 billion

$1.35 billion

$1.35 billion

HIV/AIDS—USAID

$330 million

$330 million

$330 million

Microbicides

$45 million

$45 million

$45 million

International Organizations and Programs

U.N. Children’s Fund

$132.5 million

$132 million

$137.5 million

U.N. Women (formerly UNIFEM)

$7.7 million

$14 million

$8.5 million

U.N. Population Fund (UNFPA)

$32.5 million

$35 million

$32.5 million

 

Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies

The legislation allocates $57.7 billion in discretionary funding for the Departments of Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and for other agencies. This amount is $350 million above FY2017, but $5.5 billion below President Obama’s FY2017 request.

Program/Agency

FY2016

President’s FY2017 Request

FY2017

Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS

$335 million

$335 million

$356 million

Family Self-Sufficiency

$75 million

$75 million

$75 million

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