This week, the Senate approved the FY2006 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies and Military Construction and Veterans Affairs spending bills.
To date, only two of the eleven FY2006 appropriations bills have been enacted into law: Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies and Legislative Branch.
Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies
On September 22, the Senate approved, 97-2, the FY2006 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies spending bill (H.R. 2744). The Senate Appropriations Committee approved the measure on June 23 (see The Source, 6/24/05).
H.R. 2744 would allocate $17.35 billion in FY2006, a $520 million increase over FY2005, $610 million more than the administration’s request, and $520 million more than the amount approved by the House on June 8 (see The Source, 6/10/05).
During consideration of the bill, the Senate approved, by voice vote, an amendment offered by Sen. Mike DeWine (R-OH) expressing the sense of the Senate that efforts to alleviate hunger throughout developing countries should be expanded, international hunger relief efforts should continue to be supported, and that the United States Government should use financial and diplomatic resources to work with other donors to ensure that food aid programs receive all necessary funding and supplies. The amendment also states that food aid should be provided in conjunction with measures to alleviate hunger, malnutrition, and poverty.
Military Construction and Veterans Affairs
On September 22, the Senate approved, 98-0, the FY2006 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs spending bill (H.R. 2528). The Senate Appropriations Committee approved the measure on July 21 (see The Source, 7/22/05).
H.R. 2528 would allocate $81 billion in FY2006, a $5.1 billion increase over FY2005, but $700 million less than the administration’s request. The House-approved version of the bill would provide $85.2 billion in FY2006, but also would include funding for defense health programs and basic housing and facilities maintenance (see The Source, 5/27/05). The Senate includes funding for those programs in its annual Department of Defense spending bill.
During consideration of the bill, the Senate approved the following amendments by voice vote:
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