FY2008 Budget Resolution Reported to Full Senate - Women's Congressional Policy Institute

On March 15, the Senate Budget Committee approved, 12-11, the FY2008 budget resolution (S. Con. Res. 21). The resolution would provide $948.8 billion for discretionary spending.

In FY2008, the measure would provide $37.5 billion for international affairs; $83.6 billion for education, training, employment and social services; $54.8 billion for health care programs; and $50 billion for the reauthorization of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). The resolution also proposes to extend Alternative Minimum Tax relief through 2008.

The proposal would fully fund the president’s request for the Defense Department’s core spending and for additional war funding through 2009.

During consideration of the resolution, the committee adopted the following amendments:

an amendment by Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) that would create a deficit-neutral reserve fund for health information technology and would protect patient’s privacy rights in health care, by voice vote;
an amendment by Sen. Pete Domenici (R-NM) that would establish a deficit-neutral reserve fund for mental health parity, by voice vote;
an amendment by Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD) that would establish a deficit-neutral reserve fund for the long-term care of individuals, by voice vote;
an amendment by Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) that would establish a deficit-neutral reserve fund for health care overhaul, assuming that a SCHIP reauthorization bill is enacted, 12-11; and
an amendment by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) that would set aside up to $5 billion in additional mandatory child care funding under the Child Care Development block grant, 12-11.The committee rejected an amendment by Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) that sought to limit health insurance under SCHIP to children below 200 percent of the poverty level and would create a reserve fund for reauthorization of the program.
“I believe the Chairman’s mark provides a fiscally-responsible budget plan for our country,” said Chair Kent Conrad (D-ND). “While no single budget resolution can solve all of our budget challenges, this plan will begin to put the nation back on a more sound fiscal path. I believe that this is true about this resolution. It certainly does not solve all our problems…But I believe this is a beginning and I believe it is a responsible beginning.”

Ranking Member Judd Gregg (R-NH) said, “[T]he language of the budget as proposed says one thing, the substance of the budget seems to say the other…fiscal restraint and then there’s significant discretionary spending; no new taxes, but there’s revenue assumptions of approximately half a trillion dollars; entitlements will be controlled, but there’s no entitlement reform…and in my opinion we will not have disciplined ourselves in a time when should have been disciplining ourselves.”