Just days after the House Appropriations Committee approved the FY2001 Treasury, Postal Service, and General Government spending bill (H.R. 4871), the House debated and passed the measure by a vote of 216-202 on July 20. During debate on the measure, Members considered a number of amendments affecting women and families.
Members managed to avert a contentious discussion over a provision that would require health plans participating in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP) to cover prescription contraceptives if they also cover other prescription drugs. The bill maintains current law with respect to this provision, which exempts religiously-affiliated health plans from providing coverage, as well as physicians and others who otherwise provide for contraceptives.
The House defeated, 184-230, an effort to repeal the current restriction on abortion coverage under FEHBP. Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) offered the amendment to repeal the restriction, arguing, “This amendment does not provide government or taxpayer subsidies for abortion. The health care benefit, like the salary, belongs to the employee. The employee is then free to choose from a wide range of health plans that best meet their needs and then purchase that health plan with their own money.”
Rep. Mark Souder (R-IN) disagreed with Rep. DeLauro’s interpretation of the amendment, saying, “Our health care plans, including mine, are 28 percent roughly, depending on which plan you choose, paid by you and 72 percent by everybody else. This is whether or not we have to be forced to pay for other people’s choices.”
The bill would extend a federal child care program that allows federal agencies to use administrative funds to help low-income employees pay for child care expenses. The provision, authored by Rep. Connie Morella (R-MD), was included in last year’s bill.
During floor debate, Reps. Benjamin Gilman (R-NY), Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), and Morella offered an amendment that would require all workers in a federal child care facility to undergo criminal background checks. The amendment was adopted by voice vote. Pointing out the need for the amendment, Rep. Gilman said, “Congress passed the Crime Control Act in 1990, including a provision calling for mandatory background checks for employees hired by a Federal agency. However, some agencies have interpreted that law in such a way that many child care employees are not subjected to background checks….Without performing background checks, the children in day care, as well as the employees in Federal facilities, are exposing themselves to possible violent acts in the workplace.”
Another amendment dealing with family and medical leave was adopted by voice vote. The amendment, offered by Reps. Maloney, Gilman, and Steny Hoyer (D-MD), would require the Office of Personnel Management to conduct a study on ways in which federal employees could be provided with six weeks of paid leave for the birth or adoption of a child.
“This study will likely reveal that the Federal Government will become more competitive with the private sector by offering paid parental leave. This study will likely show that the government’s recruitment efforts will be boosted and that the costs related to turnover and replacement will be greatly reduced. Finally, this study will conclude that the Federal workforce can win back dedicated and qualified workers to the Government if we offer a benefit that is already being offered by the majority of private sector companies,” stated Rep. Maloney.
The bill also includes language from last year, authored by Rep. Maloney, that allows a woman to breastfeed her child on federal property.
