Senate, House Committee Approve Versions of FY2008 Budget Blueprint

FY2008 Budget Resolution Passed by Senate

On March 23, the Senate approved, 52-47, the FY2008 budget resolution (S. Con. Res. 21), which provides for federal spending for the upcoming fiscal year. The Senate Budget Committee approved the resolution on March 15 (see The Source, 3/16/07).

During consideration of the budget resolution, the Senate adopted the following amendments:

an amendment by Sens. Max Baucus (D-MT) and John Rockefeller (D-WV) that reaffirms the Senate’s commitment to the reauthorization of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP);
an amendment by Sen. Baucus to provide tax relief to middle class families and small businesses and to expand health insurance coverage for children, 97-1;
an amendment by Sen. Gordon Smith (R-OR) to establish a tobacco tax increase of up to 61 cents, the revenue from which would be used to pay for the reauthorization and expansion of SCHIP, 59-40;
an amendment by Sen. John Thune (R-SD) to provide $99 million in Community Oriented Policing Hot Spots funding as authorized in the Combat Methamphetamine Epidemic Act (P.L. 109-177);
an amendment by Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-GA) to provide funding for the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant program, as authorized in the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) and Department of Justice reauthorization Act (P.L. 109-162);
an amendment by Sen. Joseph Biden (D-DE) to increase funding by $100 million for the VAWA programs administered by the Departments of Justice and Health and Human Services, offset by an unallocated reduction to non-defense discretionary spending;
an amendment by Sens. John Kerry (D-MA) and Olympia Snowe (R-ME) to increase funding for small business programs at the Small Business Administration, such as microloans, Women Business Centers, and small business development centers; and
an amendment by Sen. Robert Casey (D-PA) to establish a deficit-neutral reserve fund for extending preschool opportunities for children.The Senate rejected the following amendments:
an amendment by Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) to provide a deficit-neutral reserve fund for SCHIP reauthorization that would cover children first, 38-59;
an amendment by Sen. Charles Grassley (R-IA) that would have repealed the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) without offsets, which would have cost $500 billion over five years, 44-53;
an amendment by Sen. Chambliss to provide a deficit-neutral reserve fund for SCHIP reauthorization that would block expansion of SCHIP to cover non-pregnant adults and supplemental dental and mental health benefits for children enrolled in SCHIP, 44-55; and
an amendment by Sens. Jeff Sessions (R-AL) and Jim DeMint (R-SC) to save families from the AMT by permitting a deduction for personal exemptions, 46-53.House Version of Resolution Clears Budget Committee
On March 21, the House Budget Committee approved, 22-17, the FY2008 budget resolution (as-yet-unnumbered).

The measure provides $1.1 trillion in overall discretionary spending for FY2008 and allocates $35.2 billion for international affairs; $82.3 billion for education, training, employment and social services; $54.2 billion for health care programs; and fully funds the president’s request for defense and war spending.

In addition, the measure would provide up to $50 billion to expand SCHIP and includes reconciliation instructions to the House Education and Labor Committee to find $75 million in savings over five years while allowing additional spending as long as there are offsets.

During consideration of the resolution, the committee adopted, by voice vote, an amendment by Ranking Member Paul Ryan (R-WI) that expresses congressional support for full payment of child support.

The committee rejected the following amendments:
an amendment by Rep. Patrick Tiberi (R-OH) that would preserve the 2001 tax credits across the board, 16-22;
an amendment by Rep. Jon Porter (R-NV) that would extend the child tax credit to $1,000 per child per year, 16-21; and
an amendment by Rep. Jo Bonner (R-AL) that would extend marriage penalty tax relief, 16-21.Rep. Ryan withdrew from consideration an amendment expressing congressional support for health insurance for the uninsured.