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The Guarantor of Choice SM |
TG's Legislative Report
June 8, 2006
Highlights of the FY 2007 Labor, HHS, Education Appropriations Bill as Reported from the Subcommittee on Labor, HHS, and Education
Bill Funding:
FY 2006 Comparable:
$141.088 billion ($460 billion mandatory)
FY 2007 Budget Request from the Administration:
$137.794 billion
FY 2007 Bill:
$141.930 billion ($454.6 billion mandatory spending)
Responding to pressure from moderate Republicans and the 200 Democratic House Members, the Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, HHS, and Education essentially rejected the Administration's proposed cuts to education and health and human service programs. Most of the programs under its jurisdiction were either restored or increased with proposed appropriations.
Maximum Pell Grants are increased by $100 to $4150, after remaining at $4,050 for the past four years.
Proposed appropriations for the SEOG ($771 million), College Work-Study ($980.4 million), Perkins Loans ($65.5 million), GEARUP ($303.4 million), LEAP ($65 million), Title III ($296 million), and Title V ($94.9 million) programs are level funded at current amounts — which are the same as 2001 levels.
TRIO funding is restored to last year's level of $828 million, rejecting the $448 million cut proposed in the President's budget.
The bill terminates 56 programs for a savings of $1.66 billion, provides approximately $1 billion for Member projects, and maintains current law on all abortion restrictions.
The bill earmarks $540 million — a $70 million increase — to assist states in immunizing poor children through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The bill earmarks $2 billion — a $206 million increase-to expand access to community-based health care.
Centers for Disease Control funding is $6.2 billion; within those funds, resources were increased for emerging infectious diseases, including HIV/AIDS and immunization activities.
Health Professions Training — the bill restores cuts in the budget request to critical programs that improve the availability of well — trained health care professionals to underserved areas. The bill earmarks $313 million, $154 million above the request and $18 million above last year. The bill also restores a major cut to programs that provide scholarships to disadvantaged students. The bill earmarks $47 million for this purpose, the same as last year's level and $37 million above the President's requests.
Funds to support graduate level medical programs at Children's hospital are increased by $3 million over last year and $201 million over the budget request.
Rural Health Programs — In addition to providing increased levels of funding for Community Health Centers, the bill rejects many of the Administration's budget cuts to critical rural health programs and earmarks funds that will expand health care opportunities for rural communities.
Area Health Education Centers — the bill provides $29 million to level fund efforts which establish community-based training programs in rural and underserved areas. The budget request zero funded for this program.
National Health Service Corps — the bill earmarks $132 million to ensure that health professionals are serving in areas where they are needed most. This is a $6 million increase to both the FY06 and the requested level.
Rural Outreach Grants — the bill earmarks $40 million to improve health care services to rural Americans which $1 million above last year and $30 million above the request.
Rural Hospital Flexibility Grants — the bill provides $40 million for these grants, rejecting the Administration's proposal to eliminate funding for this important program.
Rural Health Research — The bill fully funds the requested level of $9 million to support rural health centers of research. In addition, the bill rejects the administration's attempts to terminate the Rural and Community Access to Emergency Devices programs by earmarking $2 million for this initiative.
State Offices of Rural Health — In order to better coordinate a national strategy for rural health care challenges, State Offices of Rural Health are funded at $8 million, slightly above last year and the budget request.
Rural Community Facilities program — this program is fully restored to last year's level of $7 million.
Telehealth — The bill includes an increase of $3 million for a funding level of $10 million for telehealth activities.
Domestic HIV/AIDS — For the Ryan White AIDS program, the bill provides an increase of $70 million over last year and $25 million below the request with total funding of $2.1 billion. In addition, the Committee includes $63 million for a new testing initiative at CDC to help stop the spread of this disease through increased levels of testing.
National Institutes of Health — Medical research at the National Institutes of Health is funded at a program level of $28.3 billion, slightly above last year's level and equal to the budget request. This represents a 120% increase from a decade ago.
Child Care and Development Block Grant — The bill fully funds the administration's $2.1 billion request for this program.
Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) is essentially level funded at $2 billion, $329 million above the budget request.
Abstinence Education — provides level funds of $13 million for community-based abstinence education program.
Social Services Block Grant is level funded at $1.7 billion, an increase of $500 million over the President's request.
Special Education State Grants are funded at $11.6 billion, $150 million above FY06 and $50 million above the request — almost four times the amount provided in 1995.
Title I grants to States are maintained at $12.7 billion. This funding has increased almost 50 percent since FY01. The bill also provides $200 million for a new School Improvement program to help schools that have not been successful in raising the academic performance of disadvantaged children.
Reading Programs are level funded at $2 billion, the same as the President's request.
Teacher Incentive Fund — The bill continues a promising new program to develop and implement innovative ways to provide financial incentives for teachers and principals who raise student achievement and close the achievement gap in some of our Nation's highest-need schools;
Competitiveness — responding to the President's request, the bill increases funding for math/science partnerships by $43 million and the advanced placement program by $48 million. Overall, $322 million has been provided for American Competitiveness programs. courses.
Vocational Education Grants — The bill restores $1.3 billion for State vocational education grants that the President's budget proposed to eliminate. This program is a component of the competitiveness initiative.
Impact Aid is funded at the requested level of $1.23 billion, the same as last year's level.
Head Start is level funded at $6.8 billion, $3 million above the request.
Safe and Drug Free Schools State Assistance is funded at $310 million which restores these programs from their proposed elimination the budget request.
TG Congressional and Legislative Relations
(512) 219-4503
P.O. Box 83100
Round Rock, TX 78683-3100
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