March 29, 2004

 

Senate Passes Short-Term TANF Extension: Welfare Bill Will Be Considered This Week
 
On Thursday, March 25, the Senate passed a three month, "clean" extension (S. 2231) of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant.  Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn) has scheduled floor action of the long-term TANF reauthorization (H.R. 4) beginning this week, but roll call votes are not expected until Tuesday.  Senator Olympia Snow (R-Maine) is expected to offer the first amendment for consideration, providing an additional $6 billion in child care funds.
 
The measure would reauthorize various programs, including the block grant through fiscal year 2008.  It would increase the number of hours welfare recipients would be required to work each week and include $200 million a year to fund programs and research to promote marriage.  Quick action on the measure is not predicted.
 
House Passes FY 2005 Budget Resolution
 
The House passed by a vote of 215-212, a fiscal year 2005 budget resolution (H. Con. Res. 393) on Thursday, March 25, after defeating four proposed alternative plans.  H. Con. 393 authorizes $818.7 billion in total FY 2005 discretionary spending, assuming a 7 percent increase for defense spending and a freeze on non-defense, non-homeland security spending at current levels.  It also proposes $153 billion in tax cuts over five years ($138 billion of which is included in reconciliation instructions to the House Ways and Means Committee that includes extending three expiring tax provisions).  The Senate passed its budget resolution on March 12.
 
It remains unclear whether differences between the House and Senate versions - including provisions on tax cuts, required entitlement program savings, the debt limit, and budget enforcement rules - can be resolved before the April 15 deadline for  completion of the budget resolution.  House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Tex) stated on the House floor that he would like to begin negotiations early next week with a goal of reaching a conference agreement before the House takes its scheduled Spring recess beginning the week of April 5.

On a related issue, House Appropriations Committee Chairman C.W. "Bill" Young (R-Fla) again suggested moving an omnibus FY 2005 spending bill rather than attempting to pass 13 individual appropriations bills.
 
Reauthorization of Transportation Programs

The House Transportation Committee approved H.R. 3550, a $275 billion six-year transportation reauthorization measure on Wednesday, March 24.   Committee Chairman Don Young and most members say the bill is inadequate to meet the nation's highway and mass transit construction needs.

At the same markup session, the committee took the unusual step of also approving its original $375 billion version of the same bill, reintroduced as HR 3994. Chairman Don Young (R-Alaska) said that action was intended to "send a message that we believe that $375 billion is the correct number at which this program should be funded."

Both versions were passed by unanimous voice vote. But Young said that, in accordance with House Speaker Dennis Hastert's (R-Ill.) wishes, he planned to file a report only on the $275 billion measure, a scaled-back version of the original HR 3550.

The committee-passed measure would provide about $225 billion for highway construction and $51 billion for mass transit in the six years through fiscal 2009. A breakdown released by the committee shows a six-year total of $188 billion in state-by-state highway program apportionment, up from $167.4 billion under the six-year life of the predecessor law. And it shows $36.7 billion apportioned for transit programs, up from $25.7 billion for the previous six years.The bill includes provisions to "streamline" the approval and environmental review process for highway construction projects, so as to avoid frequent, lengthy delays caused by multiple reviews.

A key provision in the "Transportation Planning and Project Delivery" title of the bill, the title that addresses environmental review requirements, establishes the Federal Highway Administration and the Federal Transit Administration, as appropriate, as the federal lead agency in the project evaluation process.

Nevada specifics of the bill include the following:

The annual apportionments for Nevada over the life of the bill:

 

2004 - 200.8 million

2005-211.9 million

2006 - 217.2 million

2007-222.6 million

2008-228.2 million

2009-233.9 million

Total:  1.315 billion

  

Transit:

 

2004-27.2

2005-29

2006-30.9

2007-33

2008-35.2

2009-37.6

Total: $193 million over the six years

 

Nevada earmarks contained in H.R. 3550:

 

New Interchange for Industrial Park in Mesquite along I-15 corridor from MP 117.5 @MP 118.5, $1 million

Design and Construct I-15 interchange, Mesquite Nevada, $500,000

Construct US-95 Interchange with Horse Road, Las Vegas, Nevada $6 million

Design and Construct Cactus Avenue and I-15 Interchange, Clark County Nevada, $10 million

Design and Construct Hoover Dam Bypass Extension, Boulder City, Nevada $6 million

Construct City of Henderson, Nevada Interchanges, I-515, $21 million

Improve Lake Mead Parkway Henderson, Nevada $1.5 million

Construct a series of 4 system to system interchanges on the Clark County Beltway,  $16.5 million

Construct North Las Vegas Craig Road Overpass at the Union Pacific Railroad Crossing, $5.5 million

Widening of US-95 from Craig Road to the Clark County Beltway,  $5 million

Widening of I-15 from US-95 to Speedway Blvd, $6 million

Construct Las Vegas Martin Luther King Blvd. To Industrial Road Connector, $5.5 million

Meadowood Interchange: will mitigate traffic congestion on Interstate and arterials in Reno' primary retail center. State Priority. $2 million

Enhancement to ReTrac project that provided for separation of 11 street crossings through downtown Reno, $1 million

US50A Fernley-Fallon replace UPRR bridge in Fernley, realign intersection US95A/50A, $9 million

I-80 Interchange at Nevada Pacific Parkway, Fernley, Nevada, $1 million

 

The Transit Projects are only funded for three years FY 2005 through FY 2007:

 

Las Vegas, NV Construct Las Vegas WestCare Intermodal Facility: $4.6 million

Las Vegas, NV Construct North Las Vegas Boulevard Intermodal Transportation Terminal, $3 million

Las Vegas, NV Construct Las Vegas Center City Intermodal Transportation Terminal: $3 million

 

New Starts:

 

Las Vegas Monorail

Reno Nevada Virginia Street Bus Rapid Transit Project

 

HHS Approves 71 Sponsors for Medicare Drug Discount Cards

 

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced on Thursday, March 25, that it had approved 28 private entities and 43 managed care plans as sponsors of Medicare prescription drug discount cards, which will be available to seniors in June.  The cards, the first major benefit for seniors of the new Medicare prescription drug law, are expected to save beneficiaries 10 percent to 25 percent on the cost of their medications.  The card program is temporary and will end when the law's comprehensive drug benefit begins in 2006.  The drug card will stimulate competition among card sponsors which will help bring down prices for seniors and other Americans. 

 

House Subcommittee Voices Support for Reclassifying Nuclear Waste Fund

Members of a House subcommittee on Thursday, March 25 indicated strong support for legislation that would change budget rules to guarantee a steady annual funding stream for the proposed high-level-radioactive waste repository at Nevada's Yucca Mountain.  Both Republicans and Democratic leaders of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy and Air Quality spoke in favor of two bills (H.R. 3429, H.R. 3981) that would take the Nuclear Waste Fund off budget, despite opposition from the Nevada delegation who testified before the panel arguing that the proposed legislation would insulate the Yucca Mountain project from congressional oversight. 

The proposed legislation stems from a budgetary proposal in the Bush administration's FY 2005 budget request designed to ensure that all of the money that flows into the Nuclear Waste Fund each year is spent in full on Yucca Mountain.  The annual budget resolution imposes caps on each spending bill, so all programs must compete for funding from the same limited pot of money.  Were the money flowing into the Nuclear Waste Fund to be spent in full each year, the funds available to other programs in the energy and water bill development spending bill would be reduced by that amount.  The proposal (H.R. 3981) would reclassify the money that flows into the fund so that it would not count against spending caps.  While Congress would still have to appropriate funds each year for Yucca Mountain, the bill would prohibit Congress from spending any unappropriated fund money it does not dedicate to the project.

There is no date currently set for marking up the bill in committee, but the assumption is that the bill would be passed in time for fiscal year 2005. 

*source - BNA - March 26, 2005

            Floor Schedule

HOUSE:  On Monday, March 29, and Tuesday, March 30, the House meets to consider numerous measures under suspension, including a short term bill (H.R. 2231) to extend the TANF program through June 30, 2004 and a bill (H.R. 3036) authorizing U.S. Department of Justice appropriations from FY 2004 through FY 2006.  On Tuesday, March 30, the House will consider the ROTC and Military Recruiter Equal Access to Campus Act of 2004 (H.R. 3966) which would prohibit universities from receiving some federal grant funds if they bar Reserve Officer Training Corps programs from campuses.  On Wednesday, the House is scheduled to take up a pay parity concurrent resolution, which would ensure that equal percentage pay increases be offered to federal civilian and military personnel in 2005.  Also on Wednesday, and for the remainder of the week, the House will consider the Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (H.R. 3550).

SENATE:  The Senate schedule this week calls for consideration of welfare reform reauthorization legislation (H.R. 4)

Key Committee Meetings

Appropriations

  • The House Labor/Health and Human Service/Education Subcommittee has scheduled hearings on Tuesday, March 30, at 10:00 a.m.; on Wednesday, March 31, at 10:15 a.m. re: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; and on Thursday, April 1, at 10:15 a.m. re: workforce preparation and training (all in 2358 Rayburn House Office Building).
  • The Senate Homeland Security Subcommittee will hold a hearing on Tuesday, March 30, at 10:00 a.m. in 124 Dirksen Senate Office Building re: border security and enforcement and immigration services.
  • The House Commerce/Justice/State Subcommittee has scheduled hearings this week, including one on Tuesday, March 30, at 10:00 a.m. re: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; and one on Wednesday, March 31, at 10:00 a.m. re: Federal Communications Commission (both in H-309 of the Capitol.
  • The House Homeland Security Subcommittee will hold hearings on Tuesday, March 30, at 10:00 a.m. in 2362A Rayburn House Office Building re: science and technology; on Wednesday, March 31, at 10:00 a.m. in 2358 Rayburn House Office Building) re: Coast Guard; and on Thursday, April 1, at 10:00 a.m. in 2362B Rayburn House Office Building re: information and analysis and infrastructure protection.
  • The Senate Energy and Water Subcommittee will hold a hearing on Wednesday, March 31, at 10:00 a.m.. in 138 Dirksen Senate Office Building re: Office of Environmental Management, Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management, and Office of Environment Safety and Health.
  • The Senate Labor/Health and Human Services/Education Subcommittee has scheduled a hearing on Thursday, April 1, at 9:30 a.m. in 216 Hart Senate Office Building re: National Institutes of Health.
  • The Senate Veterans Affairs/Housing and Urban Development Subcommittee will hold a Thursday, April 1, hearing at 10:00 a.m. in 628 Dirksen Senate Office Building.

Aviation. The Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Subcommittee on Aviation has scheduled a Tuesday, March 30, closed hearing at 9:30 a.m. in 253 Russell Senate Office Building on aviation security. The House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Aviation has scheduled a Thursday, April 1, hearing at 10:00 a.m. in 2167 Rayburn House Office Building on airport deregulation.

Energy/Environment

  • The House Resources Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources will hold a hearing on Tuesday, March 30, at 10:00 a.m. in 1324 Longworth House Office Building on bills (H.R. 3796 and H.R. 3778) amending the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation of 1977.
  • The House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment will hold a hearing on Tuesday, March 30, at 10:00 a.m. in 2167 Rayburn House Office Building on wetlands regulation.
  • The Senate Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Air, Climate Change, and Nuclear Safety has scheduled a Thursday, April 1, hearing at 9:30 a.m. in 406 Dirksen Senate Office Building on ambient air quality standards for particulate matter and ozone.
  • The House Energy and Commerce has scheduled a hearing on Thursday, April 1, at 9:30 a.m. in 2123 Rayburn House Office Building on the U.S. Department of Energy's budget priorities. Secretary Spencer Abraham is scheduled to testify.

Medicare/Medicaid. The House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Health has scheduled a Thursday, April 1, hearing on the Medicare discount drug card (2:00 p.m., 1100 Longworth House Office Building). The House Energy and Commerce Committee Subcommittee on Health has scheduled a hearing on Medicaid intergovernmental transfers on Thursday, April 1, at 2:00 p.m. in 2322 Rayburn House Office Building.