June 22, 2004

 
This Week in Congress
 
Congress will continue to focus on FY 2005 appropriations bills this week.  The House is scheduled to consider the defense spending bill (H.R. 4613) on Tuesday, June 22, followed by energy and water development (H.R. 4614) later in the week.  The Senate will likely consider the defense appropriations bill as soon as it completes action on the defense authorization bill.  In addition, numerous spending bills face markups this week in both the House and Senate Appropriations Committees and or subcommittees.  Congressional GOP leaders continue to discuss options for an omnibus spending package.  According to Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, C.W. Bill Young, the House will likely move ahead with individual consideration of the 13 appropriations bills and bundle them only if they are not taken up by the Senate before summer recess. 
 
The House is also scheduled to adopt a short term extension (H.R. 4589) for the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Program (TANF) sometime today, Tuesday, June 22. 
 
 
Transportation Update
 
On Wednesday, June 23, House and Senate conferees are scheduled to meet to vote on a second set of staff recommendations on areas of the House and Senate bills that are similar.  The pace of negotiations is incredibly slow  and although staffs of the House and Senate committees of jurisdiction have met almost daily for the last two weeks, staff continue to be unable to discuss any money-related issues or other major policy issues, all of which will need to be decided at a member level. 
Last week, House Majority Leader Tom DeLay said that he expected a 30-day extension bill to be placed on the suspension calendar either today (Tuesday) or Wednesday.  The length of the extension is apparently the product of discussions among House Transportation Chairman Don Young, Senate Environment and PUblic Works Chairman James Inhofe, House Speaker Dennis Hastert and Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist.  Young and Inhofe reportedly argued in favor of the one-month extesnion in order to "keep the pressure" on coferees. 
 
 
House Passes FY 2005 Homeland Security Appropriations Bill
 
On Friday, June 18, the House passed (by a vote of 400-5), a $33.1 billion bill (H.R. 4567) making FY 2005 appropriations for the Department of Homeland Security. H.R. 4567 continues the state formula grant program by allocating a minimum grant to each state.  Programs receiving funds include:
 
$1.25 billion for the state formula grant program
$1 billion for grants to high-threat, high-density urban areas, including $100 million for rail security
$600 million for firefighter grants
$500 million for state and local law enforcement terrorism prevention grants
$185 million for first responder training
$170 million for emergency management performance grants and
$125 million for port security grants
 
The Senate Appropriations Committee approved its version of the Homelance Security spending (S. 2537) on Thursday, June 17.
 
 
CDC Releases Bioterrorism Preparedness and Cities Readiness Initiative Guidance
 
Late last week, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released the planning guidance for states and cities that receive direct grants from the FY 2004 cooperative agreement funds for bioterrorism preparedness.  HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson announced that approximately $846 million would be awarded under the agreement.  A listing of state allocations is available on the HHS website.  In addition, CDC released the guidance for the Cities Readiness Initiative, which received $39 million for bioterrorism preparedness initiatives in 21 cities.  These funds were reprogrammed from FY 2004 state allocation funds.  Nevada is scheduled to receive $8,927,588.  For more information, visit www.hhs.gov
 
 
Key Committee Meetings
 
Appropriations:
  • The House Appropriations Committee is scheduled to mark up FY 2005 CJS appropriations on Wednesday, June 23 (time TBA; 2359 Rayburn House Office Building)
  • The House Appropriations Committee is scheduled to mark up FY 2005 Agriculture appropriations on Wednesday, June 23 (10:00 a.m.; 2359 Rayburn House Office Building)
Education: 
  • The House Education and Workforce Subcommittee on 21st Century Competitiveness will hold a Tuesday, June 22 hearing at 10:30 a.m., in 2175 Rayburn House Office Building on the College Access and Opportunity Act (H.R. 4283)
  • The House Education and Workforce Committee has scheduled a Wednesday, June 23, oversight hearing at 10:30 a.m in 2175 Rayburn House Office Building on the No Child Left Behind Act.
  • The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee will hold a hearing on the reauthorization of the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act on Thursday, June 24, at 10:00 a.m., in 430 Dirksen Senate Office Building.
Energy and Environment:
  • The Senate Agriculture Committee has scheduled a Thursday, June 24, oversight hearing at 10:00 a.m., in 562 Dirksen Senate Office Building on the Healthy Forest Restoration Act.
Indian Gaming:
  • The Senate Indian Affairs Committee has scheduled a Wednesday, June 23, markup of amendments to the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (S. 1529) at 10:00 a.m., in 485 Russell Senate Office Building
Homeland Security:
  • The House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Highways, Transit, and Pipelines has scheduled a Tuesday, June 22, hearing at 10:00 a.m., in 2167 Rayburn House Office Building on public transportation security.
  • The House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet has scheduled a Wednesday, June 23, hearing at 1:30 p.m., in 2322 Rayburn House Office Building on the interoperability of public safety communications systems.