HOUSE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE APPROVES SUPPLEMENTAL
The House Appropriations Committee on Thursday approved the $124 billion supplemental spending bill by a vote of 36 to 28, and House floor consideration is scheduled for next week. In addition, the Senate Appropriations Committee is scheduled to mark-up its version of the supplemental spending bill next week.
The House measure includes $750 million to prevent states from experiencing shortfalls in the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) in fiscal year 2007, but members dropped Section 6002 “Funding Provisions” and Section 6003 “Deficit Reduction Act Technical Corrections Related to Medicaid” (Title VI) from the bill. Section 6002 included the three funding provisions for the SCHIP shortfall spending: the requirement for the tamper resistant prescription pads, the repeal of continuous enrollment for certain beneficiaries in Medicaid, and the rescission for unobligated funds for reimbursement of emergency health services provided to undocumented aliens (or Section 1011 funds). Section 6003 included changes to the DRA provisions pertaining to state flexibility in benefit packages, documentation, and limitation on sales at a nominal price.
In addition, the House supplemental reflects more funding for other domestic items (above the President’s original $103 billion request), including $4.3 billion (from $3.4 billion) for Gulf Coast disaster relief, $500 million for wildfire management, $2.5 billion for homeland security needs, $1 billion for pandemic flu preparedness,$4.3 billion for agriculture disaster relief, and $400 million for low-income energy assistance. The House-passed minimum wage increase/$1.3 billion small business tax breaks package is included in the measure, as well as revised language giving more stringent state and local laws preemption authority over federal chemical security regulations and a government contracting oversight measure.
CONRAD SAYS FARM BILL WILL NOT INCLUDE $20M BASELINE INCREASE
Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad (D-ND) announced that the FY 08 budget draft will not include a $20 billion increase in the agriculture baseline. Supporters of a generous farm bill were hoping the baseline amount would be increased. Instead, Chairman Conrad hopes to fashion a deficit neutral reserve fund that would provide up to $15 billion in additional money over five years, but would be completely paid for with matching offsets. The FY 08 budget resolution determines the funding parameters for the next farm bill.
The House and Senate Agriculture Committees and Subcommittees continue to conduct various exploratory hearings on the different aspects of the farm bill. On March 21, the Senate Agriculture Committee’s hearing will focus on the U.S. trade and food aid programs. On March 28, a House Agriculture Subcommittee will examine proposals to amend the crop provisions of the current farm bill.
While it is unlikely to move through the agriculture committees, an alternative farm bill reauthorization proposal has been introduced by Representatives Kind (D-WI) and Gerlach (R-PA). The bill, titled the Healthy Farms Food and Fuels Act, has 70 cosponsors thus far and is intended to set the stage for efforts to expand the farm bill’s conservation and energy programs.
Specifically, the
measure would provide significant funding increases for six
conservation programs, provide more support for organic farmers, and
provide more funding for schools to purchase fruits and vegetables.
The measure would offer a $3 billion increase in funding per year
for conservation programs, but does not explain how the increases
would be paid for.
