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Category: Appropriations

This Week in Congress

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Today the Senate reconvenes at 2 p.m. and is in a period of morning business until 6 p.m. No votes are expected.

In the other chamber, the House reconvenes at 2 p.m. for legislative business and is expected to begin consideration of a number of bills, including HR 5016, which would make appropriations for financial services in FY 2015. Roll call votes will be postponed until 6:30 p.m.

Here’s what we’ll be paying attention to in committee this week:

TUESDAY, JULY 15

Senate Appropriations Committee
Fiscal 2015 Appropriations: Defense
Subcommittee Markup
10 AM; 192 Dirksen Senate Building

House Appropriations Committee
Fiscal 2015 Appropriations: Interior-Environment
Full Committee Markup
9 AM; 2359 Rayburn Building

THURSDAY, JULY 17

Senate Appropriations Committee
Fiscal 2015 Appropriations: Defense
Full Committee Markup
10:30 AM; 106 Dirksen Senate Building

Senate Commerce, Science & Transportation Committee
Research and Development Investments
Full Committee Hearing
2 PM; 253 Russell Senate Buliding

House Energy & Commerce Committee
Technological Advancements in Health Care
Subcommittee Joint Hearing
9:30 AM; 2123 Rayburn House Building

House Science, Space & Technology
Innovative Medical Achievements
Subcommittee Hearing
9 AM; 2318 Rayburn House Building
 

Congress Back for 4-Week Summer Session

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Democrats and Republicans are returning to the Capitol today after a weeklong break to celebrate the Fourth of July. But they appear to be more focused on the midterm elections rather than on moving legislation. Hopes have dimmed that Congress will get much done this year since they only have 29 legislative days left in 2014, and the majority of that time will be in the next four weeks.

It is possible, however, that they may find the political will to get a few things done between now and the August recess. Some prospects include veterans healthcare (in light of the recent VA scandals), funding for highway and bridge projects, and maybe a couple of FY 2015 appropriations bills.

House Republicans will use July to continue moving spending bills through the committee process and onto the floor, though it remains unclear if they’ll succeed in advancing all 12 appropriations bills before the end of the fiscal year on September 30th. The House will continue to move forward this week, with the chamber scheduled to consider its FY 2015 Energy-Water appropriations bill as early as Wednesday. Passage of this sixth appropriations measure would put the House halfway to completion of all 12 annual bills. The Senate, however, has yet to pass any of its spending bills and chances are slim that they will complete any before the August recess.

December’s bipartisan budget deal between Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) and Representative Paul Ryan (R-WI) has established a top-line figure that many think will grease the process, even as some members on the far left and far right are pushing back. Congress has until October 1st to act to prevent another shutdown, and the debate over appropriations will extend beyond the August recess and likely push up against that deadline. If the sides can’t agree on individual spending bills, they’ll likely pursue a shorter-term stopgap measure – a so-called continuing resolution – to take them at least into the lame-duck session after the November elections.

FY15 Appropriations Update

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The unexpected primary election loss by House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) could have repercussions on the FY15 appropriations process. Cantor will step down as Leader on July 31st and then serve the remainder of his term. The GOP will hold elections next week to determine who will succeed Cantor as Majority Leader, and that person may have a different opinion on how best to move forward – or not – with FY15 appropriations.

Cantor had been helpful to House appropriators by allowing them floor time with few restrictions on amendments so that they may advance their bills. This is due in large part because the current GOP leaders supported the December budget deal that established overall spending levels for FY15. However, if a more conservative leader emerges from the party’s right flank, which includes members who opposed the spending accord, the individual might have little interest and support for moving FY15 spending bills. Instead, the new leader may favor a continuing resolution (CR) that would keep current funding in place for FY15 and allow for new negotiations in the next Congress, when the GOP might control both the House and Senate.

Meanwhile, the Senate continues to move their FY15 spending bills through the process. Next week they hope to move a package of three largely non-controversial FY15 spending bills as part of a new strategy of clustering funding measures in an effort to save floor time and build bipartisan support. Commerce-Justice-Science, Transportation-HUD, and Agriculture are the three bills to be “clustered” next week.

Unfortunately, the Senate postponed further action on their Labor-HHS-Education measure yesterday. This tends to be the most controversial bill in the appropriations process because it funds many domestic programs that Republicans do not support.

While it is still too early to know for sure, it is looking more and more likely that Congress will approve a CR sometime before the end of the federal fiscal year on September 30th. They will then recess until after the mid-term elections and then return to DC for a lame duck session to complete the FY15 appropriations process – the fate of which will depend on the outcome of the November elections.

House Passes CJS, Senate Considers Its Version Next Week

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The House passed the FY15 Commerce, Justice, Science Appropriations bill after 1 am this morning. The measure passed by a vote of 321-87. This legislation provides a 3.3% increase for NSF funding over FY14 levels. It also provides ample funding for science programs at NASA. 

Earlier in the evening, the House considered an amendment by Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX), the Chairman of the House Science Committee. The amendment proposed to reduce  funding for the Social, Behavioral and Economic Science’s Directorate by $15.35 million research and related activities, and added to alternate research within the National Science Foundation portfolio. The amendment is similar to an amendment Smith added to the FIRST Act earlier in the week. The Smith Amendment passed by a vote of 208-201 (18 Republicans voted against and 5 Democrats voted for the amendment). 

Next week, June 3rd, the Senate Appropriations Committee will take up its version of the FY Commerce, Justice, Science bill.

House Continues CJS, House Science Cmte Passes FIRST

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Adjourning well after midnight last night, the House will consider its floor consideration of the Commerce, Justice, Science Appropriations bill this morning. The House is expected to pass the measure late tonight. Thus far, the House has considered a number of amendments, and some of interest are below.

Passed Amendments:

  • An amendment, offered by Mr. Reichert (R-WA), to reduce funding for periodic census and programs by $110 million and to increase funding for community oriented policing services programs (hiring and rehiring of additional career law enforcement officers) by a similar amount.
  • An amendment, offered by Mr. Langevin (D-CT), to designate $5 million for a survey on the NIST cybersecurity framework for reducing cyber risks to critical infrastructure.
  •  An amendment, offered by Ms. Sinema (D-AZ), to reduce funding for Salaries and Expenses, General Administration in the Department of Justice by $1 million and to increase funding for Violence Against Women Prevention and Prosecution Programs (College Campuses) by a similar amount.

Failed Amendments:

  • An amendment, offered by Mr. McDermott (D-WA), to reduce funding for Periodic Censuses and Programs by $3 million and to increase funding for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for the purpose of salmon propagation by a similar amount.
  • An amendment, offered by Mr. Holt (D-NJ), to transfer $37,450,000 within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for the purpose of climate change research.

Amendments pending a vote:

An amendment, offered by Mr. Bridenstine (R-OK), to reduce funding for Periodic Censuses and Programs by $12 million and to increase funding for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for the purpose of weather research by a similar amount.

 

Also last night, the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee (HSSTC) passed H.R. 4186, the “Frontiers in Innovation, Research, Science, and Technology Act of 2014 Act”. The controversial measure was marked up last week with final votes postponed until after Memorial Day. In straight party-line votes, the committee speedily made its way through all 15 amendments and ultimately passed the measure by a vote of 20-16.

The remaining votes on amendments also passed along party lines. Of note, Congressman Rohrabacher’s (R-CA) Amendment #28, which passed, would reduce funding for Social, Behavioral, and Economic research at the National Science Foundation by $50 million. Also, the committee approved Amendment #67 offered by Congressman Bridenstine (R-OK) that would repeal the National Technical Information Service.