June 30th, 2005 - - Major Amendments adopted in the House:
(Brown): Strikes Amtrak subsidy restrictions.
(Souder): Prevents enforcement of certain District of Columbia gun control laws.
(Kilpatrick): Prohibits the use of funds from being made available to recommend approval of the sale of Unocal Corporation to CNOOC Ltd. of China
(Garrett): Prohibits use of funds in the bill for the Supreme Court to enforce the judgment of the United States Supreme Court in the case of Kelo v. New London.
(Sanders): Prohibits use of funds in the bill to provide for the competitive sourcing of flight service stations.
FY05 Comparable: $63.172 billion ($18.418 billion Mandatory)
FY06 Request: $60.705 billion (assumes transfer of economic development programs to Commerce Department)
FY06 Chairman’s Mark: $66.935 billion ($18.993 billion Mandatory)
The bill represents a 6% growth over last year’s comparable levels. The bulk of this increase goes to providing guaranteed levels of discretionary spending for various Highway, Transit and Aviation programs. If the bill did not provide these mandated levels, the rules of the House of Representatives would prevent consideration of the bill. This preferential treatment is unique to certain transportation programs and is not afforded to any other discretionary program including Veteran’s Medical Care, Homeland Security funding or National Defense programs.
Boosts Highway Spending:
Federal-aid highways spending is $37 billion, as set by HR 3. This is an increase of $1.6 billion over the President’s request and $1.9 billion over the FY 2005 enacted level, excluding emergency supplementals.
Supports Aviation:
A total of $14.427 billion is provided to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) -- $877 million above the fiscal year 2005 level and $1.741 billion above the President’s request. This includes $8.2 billion in FAA operations, $3.6 billion for the Airport Improvement Program and $104 million for Essential Air Service. The bill includes $25 million to hire and train 595 new air traffic controllers, and an additional $8 million above the request to hire and train of safety inspectors in the office of aircraft certification and flight standards. The bill also extends the current provisions of war risk insurance, including current premium price caps, for one additional year.
Addressing Critical Housing Needs:
The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is funded at $37.5 billion, $1.547 billion above last year's level and $4.32 billion above the President's Request.
Funding for Section 8 programs is split into two accounts to provide better accountability and oversight.
- Tenant-Based Rental Assistance (Section 8 vouchers) is funded at $15.63 billion, $865 million over last year and $214 million below the request. Funding for the renewal of vouchers is significantly increased by $735 million to restore the reduction mandated last year and fund all anticipated increases in the costs. The costs of this program alone is now approaching 50% of HUD’s total budget.
- Project-Based Rental Assistance (project-based contracts) is funded at $5.10 billion, $210 million below last year and $16 million above the request. This fully funds all contracts including inflation and expands the use of inspectors to ensure that tenants live in decent affordable housing.
- Public and Indian Housing programs are funded at $6.8 billion and increase of $1.6 billion over last year and $466 million over the requested level. Implements a newly negotiated formula for distributing operating subsidies. Also includes $600 million for the Native American Housing Block Grants, $17 million above the request.
- Provides $4.2 billion for the Community Development Block Grant of which $3.86 billion in the formula funds to entitlement communities and states, a reduction of $250 million from the amount for the formula last year, The Committee did not agree to the proposal to eliminate this program, consolidate its functions and transfer the implementation to the Department of Commerce.
- HOME Investments Partnership is level funded at $1.9 billion, $41 million below the request, but increases the amount for the formula to participating jurisdictions by $60 million above the requested amount.
- Includes $1.35 billion for Homeless programs, an increase of $110 million over last year, $285 million for Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA), $741 million for Elderly Housing, and $238 million for Housing for Persons with Disabilities. The Committee did not agree to cut funding for assistance to victims of HIV/AIDs or eliminate funding for the construction of facilities for low income disabled persons, as requested.
- Provides the requested level for the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight of $60 million.
- Eliminates several lower priority programs, as requested, in order to help meet the rapidly increasing costs of rental assistance in Section 8 and public Housing and stay within the Committees allocation.
Capital Investments in Transit
Transit program spending totals $8.482 billion as mandated by HR 3, $836 million above FY05 and $701 above the request.
Supports National Anti-Drug Efforts
Provides $497 million to the Office of National Drug Control Policy, including:
- $236 million for the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas program.
- $120 million for the National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign
- $80 million for the Drug-Free Communities program.
Provides for Smarter, More Efficient Amtrak Operations
The bill provides $1.176 billion for Amtrak.
District of Columbia Federal Payment: District Funds:
FY05 Bill: $556 million FY06 Bill: $8.7 billion
FY06 Budget Request: $573.4 million FY06 Request: $8.7 billion
FY06 Funding: $604 million
Federal Funding:
(millions)
|
FY05
|
FY06 Request
|
FY06 Bill
|
Resident Tuition Support
|
25.4
|
33.2
|
33.2
|
D.C. Courts, including Family Court
|
189.2
|
221.7
|
221.7
|
Defender Svcs. in D.C.
Courts
|
38.1
|
45
|
45
|
D.C. Courts Services and Offender Supervision
|
178
|
203.4
|
203.4
|
Anacostia Waterfront Initiative
|
3
|
5
|
5
|
Contribution to School Improvement in D.C.
|
39.7
|
41.6
|
41.6
|
New Bioterrorism and Forensics Lab
|
7.9
|
7.2
|
7.2
|
Emergency Planning and Security Costs
|
14.9
|
15
|
15
|
Federal Judiciary: Provides a 6% increase in funding for Federal Judiciary. Total funding is $5.8 billion, $341 million above FY05 and $185 million below the request. This level will fully fund the court’s revised request for security improvements at Federal judicial facilities, and enable the courts to effectively process priority criminal, civil and bankruptcy cases.
Agency Funding
Department of Treasury is funded at $11.6 billion, $336 million above FY05 and $94 million below the President’s request.
The Internal Revenue Service is funded at $10.5 billion, $351 million above FY05 and $79 million below the request. The bulk of the increase is for the tax enforcement activities of the IRS.
Federal Election Commission is funded at the budget request of $55 million, $3 million above FY05 and the Election Assistance Commission is funded at $16 million.
National Historical Publications and Records Commission is funded at $7.5 million ($5.5 million for grants and $2 million for administrative costs), $7.5 million above the President’s request.
Other provisions
- Maintains both current law requiring contraceptive coverage under FEHBP (except in certain circumstances) and current law prohibiting the use of funds under FEHBP to pay for an abortion, except where the life of the mother is endangered or in case of rape or incest.
- Provides pay parity between civilian and military personnel.
- Maintains current law on all restrictions on federal and local funds for the District of Columbia.
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