FY05 Comparable:  $63. 2 billion ($133.5 billion total budgetary resources)

FY06 Request:  $60.7 billion (130.3 billion total budgetary resources)

FY06 Chairman’s Mark:  $65.9 billion ($137.6 billion total budgetary resources)

Provides for Smarter, More Efficient Amtrak Operations 

The bill provides $1.3 billion for Amtrak and includes significant financial and management reforms.  The bill mandates that Amtrak reduce its operating subsidy which includes finding savings in food and beverage service, first class service, and commuter rail fees.  Amtrak also would be barred from marketing ticket discounts of more than 50% in peak hours.  For the first time, Amtrak’s funding includes a new discretionary account, the Efficiency Incentive Fund, which the Secretary of Transportation can parse out as grants to fund priority capital improvements that are directly tied to short-term operating savings. In addition, the DOT Inspector General is required to report back regularly to Congress on Amtrak’s progress on financial reforms.    

Supports Aviation:

A total of $13.8 billion is provided to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) -- $276 million above the fiscal year 2005 level and $1.105 billion above the President’s request.  This includes $8.2 billion in FAA operations, $3.55 billion for the Airport Improvement Program and $110 million for Essential Air Service.  The bill includes $25 million to hire and train 595 new air traffic controllers, and an additional $12 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 $34.0 billion, $2.1 billion above last year's level and $4.9 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 $15.57 billion, $807 million over last year and $272 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 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. Along with recaptures from expiring contracts this fully funds all contracts 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. Also includes $630 million for the Native American Housing Block Grants, $48 million above the request.  
• Provides $4.2 billion for the Community Development Block Grant of which $3.75 billion in the formula funds to entitlement communities and states. 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 $1.78 billion, $124 million below the request, but only reduces the amount for the formula to participating jurisdictions by $39 million compared to 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), $742 million for Elderly Housing, and $239 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 persons with disabilities, 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 budget restrictions.

Supports National Anti-Drug Efforts 

Provides $497 million to the Office of National Drug Control Policy, including:

• $227 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.  

Boosts Highway Spending: 

The bill provides a Federal-aid highways program level of $36.8 billion, as set by the recently enacted surface transportation authorization legislation, SAFETEA-LU. This is an increase of $1.3 billion over the President's request and $1.6 billion over the FY 2005 enacted level, excluding emergency supplementals  

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:  $603 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	219
Defender Svcs. in D.C. Courts	38.1	45	44
D.C. Courts Services and Offender Supervision	178	203.4	201.4
Anacostia Waterfront Initiative	3	5	3
Contribution to School Improvement in D.C.	39.7	41.6	40
New Bioterrorism and Forensics Lab	7.9	7.2	5
Emergency Planning and Security Costs	14.9	15	13.5

Federal Judiciary:  Provides a 6% increase in funding for Federal Judiciary.  Total funding is $5.8 billion, $330 million above FY05 and $196 million below the request.  This level will 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 $11.7 billion, $400 million above FY05 and $50 million above the President’s request. 

The Internal Revenue Service is funded at request level of $10.7 billion, $434 million above FY05.  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.

Program Terminations  

Empowerment Zones/Enterprise Communities: -$10 million

Prisoner Re-entry program:  -$25 million

Lead Abatement Demonstration Program:  -$50 million 

High Speed Rail:  -$19 million 

Community Outreach Partnership Centers:  -$6 million 

Work Study Program: -$3 million 

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 .
• Includes Senate-compromise language on competitive sourcing. 
• Drops all Cuba-related provisions
• Includes Senate language on the Wright Amendment
• Continues one year prohibition on the implementation of regulations regarding the banking industry’s involvement in real estate. 
• Requires the Cisneros Independent Counsel to issue a report 90 days after enactment of the bill.