“At every step of the Appropriations process this year, I’ve done my best to help return this committee to regular order. I’ve worked closely with my Republican colleagues on both the substance and procedure of our bills. I have also been willing to lend my support to several of them – even over the objections of OMB– because I know this is but one step in a long process.

“This hasn’t been easy, especially after the decision by House leadership to renege on the bipartisan Budget Control Act and reserve the very worst cuts for domestic discretionary spending - much of which is under the jurisdiction of this subcommittee. However, I strongly believe that this committee must work together to get back to regular order and move bills that both sides can support. 

“The Labor HHS Education bill released today, the last bill to be considered, is the most partisan we’ve seen this year. The subcommittee Chairman proposes a bill loaded down with highly controversial partisan riders and too many programmatic cuts to list.  The bill is based on the Ryan budget and cuts funding by -$6.8 billion or -4.3% below last year. Unlike many of the other subcommittee proposals for markup this year, this subcommittee Chair made no effort to work with our side of the aisle to accommodate any of our concerns.

“The bill also represents another ill-fated attempt by House Republicans to repeal the Affordable Care Act and even cherry picks some provisions of the law to get temporary one-year savings. CBO has scored the ACA with savings over 10-years meaning a full repeal of the law would increase the deficit.

“This bill is an extremely partisan proposal, stands little chance of even being brought up on the House floor, and will rightly be disregarded by both the Senate and the President. This draft proposal only serves to underscore the desperate need for bipartisan cooperation on this subcommittee.”

Below is a brief summary of funding levels and legislative items in the FY2013 Labor, HHS, Education bill

Total Allocation: $150 billion | -$6.8 billion below the FY2012 enacted level | -$8.8 billion below the President’s FY2013 request.

Corporation for National & Community Service: The bill provides $271.5 million total, -$777.4 million below the FY2012 enacted level and -$791.2 million below the President’s request. This represents a 74% cut below last year and terminates a long list of community service programs including Americorps, VISTA, the Social Innovation Fund and the National Civilian Community Corps. Funding is only preserved for the Senior Corps programs which are maintained at the FY12 level.

Title X Family Planning: The bill eliminates funding for this program.

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services: The bill provides $3.46 billion total, -$409 million below the FY2012 enacted level and -$1.36 billion below the President’s request.

Social Security Administrative Expenses: The bill provides $10.7 billion total, -$764 million below the FY2012 enacted level and -$1.07 billion below the President’s request. 

Centers for Disease Control & Prevention: The bill provides $6.07 billion total, -$787 million below the FY2012 enacted level and -$591 million below the President’s request.

Corporation for Public Broadcasting: The bill gradually phases out funding for the CPB over the next two fiscal years. CPB traditionally receives advance appropriations for two years, but this bill rescinds part of the funding previously provided for FY13 and FY14 and provides no funds for FY15.

Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality: The bill provides no funding, eliminating the agency.

Substance Abuse & Mental Health Administration: The bill provides $3.15 billion total, -$552 million below the FY2012 enacted level and -$408.5 million below the President’s request.

Health Professions Training: The bill provides $623 million total, -$137 million below the FY2012 enacted level and $56 million above the President’s request. 

Evidence Based Teen Pregnancy Prevention: The bill provides $20 million total, -$93 million below the FY2012 enacted level and -$89 million below the President’s request.

Abstinence Only Education: The bill provides $20 million total, $15 million above the FY2012 enacted level and $20 million above the President’s request. 

National Labor Relations Board: The bill provides $258 million total, -$20 million below the FY2012 enacted level and -$34 million below the President’s request. 

International Labor Affairs Bureau: The bill provides $30 million total, -$62.3 million below the FY2012 enacted level and -$65 million below the President’s request. This would be the lowest level of funding since 1998 and represents a -68% cut. This agency monitors child labor practices and ensures that trading partners are in compliance with child labor restrictions.

Education Reform: The bill eliminates funding for three innovative programs directed at improving outcomes in the nation’s lowest performing schools – Race to the Top, Investing in Innovation and School Improvement Grants, in addition to numerous other terminations of K-12 education programs. 

LEGISLATIVE RIDERS

Affordable Care Act: Prohibits any funds from being used to implement the Affordable Care Act with exceptions for certain provisions related to Medicare rate-setting and Medicaid drug costs.

Planned Parenthood: Prohibits any funds for Planned Parenthood or any of its affiliates or clinics unless the organizations certify that they will not perform abortions or provide any funds to any other entity that does.

Exemptions from Women’s Health Coverage Standards: Prohibits use of funds to enforce requirements of the Affordable Care Act for health plans to cover particular services [such as contraception] if the sponsor objects on grounds of religious beliefs or moral convictions. 

“Abortion Non-Discrimination”: Makes extensive amendments to permanent authorizing law regarding the rights of health care practitioners and providers to refuse to perform or participate in abortions. 

National Public Radio: Prohibits the use of funds to acquire programs from or otherwise support NPR.  

Needle Exchange: Prohibits any funds for needle exchange programs designed to help prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS and hepatitis. 

Program Integrity, Federal College Student Aid Programs: Prohibits any use of funds towards Department of Education regulations to address program integrity for institutions participating in federal student aid programs, including minimum standards for debt loads and repayment by former students.

Prospective Student Disclosure, Federal College Student Aid Programs: Prohibits any use of funds towards Department of Education regulations that would require participating institutions to disclose to prospective students their programs’ on-time graduation, job placement rates, median student loan debt and other requirements that would aid in the decision making process. 

Patient-Centered Outcomes Research: Prohibits any funds from being used to “to support any patient-centered outcomes research.”

Healthy Food Financing: Prohibits any use of funds to implement the First Lady’s Healthy Food Financing initiative.

Home Health Care Workers Minimum Wage Requirements: Prohibits any use of funds to develop, issue or enforce a proposed regulation narrowing the range of home health care workers who are excluded from minimum wage and overtime requirements.

Child Labor in Agriculture: Prohibition on changes to regulations involving child labor in agriculture.

Worker Safety in Grain Storage Facilities: Prohibition on enforcement of certain OSHA rules regarding worker safety in grain storage facilities.

“Black Lung” Disease Prevention: Prohibition on any further work to develop or issue in final form proposed rules to better prevent “black lung” disease among coal miners. Recent reporting by NPR and the Center for Public Integrity has highlighted the need for more effective “black lung” disease prevention efforts as there has been a resurgence of the disease among coal miners.

Project Labor Agreements: Prohibits any funds from being used to implement project labor agreements on Labor Department projects.

Construction Site Rule Improvements: Prohibits any use of funds for changes to OSHA rules intended to improve protection on residential construction sites against workers falling from roofs.

Injury and Illness Prevention Plans: Prohibits any use of funds for OSHA rules which would require employers to have comprehensive injury and illness prevention plans.

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