This Week in Congress: 7.23.07 – 7.27.07

July 23, 2007

Appropriations

The Senate will take up the Homeland Security appropriations bill this week—the first of 12 spending bills it will consider in the coming weeks. The Senate bill is nearly $2.3 billion above President Bush’s request, and the White House has already threatened to veto the slightly smaller House version that passed in June, so a confrontation is expected to occur over the bill.

The House will consider the Department of Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development appropriations bill, which clocks in at $4.1 billion above Bush’s request, ensuring yet another veto threat. The increased funding is due to the House rejecting most of the housing program cuts proposed by Bush while fully funding highway, transit, and aviation spending guaranteed by law.

The House will also consider the Commerce-Justice-Science bill this week. The bill appropriates $2.3 billion more than Bush’s request, ensuring yet another veto. The Justice Department’s budget could also include a variety of riders targeting Attorney General Alberto Gonzales’ firing of U.S. attorneys, domestic wiretapping, and other Bush administration initiatives.

Read Scott Lilly’s take on this year’s appropriations process:

• Showdown on Government Investment

 

Farm Bill

The Farm Bill is expected to reach the House floor this week. The five-year bill would extend the government’s basic commodity, conservation, and nutrition programs.

Many critics argue that the Farm Bill should have cut or eliminated subsidies in favor of using that money for conservation, nutrition, and fruit and vegetable programs. Rep. Ron Kind (D-WI) has introduced an alternative bill to eliminate all subsidy programs within seven years, calling the Farm Bill's reforms “superficial at best."

Read the Center for American Progress’ innovative solution for the Farm Bill:

• Fueling a New Farm Economy: Creating Incentives for Biofuels in Agriculture and Trade Policy

 

Defense

The House Appropriations Committee will mark up the Defense appropriations bill Wednesday in preparation for floor debate next week. The bill makes several changes to the Pentagon’s budget request, including adding $480 million to pay for a second engine for the international Joint Strike Fighter program and cutting $400 million from the Army’s $3.7 billion request for Future Combat Systems.

The spending measure does not include the $141.8 billion in supplemental funds requested for Iraq and Afghanistan. House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman John Murtha (D-PA) has said the panel will consider that portion of the Pentagon request after the August recess.

Read CAP Senior Fellow P.J. Crowley’s take on the Defense Budget:

• Lost Opportunities: Bush Defense Spending is Misplaced

 

SCHIP

The Senate may begin discussion on the State Children’s Health Insurance Program reauthorization this week, with a vote expected before the August recess. The SCHIP measure will easily meet the 60-vote threshold needed to stop a filibuster, but lawmakers will first have to contend with amendments from both sides.

Both the House Ways and Means and House Energy and Commerce committees could also begin markup of a larger health care package that includes a $50 billion SCHIP expansion and a two-year block on a scheduled 10-percent cut in Medicare physicians’ fees.

View interactive maps showing SCHIP breakdowns by state and read the Center’s policy reports on the program:

• SCHIP Interactives
• Children’s Health Care Benefits
• Comparing Bills: Children’s Health Insurance
• The SCHIP Shortfall Crisis: Ramifications for Minority Children

 

Homeland Security

Behind-the-scenes negotiations continue this week on legislation implementing the 9/11 Commission recommendations. Lawmakers still need to resolve a handful of outstanding issues, including which federal agency will manage grants for transportation security and how to help local governments buy interoperable communications equipment.

Some last-minute amendments are also holding up the process. Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), ranking member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, says that she will not sign the final conference report if an amendment is not added that would require the Homeland Security Department within five years to ensure that most cargo is scanned before it is shipped to the United States.

Collins and Rep. Peter King (R-NY), the ranking member on the House Homeland Security Committee, are also trying to add another provision that would give people immunity for reporting suspicious activity around transportation networks.

Read the Center’s take on implementing the 9/11 Commission recommendations:

• Time to Act: 14 Steps in 2007 to Further Implement the 9/11 Commission Recommendations