Updated: January 30, 2010
A bill that would have created a bipartisan debt commission to focus on decreasing the rapidly growing national debt did not pass in the Senate this week. With both Democratic and Republican co-sponsors, the bill was expected to easily obtain the 60 votes needed for passage in the Senate. However, six Republican co-sponsors, Sens. Brownback (KS), Crapo (ID), Ensign (NV), Bailey Hutchison (TX), Inhofe (OK) and McCain (AZ), voted against the bill at the last moment due to concerns over power to increase taxes. The bill fell short of passage with a 53-46 roll call.
- from Women's Policy Update for January 29, 2010.
On December 10, the House approved H.R. 3288, an omnibus bill that consolidates the FY2010 spending bills: Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies; Financial Services and General Government; Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies; Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies; State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs; and Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies. The Senate passed the bill on December 13. The president signed the bill into law on December 15 (P.L. 111-117). The charts recap funding levels enacted for various programs important to women and their families.
- from Women's Policy Update for December 22, 2009.
According to The Hill, the Senate on Sunday passed (57-35) a $1.1 trillion conference report on a package of six spending bills covering a variety of programs and allocating nearly $447 billion in discretionary spending for the 2010 fiscal year. As reported by CQ Budget Tracker, the omnibus spending package (H.R. 3288) includes all but one of the remaining spending bills, including Commerce-Justice-Science (H.R. 2847), Financial Services (H.R. 3170), Labor-HHS-Education (H.R. 3293), Military Construction-VA (H.R. 3082), State-Foreign Operations (H.R. 3081) and Transportation-HUD (H.R. 3288). The House passed H.R. 3288 last week.
The House on Wednesday passed (395-34) the last of the remaining appropriations bills, a $636 billion defense spending bill (H.R. 3326). According to the Washington Post, the bill will also extend unemployment insurance benefits and health care until March to those who have lost their jobs during the recession. Also included in the bill was an amendment added by Sen. Al Franken (D-MN) that would allow rape victims employed by defense contractors to have their day in court, TPM reported. The Senate is expected to vote on the bill on Saturday.
The House also passed (217-214) the Jobs for Main Street Act (H.R. 2847), which, according to NPR, includes approximately $50 billion for new construction and infrastructure projects and another roughly $50 billion for cash-strapped states.
Following the passage of H.R. 2847, the House adjourned for the holidays. They are set to reconvene on January 12, but there is a possibility that members will be called back before then if it's deemed necessary. The Senate remains in session, focusing on their health care bill and the defense spending bill.
- from AAUW's Washington Update for December 18, 2009.
Last Saturday, the House passed (223-202) the Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (H.R. 4173), which tightens and enforces regulations within the finance industry. The legislation contains various reforms addressing a variety of issues, including significant implications for private student loans that curb predatory lending. According to Inside Higher Ed, under the new legislation, all student loans would fall under the authority of the new Consumer Financial Protection Agency. Another provision introduced by Rep. Polis (D-CO), requires lenders to verify with the potential recipient's college that the student is eligible for the loan.
- from AAUW's Washington Update for December 18, 2009.
On Thursday, the House passed (221-202) a conference report on a package of six spending bills covering a variety of programs and allocating nearly $447 billion in discretionary spending for the 2010 fiscal year. As reported by CQ Budget Tracker, the omnibus spending package (H.R. 3288) includes all but one of the remaining spending bills, including Commerce-Justice-Science (H.R. 2847), Financial Services (H.R. 3170), Labor-HHS-Education (H.R. 3293), Military Construction-VA (H.R. 3082), State-Foreign Operations (H.R. 3081) and Transportation-HUD (H.R. 3288). The lone exception is the Defense appropriations bill (H.R. 3326), which may be used as a vehicle to pass other legislation before the end of the year. The Senate is expected to vote on the package on this weekend, before the current stopgap continuing resolution expires on Dec. 18.
- from AAUW's Washington Update for December 11, 2009.
On Wednesday, the Senate passed a stopgap spending measure to keep the government funded and running through the end of first month of the government's new fiscal year, which began on Oct. 1. According to CQ, the spending measure, also known as a continuing resolution, was added to the conference report of the FY10 Legislative Branch appropriations bill (H.R. 2918), which fund's Congress' own budget and is the only one of the FY 10 appropriations bills to make it to the president's desk. The continuing resolution would fund most government programs at FY09 levels through October, which will give Congress another month to finish their work on the remaining spending bills. The House passed the legislation last week, and President Obama signed the bill into law (P.L. 111-68) on Thursday.
- from AAUW's Washington Update for October 2, 2009.
On Friday, the House passed a stopgap spending measure to keep the government funded and running through the end of October. The government's new fiscal year begins on Oct. 1, but Congress has not yet cleared any of the FY10 appropriations bills. According to CQ, the spending measure, also known as a continuing resolution, was added to the conference report of the FY10 Legislative Branch appropriations bill, which fund's Congress' own budget. The continuing resolution would fund most government programs at FY09 levels through October, which will give Congress another month to finish their work on the remaining spending bills. The Senate is expected to take up the legislation next week before the current fiscal year ends.
- from AAUW's Washington Update for Sept. 25, 2009.
The House passed (264-153) the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education FY10 appropriations bill (H.R. 3293) on Friday, July 24, and the Senate Appropriations Committee marked up the bill this Thursday. The bill does not provide dedicated funding for abstinence-only sex education programs, but rather creates a new, evidence-based, comprehensive sex education. This is a true a victory for advocates, like AAUW, who have for years supported medically accurate comprehensive sex education to address the recent trends in reducing teen pregnancy and STI incidence. The bill also includes important funding for student financial assistance, education, and job training programs that AAUW supports.
- from AAUW's Washington Update for July 31, 2009.
Appropriations work continued this week, with the House passing (219-208) H.R. 3170, the Financial Services appropriations bill, on Thursday. On Friday, the House Appropriations Committee marked up the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education spending bill. Last week, the Health and Human Services Subcommittee dropped abstinence-only sex education funding from the bill. The measure would provide $114 million for a new teenage pregnancy prevention initiative, the Associated Press reported.
- from AAUW's Washington Update for July 17, 2009.
Work on FY10 appropriations bills continued in Congress this week. On Thursday, the House passed H.R. 2997, the Agriculture spending bill (266-160) and H.R. 3081, the State-Foreign Operations spending bill, and on Friday passed H.R. 3082, the Military Construction-Veterans Affairs spending bill (415-3). On Monday, the Senate passed H.R. 2918, the Legislative Branch spending bill (67-25) and passed H.R. 2892, the Homeland Security appropriations bill (84-6) on Thursday.
CQ reported that the House will consider next week the Financial Services appropriations bill, which would appropriate $12 million for DC private and religious school vouchers for students already enrolled in the program. The bill has passed the House Appropriations Committee on Tuesday. The Senate version of the bill, S. 1432, which passed the Senate Appropriations Committee on Thursday, includes $13 million for DC vouchers with language limiting the funding to current students. It is expected to be on the Senate floor in the coming weeks.
- from AAUW's Washington Update for July 10, 2009.
The FY10 appropriations season was in full swing this week, with the House passing (259-157) the first of 12 appropriations bills on Thursday. Partisanship ran amuck on the House floor during debate on the Commerce-Justice-Science appropriations bill (H.R. 2847), when Republicans delayed progress on the bill by calling for 53 roll call votes and Democrats threatened weekend votes and restrictive rules for debate, CQ reported. Democratic leaders in both the House and Senate have said they hope to have bills through their respective chambers by the end of July. For detailed information on the appropriations process, see the House Appropriations Committee website.
- from AAUW's Washington Update for June 19, 2009.
Women’s Policy, Inc. (WPI) is pleased to provide its summary of the president's FY2010 budget in detail.
On Thursday, President Obama released his full budget proposal for FY10, which begins on October 1, 2009. The release of the full budget comes on the heels on the president's budget blueprint, released back in February, which presented an overview of the administration's budget goals and priorities. The more detailed, line-by-line budget also follows passage of the congressional budget resolution last month. Members of Congress will spend the next several months debating the various spending and savings proposals, with a goal to pass all of the individual appropriations bills by October 1.
Overall, President Obama's budget proposes $3.6 trillion in spending for FY10. The deficit at the end of 2009 is projected to be $1.75 trillion, just over 12 percent of GDP. President Obama once again reiterated his goal to cut the deficit in half by the end of his first term in office - specifically, to $533 million by 2013, which would represent three percent of GDP. Toward that end, the president's budget also targets 121 programs for terminations, reductions, or other savings that would save some $17 billion for FY10.
The budget details several priorities for which AAUW has advocated. In education, the budget will propose $28 billion for Pell Grant funding. It also proposes that Pell grant funding be made mandatory to ensure a regular funding stream, and that the maximum awards be increased and indexed to the Consumer Price Index, plus 1 percent, in order to address inflation. Moreover, the budget will propose to strengthen early childhood education programs, including an additional $1 billion to expand and improve Head Start, and an additional $1.1 billion to double the number of children enrolled in Early Head Start. Working women and their families stand to benefit from proposed funding increases to workforce training programs and to the Office of Federal Contract Compliance, which enforces equal employment opportunities. The budget also proposes funding for comprehensive sex education programs while ending failed abstinence-only programs, along with strengthening global family planning initiatives that focus on maternal and child health. AAUW will monitor the funding proposals for these and other programs as Congress begins its appropriations debates.
- from AAUW's Washington Update for May 8, 2008.
A $3.4 trillion federal budget plan (S. Con. Res. 13) was passed in the House (233-193) and in the Senate (53-43) on Wednesday. Both votes were divided mostly along party lines. The AP reported that the budget plan will allow progress to be made on several of the president's primary goals, such as boosting clean energy programs, improving student aid, and expanding health care coverage. The two chambers had both initially passed their own versions of the budget in early April. AAUW supported the budget conference report, as it includes instructions to move to a system of direct student loans which will produce savings that can be used to increase student aid.
The budget resolution is a pivotal step in the budget process. While it doesn't have the force of law, it does establish an overall outline for federal spending and revenue and sets the discretionary spending cap for the annual appropriations bills. For detailed information on the budget resolutions, see the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.
- from AAUW's Washington Update for May 1, 2008.
Americans interested in tracking the earmarking activities of their U.S. representatives now have a convenient tool to use. The nonpartisan Sunlight Foundation revealed their database this week-an online listing of all representatives with links to each member's earmark requests. This new resource follows the unprecedented House Appropriations Committee mandate that all representatives post their earmark requests on their websites by 5 p.m. on April 4. Nearly 300 representatives complied with the new regulation on time, and many members who had not posted had also pledged to make no earmark requests, Roll Call reported. Click here to see your representative's requests.
- from AAUW's Washington Update for April 10, 2008.
The budget resolution for $3.5 trillion in spending passed in the House (H.CON.RES.85) on Thursday (233-196). The Senate also passed a similar budget resolution (S.CON.RES.13) on Thursday (55-43). Both votes were divided mostly along party lines and will allow progress to be made on the president's primary goals such as expanding health care coverage to all.
Both proposals will now enter a conference committee to resolve differences, the Washington Post reported. One key difference centers on the student loan program. The House largely followed President Obama's proposed change of ending the Federal Family Education Loan Program, which would end government subsidies to banks and instead the federal government would offer all loans through the direct loan program. The Senate version supports sticking with the status quo of continuing the FFEL program, CQ Today reported. This change was inserted into the legislation by Sen. Lamar Alexander's (R-TN) amendment. Click here for a chart outlining differences between the two proposals. The conference committee process will likely take awhile to complete as the spring congressional recess begins Monday and continues for two weeks.
On Thursday, the Senate spent hours on the traditional vote-a-rama, a lengthy process where senators introduce numerous amendments to the budget proposal, many of which receive a few minutes of debate and then a roll call vote. This year's event was particularly arduous, with more than 200 amendments introduced by mid-afternoon and many senators reporting confusion as to what they were even voting on. "The vote-a-rama is the Senate's equivalent to Chinese water torture," Sen. Judd Gregg (R-NH) said at a February hearing, reported by the Washington Post. "On the other hand, it is the opportunity for the minority to make its points."
The budget resolution is a pivotal step in the budget process. While it doesn't have the force of law, it does establish an overall outline for federal spending and revenue and sets the discretionary spending cap for the annual appropriations bills. Legislation has yet to be created and implemented to actually carry out the programs outlined in the budget passed this week.
- from AAUW's Washington Update for April 3, 2008.
Both chambers began the process of laying out their blueprints for the nation's spending plan this week. The House Budget Committee passed (24-15) their version of the FY10 budget along party lines on Wednesday, CQ reported. The committee rejected 27 of the 28 amendments offered, including an AAUW-opposed amendment offered by Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) that would have added $140 million for the D.C. private school voucher program. The Senate Budget Committee passed (13-10) their spending outline on Thursday.
The House bill also contains reconciliation instructions, which prevents the use of a filibuster in the Senate and therefore allows legislation, like President Obama's health and education initiatives, to pass with only a simple majority vote. This makes it an attractive vehicle through which legislation can be quickly moved through the Senate. The Senate version does not include reconciliation instructions. Both bills are expected to be taken up on the floors of the respective chambers next week.
The budget resolution is a pivotal step in the budget process. While it doesn't have the force of law, it does establish an overall outline for federal spending and revenue and sets the discretionary spending cap for the annual appropriations bills.
- from AAUW's Washington Update for March 27, 2008.
On February 26th, President Barack Obama released his FY10 Budget Blueprint. Entitled "A New Era in Responsibility," the blueprint offers a broad look at the state of the national economy, outlines the administration's fiscal priorities, and promotes initiatives for federal departments and agencies. AAUW has crafted an analysis of the administration's budget blueprint, which will pave the way for the administration releasing its full budget proposal in the spring. At that time, Congress will begin debate on its own budget resolution and the individual appropriations bills for FY10.
AAUW is pleased to report that the budget blueprint contains a number of proposals that match our priorities. The Obama administration proposes various initiatives that will decrease the cost of attending college, increase availability to quality and affordable health care, and provide more assistance to working women and their families through job training and early child care funding. AAUW will fight for these and other priorities to be included in the final legislation that Congress ultimately passes.
- from AAUW's Washington Update for March 6, 2008.
On Thursday, President Obama released his budget blueprint for FY10, which begins on October 1, 2009. The blueprint, which presents an overview of the administration's budget goals and priorities - a more detailed, line-by-line budget will be released later this year - followed President Obama's address to a joint session of Congress delivered on Tuesday.
Overall, President Obama's budget will propose $3.6 trillion in spending for FY10. The deficit at the end of 2009 is projected to be $1.75 trillion, just over 12 percent of GDP. As he did during Monday's fiscal responsibility summit and during his address to Congress on Tuesday, President Obama once again reiterated his goal to cut the deficit in half by the end of his first term in office - specifically, to $533 million by 2013, which would represent three percent of GDP.
The budget blueprint outlined several priorities for which AAUW has advocated. In education, the budget will propose that Pell Grant funding be made mandatory to ensure a regular funding stream, and that the maximum awards be increased and indexed to the Consumer Price Index, plus 1 percent, in order to address inflation. Moreover, the budget will propose to strengthen early childhood education programs, with the aim of doubling the number of children in Early Head Start. Working women and their families stand to benefit from proposed funding increases to workforce training programs and to the Office of Federal Contract Compliance, which enforces equal employment opportunities. The budget blueprint also proposes funding for sex education programs and global family planning initiatives that focus on maternal and child health. AAUW will monitor the proposals for these and other key programs when the full budget is released in the spring.
- from AAUW's Washington Update for Februray 27, 2008.