Omnibus spending measure provides little wiggle room for agencies

The fiscal 2005 omnibus appropriations measure headed to the president's desk shortly carries nine spending bills totaling $388.4 billion in spending. The House passed the measure by a 344-51 margin on Nov. 20, while the Senate approved it on a 65-30 vote.

Both chambers also adopted a continuing resolution though Dec. 3 to give the president time to sign the bill, but Republicans waylaid the bill on Monday in an effort to repeal a stray provision allowing Appropriations committee members to read citizens' tax returns.

On Wednesday, House Democrats refused to allow the provision to be withdrawn unless Republicans agreed to enforce rules against rushing bills through the chamber. GOP leaders declined, delaying the vote on repeal until Dec. 6.

The omnibus bill (H.R. 4818) amounts to a freeze in domestic spending, a feat Republicans trumpeted as a 'historic accomplishment,' CongressDaily reported.

The 1,689-page measure provides increases in a number of areas the president did not request, including boosting federal highway funds to $34.7 billion, a $1 billion increase; a $1.8 billion increase for Section 8 rent vouchers; and $1.2 billion more than the administration requested for veterans' medical care.

But the Environmental Protection Agency's budget would be cut almost $300 million from last year, to $8.1 billion, and Congress trimmed the administration's request for Title I education funds by $607 million, to $12.7 billion.

In addition, the total funding figures in the nine spending bills are subject to a 0.83 percent across the board reduction, under the terms of an agreement reached by the House and Senate. Highlights of the bills--before the the 0.83 percent cut is factored in--include:

Agriculture

Provides $85.276 billion in mandatory agriculture spending for FY05, of which $16.982 billion is discretionary. The measure includes language barring the Food and Drug Administration from enforcing rules that prohibit the reimportation of drugs into the United States. The FDA is funded at $1.788 billion, $123 million above last year.

Child Nutrition Programs are funded at $11.782 billion, while the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children is funded at $5.277 billion.

Commerce-Justice-State

Appropriates $40.7 billion for the departments of Commerce, Justice and State and other agencies. The funding is $451.2 million above the administration's request, and $2.45 billion over FY04.

The measure includes $20.9 billion for the Justice Department, with increases of $625 million for the FBI, $68.8 million for the Drug Enforcement Administration, and $63.1 million for the Treasury Department's Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.

The Commerce Department and its related agencies are earmarked $6.7 billion, Judiciary takes $5.5 billion, and the State Department and its related agencies receive $8.9 billion. The Federal Communications Commission is slated to receive $281 million, $7.2 million above the FY04 funding level.

Energy And Water

Allocates $28.793 billion for energy and water projects, $85 million above the Bush administration's request. Specifics include $4.705 billion for Army Corps of Engineers civil works projects, about $585 million more than the president's request, and $23.3 billion for the Energy Department, about $150 million more than the budget request. The measure was approved by the House Appropriations Committee by voice vote on June 16.

Foreign Operations

Provides $19.8 billion for foreign assistance programs, $2.3 billion more than FY04, but is $1.6 billion short of President Bush's request. The appropriation also funds efforts at preventing global terrorism and combatting HIV/AIDS in developing countries.

The funding includes $1.5 billion for the Millennium Challenge Corp., a $500 million boost over FY04, which links increased aid from developed countries to developing nations that invest in their people and encourage a free economy. The panel increased funding for combatting HIV/AIDS to $2.3 billion for FY05.

Interior

The $20 billion total includes appropriations for the Interior Department and its adjuncts, the Forest Service (a branch of the Agriculture Department), portions of the Energy Department and the Indian Health Service. The measure includes $500 million in supplemental fire suppression funding.

The Interior Department would receive $9.88 billion, including $2.34 billion for the National Park Service, $1.31 billion for the Fish and Wildlife Service, $1.776 billion for the Bureau of Land Management and $948.9 million for the U.S. Geological Survey.

The Energy Department would receive $1.49 billion, which goes primarily to conservation projects, fossil energy research and development, including clean-coal technologies and weatherization assistance programs.

Other funding highlights include $2.947 billion for wildfires; $176.2 million for the Minerals Management Service; $300.1 million for the Office of Surface Mining and Reclamation Enforcement; $2.33 billion for the Bureau of Indian Affairs; $4.27 billion for the Forest Service; $624 million for the Smithsonian Institution; $33.5 million for the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts; and $124 million for the National Endowment for the Arts and $139.9 million for the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Labor/HHS/Education

The departments of Labor, Education and Health and Human Services are allocated $143.3 billion for FY05. The measure includes an amendment blocking funding for the Labor Department's rule change on overtime for private-sector employees and another amendment broadening the ban on using federal funds for abortions for women receiving Medicaid or other federal assistance.

Under the Education Department, funding includes $10.7 billion for special education grants, $2.94 billion to improve teacher quality and $25.5 billion to implement the No Child Left Behind Act. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is funded at $4.8 billion, the National Institutes of Health would receive $28.6 billion, $800 million more than FY04.

International HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria programs are budgeted to receive $633 million, $2.2 billion goes to the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, $1.56 billion for Job Corps and $1.479 billion for dislocated worker assistance.

Legislative

The costs of operating the legislative branch are covered under a $3.57 billion spending bill, an increase of $43.5 million over FY04 and $397 million below the president's request. The measure designates $1.008 billion to run the House, $726 million for the Senate and the remainder of the money ticketed for joint House-Senate committees, the Capitol Police, Congressional Budget Office, Library of Congress, Capitol architect, Government Printing Office and the Government Accountability Office. The bill was approved by the House Appropriations Committee on June 23.

Transportation/Treasury

The $89.9 billion is primarily earmarked for highways and operations of the Treasury Department, but it also includes a mandate to provide raises to federal employees matching the percentage given to the military.

The bill includes $25.8 billion for discretionary programs, $112 million below the president's request and $2.4 billion below the FY04 level. The remainder of the bill's cost is slated for mandatory transportation programs -- such as highway and airport construction -- that were accorded special status several years ago to protect their dedicated funding sources from pilferage by lawmakers who coveted the money for other purposes.

Funding for Amtrak was increased $300 million over the president's request to $1.217 billion.

The Treasury Department would receive $11.2 billion, $393 million below the president's request and $122 million above FY04. The Internal Revenue Service would be funded at $10.3 billion, about $382 million less than was requested by the president, and $107 million above FY04. Most of the money is mostly earmarked for tax enforcement activities.

The Federal Election Commission is slated to receive $52 million, $2 million above FY04; the Election Assistance Commission is earmarked $14 million.

Other highlights of the measure include $468.5 million for the Office of National Drug Control Policy, $13.6 billion for the Federal Aviation Administration and $7.708 billion for transit systems.

VA/HUD

This $128.6 billion measure would fund veterans and housing programs in FY05. The measure recommends over $66 billion for the Department of Veterans Affairs. The Department of Housing and Urban Development would receive $36.2 billion, $800 million more than FY04.

NASA is funded at $16.2 billion, $522 million more than the FY04 enacted level, and $344 million less than the budget request, while the Environmental Protection Agency would receive $8.08 billion, $277 million below FY04. The National Science Foundation took a $60 million cut from FY04, with FY05 funding at $5.5 billion.