Panel's tally for proposed terminations totals 101 programs

With all 11 fiscal 2006 appropriations bills reported out of committee, the House Appropriations Committee has tallied a total of 101 proposed program terminations for the next fiscal year -- two more than recommended by President Bush -- for a savings of $4.6 billion.

House Appropriators did not go along with a number of proposed program terminations of established congressional favorites, particularly within the Education Department, while proposing to kill a number of new programs sought by the administration, such as its new high school initiative.

Appropriators cut deeper into the State Department and foreign aid programs than the administration wanted, largely to make up for shortfalls in the domestic budget, and even eliminated one Pentagon program sought by the administration.

The House-passed fiscal 2006 Defense appropriations bill would eliminate funds for the Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile, saving $148 million.

Overall, there are 57 program terminations in the $142.5 billion fiscal 2006 Labor-HHS measure, saving $2.9 billion, or nearly half the total reductions recommended by House Republicans.

The $66.9 billion fiscal 2006 Transportation-Treasury-Housing measure, slated for floor action this week, has $446 million in cuts spread through 11 program terminations, including the $143 million HOPE IV housing program, as proposed by the White House.

On the other hand, the $20.3 billion fiscal 2006 Foreign Operations bill, also scheduled for the House floor this week, would eliminate four programs requested by the administration for a savings of $222 million, including $107.5 million for the Global Environmental Facility, which finances U.S. and other nations' commitments under international environmental treaties.