Senate Appropriations Committee Approves $145.7B Labor-HHS Appropriations Bill

Members of the Senate Appropriations Committee on Thursday voted 27-0 to approve the Labor-HHS-Education fiscal year 2006 appropriations bill (HR 3010), CQ Today reports (Swindell, CQ Today, 7/14). The move follows approval on Tuesday by the Senate Appropriations Labor, HHS, Education and Related Agencies Subcommittee. The bill would authorize $145.7 billion in discretionary funding for the Department of Labor, HHS and the Department of Education. The legislation would provide $29.4 billion for NIH, an increase of $1.05 billion from FY 2005 and $905 million more than Bush has requested. HHS would receive $65.4 billion, an increase of $1.6 billion from FY 2005 and $2.9 billion more than Bush has requested. CDC would receive $225 million to expand and improve agency facilities, $195 million more than Bush has requested. In addition, the bill would provide $2 million for an embryo adoption awareness program, double the amount spent in FY 2005. The legislation also would change the definition of federal funding for abortion services to exclude referral services. The bill also includes a provision that would eliminate Medicare and Medicaid funding for erectile dysfunction medications (Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, 7/13). In addition, the legislation would include $105 million in additional funding for Community Health Centers and would add $9 million for substance abuse and mental health services (CongressDaily, 7/15).