Senate Subcommittee Approves $152B Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations Bill
The Senate Appropriations Labor, HHS, Education and Related Agencies Subcommittee on Tuesday unanimously approved a $152 billion fiscal year 2008 appropriations bill that exceeded the amount President Bush requested by $10 billion, the AP/Houston Chronicle reports (Taylor, AP/Houston Chronicle, 6/19). The legislation would increase funds for NIH by $800 million, or 2.8% -- the largest increase that the agency has received in four years but less than the biomedical inflation rate of 3.7% (Cohn, CongressDaily, 6/20). The bill also would increase funds for community health centers by 13%. Subcommittee ranking member Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) and Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) consider the legislation "lean," despite the increases in funds (AP/Houston Chronicle, 6/19).
According to CongressDaily, a "gulf" exists between the Senate and House versions of the bill, and negotiations to resolve the difference "might drag on" late into the year. The House version of the bill includes $1.9 billion more in total funds than the Senate version, but the Senate version includes more funds for health programs than the House version. The House version of the legislation would increase funds for NIH by 1.9% (CongressDaily, 6/20).
Indian Health Service
In related news, the Senate Appropriations Interior, Environment and Related Agencies Subcommittee on Tuesday approved a $27.2 billion FY 2008 appropriations bill that would increase funds for the Indian Health Service by 6%, the AP/Chronicle reports (AP/Houston Chronicle, 6/19). The legislation exceeded the amount that Bush requested by $1.5 billion. The differences between the Senate and House versions of the bill "are not that great," CongressDaily reports (CongressDaily, 6/20).
Bush Nominates Nussle as OMB Director
Meanwhile, Bush on Tuesday announced that he will nominate former House Budget Committee Chair Jim Nussle (R-Iowa) as director of the White House Office of Management and Budget, CQ Today reports. Current OMB Director Rob Portman earlier on Tuesday announced plans to resign (Clarke, CQ Today, 6/19). According to CongressDaily, "Democrats were preparing for a long fall fight over appropriations, but with Nussle, accommodation might be harder," as he "evokes a more combative style" than Portman (CongressDaily, 6/20).
