Community Services, Employment and Training
Data and Reports - LEGISLATIVE ALERTS

Legislative Alert - September 2005

As both chambers are behind in advancing appropriations measures - including the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Services bill (H.R. 5647 and S. 3708) -- Congress will rely on a continuing resolution to keep programs funded while it breaks for the mid-term election. The funding levels would be consistent with past continuing resolutions, in which programs were funded at the lowest level set by the House passed bill, the Senate passed bill or in the previous year’s spending measure. This increases the likelihood of some kind of year-end omnibus spending measure for appropriations bills that have not been passed by the end of the session. If this is the case, a $325 million rescission that was included in the House bill could easily be included.

Senators Specter and Harkin have issued a Dear Colleague letter to the leadership regarding the final FY07 Labor-HHS-Education appropriations bill . The letter, which began circulating on September 13, urges that the bill include the full $7 billion above the President's FY07 request called for under the Specter-Harkin amendment, which was approved as part of the FY07 budget resolution. The Labor-HHS-Education funding bill approved by the Senate Appropriations Committee is $2 billion below that level. The letter will likely remain open for signature by Senators until after the November elections.