TO: AUCD
FROM: Kim Musheno
DATE: June 27, 2008
RE: FY 09 L-HHS-ED Appropriations
The Senate Appropriations Committee Thursday approved a $154 billion FY09 spending bill for programs under the Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor, and Education (L-HHS-ED). The bill was marked up and passed unanimously by the Subcommittee two days prior, on Tuesday. The bill was approved on a vote of 26-3 with three Republicans voting against - Sen. Judd Gregg (R-N.H), Sen. Sam Brownback (R-KS), and Sen. Wayne Allard (R-CO). The bill was amended to include several earmarks, including an amendment from Sen. Leahy (D-VT) requiring the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to launch the regulatory process of strengthening its conflict-of-interest oversight of grants awarded to academic researchers; $3 billion to the overall bill to help pay for the 2009 Special Olympics; and $6.55 million for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lab in Atlanta, Ga. The manager's amendment also called for an additional $5 million for the CDC lab in Ford Collins, Colo.
The House Subcommittee approved its L-HHS-ED appropriations bill on Tuesday, but was prevented from being finalized by the full Committee Thursday due to partisan squabbling. Hopefully, the House Committee will be able to take up the bill quickly after the July 4 recess.
While we do not have all the details about the contents of these bills, we have gotten information about some of our network programs. Both the House and Senate bills provide an additional $2 million increase for the LEND programs over the FY 08 level. The Senate provides $2 million additional funding for the UCEDD programs, but the House bill unfortunately level funds the University Centers.
The Centers for Disease Control Birth Defects Center is boosted by $6 million in both bills. NICHD also receives an increase in both bills: $44.3 million increase in the House and $36.1 million in the Senate.
Below is a table comparing the funding levels of the House and Senate bills for some of our programs to date. More details about funding for all of the programs monitored by AUCD will be shared as soon as they become available.
It is still unclear whether the House and Senate leaders will take the time to consider these bills before the full House and Senate before adjourning for the year since the President has threatened to veto any bill that does not adhere to his overall spending level. In that case, a continuing resolution will be enacted to continue funding levels for programs, most likely at the FY 08 levels, until the bill can be enacted.
AUCD will continue to monitor this situation and do everything we can to urge the Congress and Administration to move this bill to enactment in a timely matter.
P.S. In other good news, we can’t wait until Monday to share, the Senate also passed the war funding bill yesterday with 6 of the 7 Medicaid moratoria attached! The House passed the bill last Friday. The President is expected to sign it. More in Monday’s In Brief.
FY 09 Labor, Health and Human Services Appropriations bills compared
Program
/ FY08 Final / President’s FY 09 Budget / HouseSubcommittee / Difference over FY 08 / Senate Committee / Difference over FY 08
UCEDDs / 36.9 / 36.9 / 36.9 / 0.0 / 38.9 / +2.0
DD Councils / 72.5 / 72.5 / 74.1 / +1.7 / 74.5 / +2.0
P&As / 39.0 / 39.0 / 40.0 / +1.0 / 40.0 / +1.0
PNS/Family Support / 14.2 / 14.2 / 14.2 / 0.0 / 14.2 / 0.0
MCH Block Grant / 666.0 / 666.0 / 675.0 / +8.8 / 664.0 / -2.0
Autism and related DD / 36.4 / 36.4 / 42.0* / +5.6 / 42.0* / +5.6
CDC Center on Birth Defects/DD / 127.3 / 126.7 / 133.7 / +6.4 / 133.9 / +6.6
NIH / 29,230.0 / 29,230.0 / 30,379.0 / +1,150.0 / 30,254.5 / +1,025
NICHD / 1,254.7 / 1,255.7 / 1,299.0 / +44.3 / 1,290.8 / +36.1
Nat. Children’s Study / 110.9 / 192.3 / +81.4
Lifespan Respite Care Act / 0.0 / +5.0 / 0.0 / 0.0
* this amount includes a $2 million increase specifically for the LEND program
**IDDRC language is included in House bill:
Mental Retardation Centers. – The Committee recognizes the contributions of the recently renamed Eunice K. Shriver Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Centers (IDDRC), formerly known as the Mental Retardation/Developmental Disabilities Research Centers (MRDDRC). The work of these centers leads toward understanding why child development goes awry, discovering ways to prevent developmental disabilities, and discovering treatments and interventions to improve the lives of people with developmental disabilities and their families. The Committee is particularly pleased with the IDDRC contributions in the areas of autism, fragile X syndrome, Down syndrome, and other genetic and environmentally induced disorders. The Committee urges NICHD to strengthen its support of the IDDRC so that they can conduct translational research to develop effective prevention and intervention strategies for children and adults with developmental disabilities.
** IDDRCs report language from the Senate bill:
Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Centers [IDDRCs].-The committee recognizes the outstanding contributions of the recently renamed Eunice Kennedy Shriver Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Centers [IDDRCs], formerly known as the Mental Retardation Developmental Disabilities Research Centers. However, the Committee is concerned that the IDDRCs do not have sufficient resources to sustain the progress made in this critical area and is especially concerned with the 11 percent funding reduction for recently funded centers. The Committee urges the NICHD to restore these reductions and, to the extent possible, provide additional resources to the IDDRCs so that they can lead our national effort to develop effective prevention and intervention strategies for children and adults with developmental disabilities.