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FY 2007 House Budget Debate: Save Health & Education Funding
Updated: April 7, 2006
The House of Representatives agreed to recess last night without passage of an FY 2007 Budget Resolution, the bill that sets overall budget ceilings for federal government spending on a variety of programs including those that serve people with epilepsy. With heavy pressure by moderates to include additional funding for health, disability and education programs, and appropriators unhappy with the proposal because of language that would compromise their ability to respond to emergencies like Hurricane Katrina, a compromise could not be reached.
Earlier this week, newly-appointed Majority Leader John Boehner (R-OH), who replaced Tom DeLay in this role, said that if the Budget was not agreed on this week, it wouldn't likely come up at all. Many other Members agreed, knowing that even if the House passed a bill, it would be dramatically different from the Senate's budget bill and a final compromise between the two seemed unlikely. Representative Mike Castle (R-DE), the leader of the moderate Republican charge said, "Having the right budget is more important than having a budget."
Majority Leader Boehner is now saying that he may try to bring the Budget up for another try after the two-week Spring Recess if he can broker a compromise between the moderates' desire for additional spending with the conservatives' desire for tighter spending controls. It is therefore important for advocates to continue to tell their representatives that they should only support a bill that contains the additional $7 billion for health and education spending.
If the end result is that no budget resolution is passed, congressional leadership will deem funds to the appropriators to begin their work of determing FY 2007 spending levels for each program funding by the federal government.
Take Action
Because the House may attempt to vote on the Budget again in late April, you should continue to urge your representative to reject any Budget Resolution that does not contain $7 billion of additional funding for health, disability and education funding.
Contact your representative TODAY by calling or emailing. To send an email, fill in your contact information on the right side of this page. To make contact by phone, find your legislator's contact information online or call the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 225-3121.
| Sample Letter for Campaign |
Subject: Vote No on the Budget Resolution
Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,
Although the House went into recess without voting on a budget resolution, I continue to be concerned that the current budget resolution, H. Con. Res. 376, does not contain $7 billion of additional funding for health, disability and education funding. As Representative Mike Castle said, "Having the right budget is more important than having a budget."
As a constituent concerned with education and training, public health and research programs of the Departments of Education, Health and Human Services and Labor, I urge you to vote against any Budget Resolution that does not contain this $7 billion of additional funding for health, disability and education funding.
Sincerely,
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Campaign Launched:
March 27, 2006
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Health & Education Program Funding Threatened in FY 2007 Budget:
Advocates Work to Save CDC Epilepsy Program & Other Projects
Background
During the 2006 Senate debate on the Fiscal Year 2007 Budget, Senators Specter and Harkin (Chair and Ranking Members on the Senate Labor, Health and Human Services Education Appropriations Committee) introduced an amendment to the budget bill that restored funding for public health programs. Responding to an incredible flood of grassroots voices, the Senate overwhelmingly adopted the Specter-Harkin Amendment by a vote of 73-27.
The amendment increased health and education funding by $7 billion and rejected White House-proposed cuts, including the cut to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Epilepsy Program. These public health programs have been seriously eroded by years of flat funding, outright reductions, and four years of across-the-board cuts. Last year alone, public health programs lost $1.6 billion in funding.
Investing in public health can slow the growth in programs like Medicaid and Medicare spending by preventing, or treating chronic diseases and disabilities and infectious diseases early. The Specter-Harkin amendment provisions protect and support the nation's investment in biomedical, behavioral and health services research, disease prevention and health promotion, targeted services to medically underserved populations, and education of a diverse health care workforce. The $7 billion amount in the Specter-Harkin Amendment reflected the funding diminishment in the past two years alone.
The FY 2007 Budget Resolution sets overall budget ceilings for House and Senate appropriators and limits the funds they can allocate for federal agencies and programs. The House Budget Committee rejected the amendment.
Last week, during consideration of the Nussle FY 2007 Budget Resolution, Representatives Mike Castle (R-DE), Nancy Johnson (R-CT) and Dave Reichert (R-WA) submitted a substitute amendment bill to H. Con. Res. 376, to increase funding for Health, Education, and to reinstate full funding for LIHEAP – the Low Income Heating Energy Assistance Program. This would bring funding to $880 billion, reflecting a return to FY 2006 levels plus inflation.
Now, the House has adjourned for the Spring Recess without passing a Budget Resolution. The fact that they could not pass a bill is due to your pressure on moderates to hold firm on their demands for increasing funding for health, disability, and education programs. With the Congress starting a two week recess, this is the perfect time to thank moderates for holding firm and to continue to urge all Representatives to support increased funding for our priorities. Members will be home for two weeks and can be contacted in their local or district offices as well as in Washington, D.C.
The programs and services administered by the Departments of Health and Human Services, Education, and Labor serve a broad range of constituencies and needs. They all share a common, fundamental goal of strengthening this nation by investing in and improving the quality of life of its people, especially the most vulnerable. H. Con. Res. 376 reduces funding for these agencies and programs in FY 2007 by $4 billion after Congress cut them by $1.6 billion in FY 2006. America cannot sustain its global scientific and economic leadership, national security, and civic and physical well-being and sustain cuts of this magnitude. We should be making investments in these critical areas, not reductions.
What You Can Do to Help
Contact Your Representative! Ask that your Congressman reject any budget resolution that does not contain $7 billion of additional funding for health, disability and education funding. Most representatives have returned to their districts for the two week recess. Now is a good time to reach them while they are at home.
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