House Continues Marking Up FY20 Appropriations Bills

The House Appropriations Committee marked up their Labor HHS Education, Legislative Branch, and Military Construction-Veterans Affairs spending bills in full committee this week, and the State Foreign Operations spending bill in subcommittee. 

Labor HHS Education

The House Appropriations Committee approved the $189.876B FY20 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies bill and reported it out of committee by a vote of 30 to 23. The legislation includes funding for programs within the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and other related agencies, including the Social Security Administration. The bill provides an increase of $11.8B over the FY19 enacted level and $48B over the President’s FY20 budget request.

The following amendments to the bill were adopted by the full Committee:

• Rep. DeLauro #1 – The manager’s amendment makes technical and noncontroversial changes to the bill and report. The amendment was adopted by voice vote.
• Rep. DeLauro #2 – The Chair’s amendment increases funding for several programs by allocating the remaining amount of funding available under the subcommittee allocation. It also includes several bill and report language provisions, including a general provision to maintain support for nonemergency medical transportation services for Medicaid beneficiaries who lack access to transportation to health care facilities. The amendment was adopted by voice vote.
• Rep. Harris #1 – The amendment directs the Secretary of Homeland Security on how to allocate H-2B visas. The amendment was adopted by voice vote.
• Rep. Graves – The amendment prohibits funds from being used to replace or diminish the quality of care provided by TRICARE or Medicare. The amendment was adopted by voice vote.
• Rep. Lee – The amendment prohibits funds from being used to finalize, implement, or enforce a new Trump Administration rule that allows medical professionals and health workers to deny care based on personal beliefs. The amendment was adopted on a vote of 30 to 23.
• Rep. Harris #3 – The amendment increases funding for the Strategic National Stockpile by $300 million using unobligated balances from the Children’s Health Insurance Program to pay for the increase. The amendment was adopted by voice vote.

FY20 Labor HHS Education Bill Text

FY20 Labor HHS Education Report

OMB Letter to House Chairwoman Lowey re: FY20 Labor HHS Bill

Legislative Branch

The House Appropriations Committee approved their $3.972B FY20 Legislative Branch bill and reported it out of committee by a vote of 28 to 22. The legislation funds the Legislative Branch of the U.S. government, including the U.S. House of Representatives, Congressional Budget Office, and Capitol Police. The bill appropriates $164M more than what was enacted in FY19. It also restarts the Office of Technology Assessment, boosts funding for intern compensation, and permits “Dreamers” to work on the Hill. In keeping with longstanding practice whereby each chamber of Congress determines its own housekeeping requirements and the other concurs without intervention, the House bill does not include funds for the Senate or for Senate office buildings.

FY20 Legislative Branch Bill Text

FY20 Legislative Branch Report

OMB Letter to House Chairwoman Lowey re: FY20 Legislative Branch Bill

Military Construction-Veterans Affairs

The House Appropriations Committee approved the $108.1B FY20 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies bill and reported it out of committee by a vote of 31 to 21. The legislation funds the Department of Defense, Department of Veterans Affairs, and other related agencies, including the American Battle Monuments Commission and Armed Forces Retirement Home. The bill provides $10.1 billion above the FY19 enacted level. The $108.1B funding level includes $921M in Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO) funding as well as $2B for emergency needs related to Hurricanes Michael and Florence at military bases in North Carolina and Florida.

The bill included bill text and report language barring President Trump from using military constructing money to fund his border wall. Rep. Andy Harris (R-MD) offered an amendment during the full committee markup to eliminate this provision. The amendment was defeated by a vote of 22 to 31. Rep. Judge Carter (R-TX) then offered an amendment to add $7.2B to the bill for border security. His amendment also was defeated by a vote of 21 to 31. This language is unlikely to survive in the Senate, and is specifically called out in Acting OMB Director Russell Vought’s letter to House Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Nita Lowey (D-NY). 

FY20 Military Construction-Veterans Affairs Bill Text

FY20 Military Construction-Veterans Affairs Report

OMB Letter to House Chairwoman Lowey re: FY20 MilCon-VA Bill

State Foreign Operations

The House Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs approved its FY20 bill by voice vote. In total, the bill provides $56.4B in base discretionary funding—$2.2B above the FY19 enacted level and $13.7B above the President’s FY20 budget request. The funding level includes $8B in OCO funding. The committee rejected the administration’s proposed steep cuts to diplomacy and foreign aid. The bill next heads to the full Committee for markup.

FY20 State Foreign Operations Bill Text

FY2020 Appropriations Bills Status