House Appropriations Committee to Complete FY18 Appropriations Bills Next Week
House Appropriators held several subcommittee and full committee markups this week and are on track to have all 12 FY18 spending bills reported out of committee by the end of next week. Next week, House leadership will begin to whip a 12-bill omnibus spending package that would be considered on the House floor before the August recess. House Rules Committee Chairman Pete Sessions (R-TX) said that a 12-bill omnibus would proceed under a structured rule, which limits amendments when it is being debated on the House floor. We’ll know next week if House leadership has the votes to pass an omnibus measure.
Meanwhile, the House Appropriations Committee continues to work on its FY18 spending bills. Right now, they are writing the bills to a topline of $511B for nondefense discretionary and $621.5B for defense discretionary. The FY18 subcommittee allocations for their 12 FY18 spending bills are listed in the chart below (with FY17 allocations for comparison). The House’s FY18 spending plan busts current spending caps ($1.065T for FY18 – $549B for defense and $516B for non defense) and would need a change in budget law to avoid sequestration. The House budget increases defense spending (Defense and MilCon VA) at the expense of nondefense spending (Transportation-HUD, Labor HHS Education, and Financial Services). Any change to budget law would require 60 votes in the Senate, so it would have to be done on a bipartisan basis.
FY18 House Appropriations Subcommittee Allocations
| Subcommittee | FY17 Budget Authority | FY18 Budget Authority |
| Agriculture | $20.877B | $20.001B |
| Commerce Justice Science | $56.6B | $53.935B |
| Defense | $516.1B | $584.181B |
| Energy & Water | $37.771B | $37.562B |
| Financial Services | $21.515B | $20.231B |
| Homeland Security | $49.3B | $51.121B |
| Interior | $32.280B | $31.456B |
| Labor HHS Education | $161.0B | $157.938B |
| Legislative Branch | $4.44B | $4.490B |
| MilCon VA | $82.5B | $88.166B |
| State Foreign Ops | $53.07B | $35.345B |
| Transportation HUD | $58.58B | $56.512B |
Agriculture
The full House Appropriations Committee approved their $20B FY18 Agriculture Appropriations bill this week by voice vote. The legislation funds agricultural and food programs and services, including food and medical product safety, animal and plant health programs, rural development and farm services, agricultural trade, financial marketplace oversight, and nutrition programs. The bill is $876M below the FY17 enacted level and $4.64B above the President FY18 budget request.
Three amendments to the bill were adopted during full committee consideration:
Rep. Aderholt (R-AL) – The amendment makes technical and noncontroversial changes to the bill and report. The amendment was adopted on a voice vote.
Rep. Womack (R-AR) – The amendment would require robust cost-benefit analysis by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and provide clarification regarding inter-affiliate swap transactions. The amendment was adopted on a voice vote.
Rep. Newhouse (R-WA) – The amendment adds bill and report language to enable legal migrant farm workers to utilize certain farm labor housing. The amendment was adopted on a voice vote.
House FY18 Agriculture Appropriations Bill Text:
https://appropriations.house.gov/uploadedfiles/bills-115hr-fc-ap-fy2018-ap00-fy18agriculturebill.pdf
House FY18 Agriculture Appropriations Report Language:
https://appropriations.house.gov/uploadedfiles/hrpt-115-hr_.pdf
Commerce, Justice, Science
The full House Appropriations Committee approved their $54B FY18 Commerce Justice Science (CJS) Appropriations bill this week by a vote of 31 to 21. The bill funds the Departments of Commerce and Justice, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the National Science Foundation (NSF), and other related agencies. The bill is $2.6B below the FY17 enacted level and $4B above the President FY18 budget request.
Five amendments to the bill were adopted during full committee consideration:
Rep. Culberson (R-TX) – The manager’s amendment makes technical and noncontroversial changes to the bill and report. The amendment was adopted on a voice vote.
Rep. Harris (R-MD) – The amendment prohibits implementing or enforcing a critical habitat designation for Atlantic Sturgeon in the Chesapeake Bay. The amendment was adopted on a voice vote.
Rep Cartwright (D-PA) – amended by Rep. Culberson – The amendment requires risk assessments for certain IT purchases from Russia, North Korea, and Iran. The amendment was adopted on a voice vote.
Rep. Harris (R-MD) –The amendment prohibits funding in the bill from being used to implement a new EEOC requirement making businesses report certain demographic information of employees. The amendment was adopted on a vote of 29-20.
Rep. McCollum (D-MN)/Rep. Cole (R-OK) – The amendment changes Justice Department funding designations for Native Americans. The amendment was adopted on a voice vote.
House FY18 Commerce Justice Science Bill Text:
https://appropriations.house.gov/uploadedfiles/cjs_xml.pdf
House FY18 Commerce Justice Science Report Language:
https://appropriations.house.gov/uploadedfiles/cjs.report.07.13.17.pdf
Energy & Water
The full House Appropriations Committee approved their $37.56B FY18 Energy and Water Appropriations bill this week by voice vote. The legislation provides annual funding for national defense nuclear weapons activities, the Army Corps of Engineers, various programs under the Department of Energy (DOE), and other related agencies. The bill is $209M below the FY17 enacted level and $3.65B above the President FY18 budget request. The only amendment adopted during the full committee markup was a manager’s amendment making technical and noncontroversial changes to the bill and report. The amendment was adopted on voice vote.
House FY18 Energy and Water Bill Text:
House FY18 Energy and Water Report Language:
https://appropriations.house.gov/uploadedfiles/hrpt-115-hr-p2.pdf
Financial Services and General Government
The full House Appropriations Committee approved their $20.231B FY18 Financial Services and General Government Appropriations bill this week by a vote of 31-21. The bill provides annual funding for the Treasury Department, the Judiciary, the Small Business Administration, the Securities and Exchange Commission, and other related agencies. The bill is $1.284B below the FY17 enacted level and $2.483B below the President’s FY18 budget request. Funding for the IRS was cut by $149M from the FY17 enacted level. Under the legislation, the agency will also be subject to increased oversight and transparency. Several other policy provisions aimed at reducing regulations and financial requirements were also included.
Six amendments were adopted during full committee consideration:
Rep. Graves (R-GA) – The manager’s amendment makes technical and noncontroversial changes to the bill and report, and adds certain authorization language. The amendment was adopted on a voice vote.
Rep. Moolenaar (R-MI) – The amendment adds language to define the term “pyramid promotion scheme” and limits funds for enforcement actions outside the definition. The amendment was adopted on a voice vote.
Rep. Harris (R-MD) – The amendment prohibits funds for doctor-assisted suicide in the District of Columbia, and repeals the DC Death with Dignity Act. The amendment was adopted on a vote of 28-24.
Rep. Lowey (D-NY) – The amendment increases the Office of Government Ethics by $349,000 – equal to the Administration’s request. These funds are offset by a reduction in the Department of Treasury department-wide systems and capital investments program. The amendment was adopted on a voice vote.
Rep. Young (R-IA) – The amendment Requires GSA to post National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) findings online for which the GSA Administrator has solicited public comment. The amendment was adopted on a voice vote.
Rep. Aguilar (D-CA) – The amendment adds language allowing those individuals authorized to be employed under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program to be eligible for employment by the federal government. The amendment was adopted on a voice vote.
House FY18 Financial Services Bill Text:
https://appropriations.house.gov/uploadedfiles/6.28_fsgg_bill_xml.pdf
House FY18 Financial Services Report Language:
https://appropriations.house.gov/uploadedfiles/fsgg.report.07.13.17.pdf
Homeland Security
The House Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee marked up its $44.3B FY18 spending bill this week. The bill is $1.9B above FY17 enacted levels. The bill includes $13.8B for Customs and Border Protection ($1.6B above FY17), $7B for Immigration and Customs Enforcement ($619.7M above FY17), $10.5B for the U.S. Coast Guard ($31.7M above FY17), $7.2B for the Transportation Security Administration ($159.8M below FY17), $1.8B for Cybersecurity and Protection of Communications, $2B for the U.S. Secret Service ($101M below FY17), and $7.3B for the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The bill also includes $1.6B for physical barrier construction along the U.S. southern border and $6.8B for disaster relief and emergency response activities. The legislation does not fund most Citizen and Immigration Services (CIS) activities, as these are funded outside the appropriations process. However, the bill does contain $131M for E-Verify. The bill does not include an increase in TSA passenger fees nor a redirection of Brand USA Travel Promotion fees (both of which were included in the President’s FY18 budget request). The bill will be marked up in full committee Tuesday.
House FY18 Homeland Security Bill Text:
https://appropriations.house.gov/uploadedfiles/homeland_07.11.17_xml.pdf
Interior and Environment
The House Interior and Environment Appropriations Subcommittee marked up its $31.4B FY18 spending bill this week. The legislation includes funding for the Department of the Interior, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Forest Service, the Indian Health Service, and various independent and related agencies. In total, the bill provides $31.4B, $824M below the FY17 enacted level and $4.3B above the President’s budget request. The bill funds wildland firefighting and prevention programs at $3.4B ($334M below FY17), $465M for the “Payments In Lieu of Taxes” (PILT) program, $7.5B for the EPA ($528M below FY17), $2.9B for the Bureaus of Indian Affairs and Education ($10M above FY17), $5.1B for the Indian Health Service ($97M above FY17), $213M for the Office of Surface Mining ($40M below FY17), $1.2B for the Bureau of Land Management ($46M below FY17), $2.9B for the National Park Service ($64M below FY17), $5.2B for the U.S. Forest Service, $1.5B for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ($38M below FY17), $1B for the U.S. Geological Survey ($46M below FY17), $885 for the Smithsonian Institution ($22M above FY17), $145M for the National Endowments for the Arts and Humanities ($5M below FY17), $16.6M for the Eisenhower Memorial Commission, $275M for the Land and Water Conservation Fund ($125M below FY17), and $11M for the Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (same as FY17). The bill will be marked up in full committee next Tuesday.
House FY18 Interior Bill Text:
https://appropriations.house.gov/uploadedfiles/fy18_interior_xml.pdf
Labor, Health and Human Services, Education
The House Labor, HHS, and Education Appropriations Subcommittee marked up its $156B FY18 spending bill this week. The legislation includes funding for programs within the Department of Labor, the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Education, and other related agencies.
In total, the draft bill includes $156 billion in discretionary funding, which is a reduction of $5 billion below the FY17 enacted level. The bill provides $10.8B for the Department of Labor ($1.3B less than FY17), $77.6B for HHS ($542M less than FY17), $66B for the Department of Education ($2.4B less than FY17), $1B for the Corporation for National and Community Service (same as last year), $445M for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (same as last year), $249M for the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) ($25M less than FY17), and $12.5B for the Social Security Administration (same as last year). The bill includes some policy provisions prohibiting the NLRB from applying its revised “joint-employer” standard in new cases and proceedings and from exercising jurisdiction over Tribal governments. The legislation also contains several provisions to stop the implementation of ObamaCare – including prohibiting the use of any new discretionary funding to implement ObamaCare. Finally, several programs were terminated including:
- Employment Service Grants ($671 million);
- International Labor Affairs Grants ($60 million), consistent with the budget request;
- CDC Climate Change program ($10 million), consistent with the budget request;
- Economic Development Grants ($20 million), consistent with the budget request;
- “Striving Readers” program ($190 million), consistent with the budget request;
- Health Careers Opportunity Program ($14 million), consistent with the budget request; and
- Overseas foreign language study program ($7 million), consistent with the budget request.
The bill will be marked up in full committee next Wednesday.
House FY18 Labor HHS Education Bill Text:
https://appropriations.house.gov/uploadedfiles/turn_4_xml.pdf
State and Foreign Operations
The House State and Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee marked up its $47.4B FY18 spending bill this week. The legislation funds the State Department, the United States Agency for International Development, and other international activities. In total, the bill provides $47.4 billion in both regular discretionary and Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO) funding. This total is $10 billion below the FY17 enacted level, when counting additional funds provided in the Security Assistance Appropriations Act of 2017. Within this amount, OCO funding totals $12 billion, which supports operations and assistance in areas of conflict, such as Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. The bill provides $15.4B in base and OCO funding for the State Department ($2.6B less than FY17), $8.8B in base and OCO funding for International Security Assistance ($624M less than FY17), $1.5B for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) ($115M less than FY17), and $888M for multilateral assistance ($1.2B less than FY17). The bill also provides policy provisions on Syria, Egypt, Afghanistan, the Palestinian Authority, countering Russian influence and aggression, records management at State and USAID, Guantanamo Bay, assistance to foreign governments and local organizations, multi-year funding commitments, UN reform, North Africa strategy, the UN Arms Trade Treaty, OPIC anti-coal regulations, Mexico City Policy, and other anti-abortion measures. The bill will be marked up in full committee next Wednesday.
House FY18 State Foreign Operations Bill Text:
Transportation HUD
The House Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Subcommittee marked up its FY18 spending bill this week. The legislation includes funding for the Department of Transportation, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and other related agencies. In total, the bill reflects an allocation of $56.5B in discretionary spending – $1.1B below FY17 and $8.6B above the President’s budget request. The bill includes $17.8B for the Department of Transportation ($646M above FY17) – $16.6B for the Federal Aviation Administration ($153M above FY17), $45B for the Federal-aid Highways Program ($968M above FY17), $2.2B for the Federal Railroad Administration ($360M above FY17), $11.75B for the Federal Transit Administration ($662M above FY17), $490.6M for the Maritime Administration ($31.9M below FY17), $927M for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration ($15M above FY17), and $268M for the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration ($3.7M above FY17). The bill eliminates the National Infrastructure Investment grants (also known as TIGER grants), which were funded at $500M in FY17. The bill funds the Department of Housing and Urban Development at $38.3B ($487M below FY17) and provides $6.6B for Community Planning and Development Programs ($209M below FY17). The bill will be marked up in full committee Monday evening.
House FY18 Transportation HUD Bill Text:
Senate Appropriators Begin Considering FY18 Spending Bills
In contrast to the House Appropriations Committee, the Senate is moving considerably slowler and will not be able to mark up all of its spending bills before the August recess.
Military Construction-Veterans Affairs
The Senate Appropriations Committee marked up and unanimously approved its $88.9B FY18 Military Construction-Veterans Affairs spending bill in subcommittee and full committee this week. The bill is $6.1B above the FY17 enacted level, which includes a $4B increase for Department of Veterans Affairs programs and a $1.8B increase for military construction. The bill provides $9.5B to fund 214 military construction projects and $331M in Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO) funding for construction projects in direct support of military operations in the Middle East. The Department of Veterans Affairs is funded at $78.4B in discretionary funding, Arlington National Cemetery at $81M, the Armed Forces Retirement Home at $64.3M, the American Battle Monuments Commission at $79M and the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims at $33.6M.
Senate FY18 Military Construction-Veterans Affairs Bill Text
https://www.appropriations.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/FY18%20MilCon-VA%20Bill%20S15572.pdf
Senate FY18 Military Construction-Veterans Affairs Report Language
https://www.appropriations.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/FY18%20MilCon-VA%20Report%20115-130.pdf
Status of FY18 Appropriations Spending Bills
| Subcommittee | House Action | Senate Action |
| Agriculture | Subcommittee: June 28
Full Committee: July 12 |
|
| Commerce Justice Science | Subcommittee: June 29
Full Committee: July 13 |
|
| Defense | Subcommittee: June 26
Full Committee: June 29 |
|
| Energy & Water | Subcommittee: June 28
Full Committee: July 12 |
|
| Financial Services | Subcommittee: June 29
Full Committee: July 13 |
|
| Homeland Security | Subcommittee: July 12
Full Committee: July 18 |
|
| Interior | Subcommittee: July 12
Full Committee: July 18 |
|
| Labor HHS | Subcommittee: July 13
Full Committee: July 19 |
|
| Legislative Branch | Full Committee: June 29 | |
| MilCon-VA | Subcommittee: June 12
Full Committee: June 15 |
Subcommittee: July 12
Full Committee: July 13 |
| State Foreign Ops | Subcommittee: July 13
Full Committee: July 19 |
|
| Transportation HUD | Subcommittee: July 11
Full Committee: July 17 |