Fiscal Year '97 Funding for Health, Education and Labor Programs

From AMCHP Updates, July 1996, vol. 3 no. 1, pg. 10
On June 13, the House Labor, Health and Human Services Appropriations Subcommittee finished deliberations for Fiscal Year 1997 funding for health, education, and labor programs. The bill would provide $65.6 billion in discretionary programs, $7.9 million less than the President requested. The Subcommittee received a 3% increase in its allocation, and, as a result, Subcommittee Chairman, John Edward Porter (R-IL), had more money to allocate to programs, instead of having to make deep cuts as he had to last year. The FY '97 bill would terminate 38 programs including Healthy Start and the Goals 2000 education program. Most health programs received current level funding, or small increases from the FY '96 level, but most of the funding still remained short of their FY '95 funding levels. The Maternal and Child Health Block Grant received a $2.8 million increase over FY '96 ($678.204 million) which brings the FY '97 funding level to $681.061 --the President's request for the program. Funding levels for other programs are listed in the table below.

Congressman Louis Stokes (D-OH) offered a comprehensive $1.2 billion amendment that would have restored $75 million in funds for Healthy Start which has been zeroed out, but that amendment failed. Congressman Henry Bonilla (R-TX) successfully added $19 million to community health centers and $17 million to health professions training. Congressman Jay Dickey (R-AR) failed in his attempt to strip $2.6 million in funds from the CDC injury prevention program that conducts research on injuries caused by firearms. An amendment by Congresswoman Nita Lowey (D-NY) would allow for federal funds to be used for human embryo research. No amendments were offered on Title X, but it is likely that a parental consent amendment and a means testing amendment will be offered during the full committee debate tentatively scheduled for June 20. AMCHP has taken a position opposing a parental consent/notification requirement that would limit teens' access to family planning services. A floor vote for this appropriations bill is likely before July 4. Senate Labor, HHS staff indicate that they are still scheduled to markup their appropriations bill in mid to late July.