Appropriations: House Approves CR, Along With Three FY09 Bills And Extras

By Humberto Sanchez

(CongressDaily September 25, 2008) The House approved a more than $600 billion continuing resolution package Wednesday, 370-58, that would fund the federal government through March 6, fund three FY09 appropriations bills and provide $22.9 billion for disaster relief.

The bill is expected to be taken up by the Senate this week. “We are debating a CR today because we did not complete the appropriations process,” House Majority Leader Hoyer said on the floor. ”Very frankly, we were confronted with an administration who wanted to limit funding far below what was possible in order to meet the responsibilities that we have to this nation and to our people.”  President Bush this year said he would veto any appropriations bills that spent above the levels recommended in his FY09 budget. “This veto threat hovering over the appropriations process, stifling debate, that process simply could not continue,” Hoyer said The CR will give Congress additional time to work on the remaining appropriations bills. The fiscal year ends Tuesday. To date, none of the 12 spending bills have been enacted.

Appropriations Chairman David Obey said Bush sought to cut $14 billion from crucial domestic programs, including research funding at the National Institutes of Health and low income home heating aid. “We felt that rather than capitulate … we would kick the can down the road … so that if we have a president that will negotiate” some of that funding could be preserved. Minority Leader Boehner complained the appropriations process has not worked and the bill includes “billions of dollars” of member-directed earmarks that have not been scrutinized. Boehner lauded the package because it allows the expiration of a ban on offshore oil drilling and a restriction on oil shale extraction in the Intermountain West. Appropriations ranking member Jerry Lewis said he was concerned the process left out most appropriators and members and worried it sets a badprecedent. He added that “All year long, the majority leadership has chosen to ignore regular order. The assumption has been that Sen. Barack Obama would be elected president in November and that he would support higher levels of spending next year. But, what if Sen. John McCain is elected President? And what if he draws an even harder line on spending than President Bush? What then? Is the Appropriations Committee going to do nothing for the next four years?”

On Tuesday, Obey said he believes that the Senate and the White House will sign off on the package. Some have speculated that a lame-duck session could be in the offing — when Congress could address remaining appropriations bills and other business, but Hoyer dismissed the idea Wednesday. The CR would fund most programs at FY08 levels and includes three FY09 spending bills — Defense, Military Construction-Veterans Affairs, and Homeland Security.

Along with the three spending measures, the CR includes up to $22.9 billion in disaster relief funding, including $7.9 billion for the Federal Emergency Management Agency disaster relief fund. The CR would provide $2.5 billion for the Pell Grant program, which provides aid to college students, and low-income heating assistance would get $5.1 billion. A $25 billion loan program for the auto industry is also part of the CR at a cost of $7.5 billion. The bill extends the federal flood insurance program through March 6.

The CR also would raise a cap on administrative costs for the coupon program that helps consumers make the transition to digital television broadcasting, raising it $20 million from the $160 million cap.