Labor-HHS-Education and Military Construction & Veterans Affairs Appropriations
November 5, 2007
Labor-HHS-Education and Military Construction and Veterans Affairs appropriations bills are being joined in the conference report released November 5.
Both appropriations bills passed the House and the Senate with strong bipartisan support, but the president promises a veto.
These bills:
- Maintain our commitments to our veterans
- Strengthen our commitment to education, healthcare, child welfare and other domestic priorities, which will increase the security of families and communities
Labor-HHS-Education funding in the new package totals $150.7 billion, $6.2 billion above the 2007 level and $9.8 billion above the president’s budget request
It includes funding for:
- Community Health Care centers, Medical Research
- Community Service Block Grants and Social Services Block Grants
- Head Start
- Centers for Disease Control
- Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
- IDEA grants to educate students with disabilities
- Pell Grant increases and other higher education initiatives to help families pay for college
- Job Training programs, and
- Worker Safety programs
The Social Security Administration will receive $9.9 billion to help reduce the disability claims backlog, allowing many persons to finally receive the assistance they are due and for which they have had long waits.
Military Construction and Veterans Affairs funding is set at $64.7 billion, $15 billion above 2007 and $4 billion above the president’s request.
It includes funding for:
- Veteran’s Health Care at $37 billion, $2.6 billion over the president’s budget – this is critical for care for large numbers of very seriously injured men and women returning from Iraq. It is expected that in 2008 the VA will treat 5.8 million patients, including about 263,000 Iraq and Afghanistan veterans.
- Increase in Claim Processors to address 400,000 benefit claims backlog. This will help the families of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans who are in dire financial condition.
- Military Construction funding, set at $21.5 billion, which is $306 million above the president’s level. Part of this is funding for child development centers.
- Increases in funding for the National Guard and Reservists of $1.1 billion, which will help support them and their families.
The Social Security Administration will receive $9.9 billion to help reduce the disability claims backlog, allowing many persons to finally receive the assistance they are due and for which they have had long waits.
|
