TOPICS
TOPICS
House chair calls for cuts in unauthorized programs
To the consternation of many of his colleagues, new House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Joe Barton, R-Texas, opened his first hearing Wednesday by suggesting that funding for many of the health programs the committee oversees should be cut.
Barton said a preliminary staff analysis has found that 93 health programs are currently being funded by appropriators without a formal authorization. "I don't think that's a responsible practice," he told the hearing's lone witness, Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson. "From my perspective, programs without authorizations should not receive the same funding priority" as other programs, Barton said.
Among the programs whose authorizations have lapsed are major portions of the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, much of the Health Resources and Services Administration and parts of the Indian Health Service. Some programs, like the Title X family planning program, have not been reauthorized since the 1980s.
Thompson said he agreed that the programs "should be reauthorized -- in a systematic way."
While appropriators and GOP leaders in the House and Senate have been discussing trimming the budget by cracking down on unauthorized programs, Energy and Commerce Democrats were surprised that Barton would add his voice to the effort.
"I don't know what he's thinking," said Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif. "We'd be slitting our throats by saying 'Don't fund these programs we haven't gotten around to reauthorizing.' "
Public health programs "are all underfunded to begin with," said Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee ranking member Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio. "President Bush's tax cuts have made it very hard to fund health programs."
COMMENTS
- "Appropriators and GOP leaders in the House and Senate have been discussing trimming the budget by cracking down on unauthorized programs...". This means that 'programs' which directly benefit Americans, living in America, who desperately need it, will be stripped away [because of a procedural issue]. I wonder if the brave Republican Leaders, clamoring for process in this instance, has the courage to step up & stop the fraudulent hemorrage of funds to Halliburton. That might be a more appropriate target for these 'Knights' in shining armor. Its much easier to target the weak and helpless here in our own backyard. Shame on you, Congress! GovExec.com reader Posted March 16, 2004 10:27 AM
- I have worked for our Family Planning Program funded by Title X for 19 years. This is an excellent program that cannot stand anymore cuts. We are trying to operate now on a very limited budget and yet meet the needs of all of our approx. 800 clients in southeast Nebraska which is a very rural area. Our clients DEPEND on this program for their reproductive health care and for many we are the ONLY health care they have due to no insurance and low income. PLEASE PLEASE DO NOT CUT TITLE X PROGRAMS ANYMORE. Budgets cannot withstand any more cuts. We actually need MORE funding right now to serve the clients that we do have as all operating costs for our program have gone up but not our funding. How does Congress expect us to keep going and then not give these people the health care they need and WANT as they need birth control to plan their families? We need to keep all the funding for the health programs as they are all underfunded, not just Title X. Committee Chairman Joe Barton needs to take a look at how much these programs help the people of the whole country. WE are VERY IMPORTANT PROGRAMS. Jean M. Brinkman Jean M. Brinkman Posted March 12, 2004 2:06 PM
