Senate panel sends Labor-HHS, Transportation bills to floor

The Senate Appropriations Committee Thursday approved two fiscal 2010 spending bills, including the $163.1 billion Labor-Health and Human Services Appropriations bill, which provides $10.5 billion above the amount provided in fiscal 2009.

The bill, approved 29-1, includes $72.5 billion for HHS, $63.4 billion for the Education Department and $13.2 billion for the Labor Department.

The committee also approved, 31-0, the $67.7 billion Transportation-Housing and Urban Development Appropriations bill, which is about $13 billion over the amount provided in fiscal 2009. That measure includes $42.5 billion for highway construction, $1.2 billion for intercity and high-speed rail, and $1.1 billion for significant transportation projects. Tenant based-Section 8 low-income rental assistance program would receive $18.1 billion and project-based rental assistance would receive $8.1 billion. HUD's Community Development Block Grant program would receive $3.9 billion.

The two bills are the 10th and 11th of the 12 annual spending bills the committee has considered. Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Daniel Inouye, D-Hawaii, said the panel will move to consider the final bill, the Defense Appropriations bill, in early September.

Action on the bills comes after the House last week approved a $160.7 billion Labor-HHS bill and a $68.8 billion Transportation-HUD measure.

Senate Labor-HHS Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, highlighted $700 million for school renovations in the bill.

Harkin said school renovation had not been funded at a national scale since fiscal 2001 and that it was slated to receive funding in the stimulus, but ultimately no funds were directly allocated.

"It creates jobs; it makes schools healthier; it improves energy efficiency; and most importantly, when students are in schools that are safe, they do better academically," Harkin said.

During debate on the Labor-HHS bill, the panel rejected an amendment, 16-13, by Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., to redirect $100 million in education funding to the teacher incentive fund.

Landrieu said that over half of the nation's teachers leave the profession by their fifth year, and the program would help retain them.

But Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., said the funding would come from successful teacher recruitment, certification and further training programs. She also said it would result in a cut of $1.6 million in education funding to her state.

The bill provides $30.8 billion for NIH, $442 million over fiscal 2009 funding.

No amendments were offered to the Transportation-HUD bill, but Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala., said he plans to offer an amendment on the floor to strip three provisions involving transportation programs. One provision "would have the effect of allowing the Federal Transit Administration to make commitments well in excess of any funding that may be provided through a future authorization bill," Shelby said. Shelby is ranking member of the Banking Committee, which oversees public transit issues in the Senate.