Capitol Insider, June 11, 2007
Submitted by Shelley Joyce on Fri, 06/15/2007 - 10:36am.
Capitol Insider
Vol. 12, Issue 23
June 11, 2007
MAJOR EVENTS LAST WEEK
Appropriations – FY 2008
The House of Representatives made significant progress last week in moving bills in subcommittees and the full Appropriations Committee. Its first action was to adopt the so-called 302 (b) allocations that provide specific discretionary spending limits to the twelve appropriations subcommittees. Total discretionary spending is set at $953 billion, about $23 billion more than the Bush Administration wants to spend. The subcommittee that funds the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services and Education (L-HHS-ED) gets a 4.6% increase over the current FY 2007 level while the subcommittee for the Departments of Transportation and Housing and Urban Development receives a 6.7 % increase over current spending.
The L-HHS-ED FY 2008 Appropriations Bill and three other FY 2008 Appropriations bills cleared subcommittee. The L-HHS-ED bill increases spending by $6.9 billion, almost $11 billion more than the Administration request. Most disability programs are either frozen at current levels or receive increases. For example, the IDEA State Grant program would get a $174.5 million increase while the Preschool and Part C Early Intervention programs remain frozen. The Developmental Disabilities Act is increased by $5.1 million with $5 million going to the DD State Councils and $100,000 to the University Centers on Excellence. Funding for the administration of the Social Security Administration is increased by $400 million, way below the amount allowed to resolve long standing delays in SSI and SSDI eligibility determinations and appeals. The disability employment programs at the Department of Labor and the Rehabilitation Services Administration mostly received the same level of funding as FY 2007. These programs were level funded with the exception of the Work Incentives Grants program which was cut by $9.8 million, and the Title I Vocational Rehabilitation State Grant program which received the automatic cost of living adjustment (an increase of $36.9 million).
Health Care
The principal original authors of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) announced an agreement on principles for reauthorization of the program. Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA), Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, and Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT), Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Committee’s Health Subcommittee, reached agreement on key goals for SCHIP:
• Children must be the primary focus of the program;
• Increasing outreach to enroll eligible children in SCHIP or Medicaid should be a priority. It is estimated that between 2 and 2.8 million children are eligible but not enrolled in SCHIP; and
• SCHIP should cover premiums for certain low-income children who could obtain employer-sponsored health care through their parents.
MAJOR EVENTS AHEAD
Appropriations – FY 2008
The House will continue its work on its twelve FY 2008 appropriations bills. The full House is scheduled to vote on the first appropriations bill to reach the floor – the bill that funds the Department of Homeland Security. Several bills will be considered by the relevant subcommittees while others will move on to consideration by the full Appropriations Committee. The Transportation/Housing and Urban Development (HUD) bill is scheduled for subcommittee markup today. House Republicans are expected to raise objections during the course of the week regarding the Democratic leadership's decision to add any earmarked spending only during the House/Senate conferences held to resolve the differences between the appropriations bills. Republicans believe that is too late in the process and undermines accountability and sunshine provisions.
House Republican leaders are urging their colleagues to sign a pledge to uphold the President’s promised vetoes of eight FY2008 appropriations bills that are expected to exceed the Administration’s budget request, including the Labor/HHS/Education proposal. The support of two-thirds of the House is necessary to override a veto. At the end of last week, about 140 Republicans had signed a letter being circulated by Representative John Campbell (R-CA) promising to support the President, leaving the GOP leadership still shy of having enough votes to sustain the veto threats.
The Senate will initiate its FY 2008 appropriations process. The Senate will be working in the subcommittee and full committee that are responsible for the bills to fund Homeland Security and Military Construction/Veterans Affairs.
Health
The House Energy and Commerce Committee holds a hearing on June 12 on the reauthorization of the Prescription Drug User Fee Act and the Medical Device User Fee and Modernization Act.
Education
The DPC will provide testimony on Thursday, June 14 on the proposed rules to implement the 2004 IDEA Amendments to the Part C Early Intervention Program for Infants and Toddlers. This is the last of four regional hearings hosted by the U.S. Department of Education on the proposed rules.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Publications
New guides are available on the new minimum wage changes. Two new issue briefs from the Institute for Community Inclusion review how the minimum wage increase is relevant and provide guidance for both people with disabilities and service providers. These briefs assist service providers and people with disabilities through the minimum wage change and its effect on benefits and other issues. The guides are available by clicking the link below:
• A Guide for Disability Service Providers
• What It Means for People with Disabilities
Public Comments
The DPC, in concert with the Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities’ (CCD) Employment and Training and Rights Task Forces, submitted comments to the Department of Labor (DOL) on a “Proposed Information Collection Request” for Job Corps applicants. The proposal involved a number of potentially discriminatory questions regarding a Job Corps applicant’s mental health history as an indicator of future job performance. CCD asked that the DOL reject the proposed changes on the basis that they would be likely to discriminate by requiring applicants with mental disabilities to satisfy additional unnecessary and unfounded eligibility criteria.
Vol. 12, Issue 23
June 11, 2007
MAJOR EVENTS LAST WEEK
Appropriations – FY 2008
The House of Representatives made significant progress last week in moving bills in subcommittees and the full Appropriations Committee. Its first action was to adopt the so-called 302 (b) allocations that provide specific discretionary spending limits to the twelve appropriations subcommittees. Total discretionary spending is set at $953 billion, about $23 billion more than the Bush Administration wants to spend. The subcommittee that funds the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services and Education (L-HHS-ED) gets a 4.6% increase over the current FY 2007 level while the subcommittee for the Departments of Transportation and Housing and Urban Development receives a 6.7 % increase over current spending.
The L-HHS-ED FY 2008 Appropriations Bill and three other FY 2008 Appropriations bills cleared subcommittee. The L-HHS-ED bill increases spending by $6.9 billion, almost $11 billion more than the Administration request. Most disability programs are either frozen at current levels or receive increases. For example, the IDEA State Grant program would get a $174.5 million increase while the Preschool and Part C Early Intervention programs remain frozen. The Developmental Disabilities Act is increased by $5.1 million with $5 million going to the DD State Councils and $100,000 to the University Centers on Excellence. Funding for the administration of the Social Security Administration is increased by $400 million, way below the amount allowed to resolve long standing delays in SSI and SSDI eligibility determinations and appeals. The disability employment programs at the Department of Labor and the Rehabilitation Services Administration mostly received the same level of funding as FY 2007. These programs were level funded with the exception of the Work Incentives Grants program which was cut by $9.8 million, and the Title I Vocational Rehabilitation State Grant program which received the automatic cost of living adjustment (an increase of $36.9 million).
Health Care
The principal original authors of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) announced an agreement on principles for reauthorization of the program. Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA), Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, and Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT), Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Committee’s Health Subcommittee, reached agreement on key goals for SCHIP:
• Children must be the primary focus of the program;
• Increasing outreach to enroll eligible children in SCHIP or Medicaid should be a priority. It is estimated that between 2 and 2.8 million children are eligible but not enrolled in SCHIP; and
• SCHIP should cover premiums for certain low-income children who could obtain employer-sponsored health care through their parents.
MAJOR EVENTS AHEAD
Appropriations – FY 2008
The House will continue its work on its twelve FY 2008 appropriations bills. The full House is scheduled to vote on the first appropriations bill to reach the floor – the bill that funds the Department of Homeland Security. Several bills will be considered by the relevant subcommittees while others will move on to consideration by the full Appropriations Committee. The Transportation/Housing and Urban Development (HUD) bill is scheduled for subcommittee markup today. House Republicans are expected to raise objections during the course of the week regarding the Democratic leadership's decision to add any earmarked spending only during the House/Senate conferences held to resolve the differences between the appropriations bills. Republicans believe that is too late in the process and undermines accountability and sunshine provisions.
House Republican leaders are urging their colleagues to sign a pledge to uphold the President’s promised vetoes of eight FY2008 appropriations bills that are expected to exceed the Administration’s budget request, including the Labor/HHS/Education proposal. The support of two-thirds of the House is necessary to override a veto. At the end of last week, about 140 Republicans had signed a letter being circulated by Representative John Campbell (R-CA) promising to support the President, leaving the GOP leadership still shy of having enough votes to sustain the veto threats.
The Senate will initiate its FY 2008 appropriations process. The Senate will be working in the subcommittee and full committee that are responsible for the bills to fund Homeland Security and Military Construction/Veterans Affairs.
Health
The House Energy and Commerce Committee holds a hearing on June 12 on the reauthorization of the Prescription Drug User Fee Act and the Medical Device User Fee and Modernization Act.
Education
The DPC will provide testimony on Thursday, June 14 on the proposed rules to implement the 2004 IDEA Amendments to the Part C Early Intervention Program for Infants and Toddlers. This is the last of four regional hearings hosted by the U.S. Department of Education on the proposed rules.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Publications
New guides are available on the new minimum wage changes. Two new issue briefs from the Institute for Community Inclusion review how the minimum wage increase is relevant and provide guidance for both people with disabilities and service providers. These briefs assist service providers and people with disabilities through the minimum wage change and its effect on benefits and other issues. The guides are available by clicking the link below:
• A Guide for Disability Service Providers
• What It Means for People with Disabilities
Public Comments
The DPC, in concert with the Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities’ (CCD) Employment and Training and Rights Task Forces, submitted comments to the Department of Labor (DOL) on a “Proposed Information Collection Request” for Job Corps applicants. The proposal involved a number of potentially discriminatory questions regarding a Job Corps applicant’s mental health history as an indicator of future job performance. CCD asked that the DOL reject the proposed changes on the basis that they would be likely to discriminate by requiring applicants with mental disabilities to satisfy additional unnecessary and unfounded eligibility criteria.
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