Source: US HOUSE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS, 1/13/14 House Appropriations Committee Chairman Hal Rogers today unveiled the fiscal year 2014 Omnibus Appropriations bill, the legislation that will provide discretionary funding for the entire federal government for the fiscal year.
“The Omnibus will fulfill the basic duty of Congress; it provides funding for every aspect of the federal government, from our national defense, to our transportation systems, to the education of our kids,” Chairman Rogers said. “The bill reflects careful decisions to realign the nation’s funding priorities and target precious tax dollars to important programs where they are needed the most. At the same time, the legislation will continue the downward trend in federal spending to put our nation on a sustainable fiscal path.”
The Omnibus contains all 12 regular appropriations bills for fiscal year 2014, with no area of the government functioning under a Continuing Resolution. This allows every program to be weighed individually and prioritized, with funding targeted to the most important and effective programs while lower-priority programs are reduced.
“My committee worked closely with our colleagues in the Senate to find common ground. This bill is a compromise, but it reflects Republican priorities and holds the line on spending in many critical areas,” Chairman Rogers continued.
Bill Highlights –
Funding Level – The bill abides by all the terms set by the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2013 (the “Ryan-Murray Agreement”), providing a total of $1.012 trillion for the operation of the federal government, and meeting the $520.5 billion defense and $491.7 billion non-defense budget caps.
Military Pension “Fix” – The legislation amends the Ryan-Murray Agreement to exempt medically retired personnel and survivor benefit plan recipients from having their cost-of-living benefits temporarily reduced. This will ensure disabled veterans and surviving families receive the full benefits they are due.
ObamaCare – The bill provides no new funding for ObamaCare, and holds the line on funding for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services – the prime agency responsible for the implementation of ObamaCare. In addition, the bill rolls back ObamaCare funding in other areas, including reducing the Prevention and Public Health Fund by $1 billion to prevent the Secretary of Health and Human Services from raiding these funds for ObamaCare exchanges.
Life – The Omnibus maintains all existing pro-life policy and funding provisions that have been carried in Appropriations legislation in previous years, including the Hyde Amendment, a ban on public funding for abortions in the District of Columbia, and a ban on abortion funding for federal prisoners. The bill also reduces Title X family planning funding by $10 million.
National Security – The Omnibus contains the fiscal year 2014 Defense Appropriations bill, providing funding for our nation’s security, military readiness, and resources for our troops at home and abroad. The bill will fund important Department of Defense programs and projects, a pay raise for our troops, and the advancement of our military operations to protect the nation from current and future threats
Policy Provisions – Many policy provisions are included in the Omnibus, including:
A ban on the Administration’s onerous “light bulb” standard;
Provisions to protect Second Amendment rights;
A provision to ensure Yucca Mountain maintains its viability for future use;
Bans and limitations on federal agency conferences, travel, and awards;
A provision to prohibit the Export-Import Bank and OPIC from blocking coal and other power-generation projects, which will increase exports of U.S. goods or services;
A provision prohibiting funds for the Army Corps of Engineers to change the definition of “fill material,” which could have harmful effects on many U.S. industries;
Provisions to stop the transfer or release of Guantanamo detainees into the U.S.; and
A restriction on the Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) from implementing regulations harmful to the livestock and poultry industry.
Savings and Oversight of Tax Dollars – The bill includes program cuts and oversight provisions to ensure the responsible use of taxpayer dollars. Some of these items include:
No funding for High Speed Rail;
Extensive reporting requirements for the IRS;
No funding for three new DHS headquarters buildings;
Oversight and monitoring requirements to weed out waste and abuse in nutrition programs;
No funding for contributions for the UN Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO);
A pay freeze for the Vice President and senior political appointees;
No funding for the Administration’s Preschool Development Grants and Race to the Top College Affordability proposals; and
No funding for the International Monetary Fund.
Omnibus Summaries – For summaries of the 12 Appropriations bills within the Omnibus, please visit the following:
Agriculture
FY 2014 Omnibus Summary – Agriculture Appropriations
Funding is prioritized to programs that support American farmers and ranchers, sustain food and drug safety efforts
The Omnibus includes the Agriculture Appropriations bill that prioritizes funding to support American farmers and ranchers, including agriculture production, promotion, research, and marketing programs, which will help build upon the estimated $140.9 billion in U.S. agricultural exports this past fiscal year – the highest level on record. These exports support more than one million American jobs, and are essential to the nation’s continued economic growth.
In addition, the bill funds important programs such as rural development, food and drug safety, and nutrition. In total, the bill provides $20.9 billion in discretionary funding – $350 million above the fiscal year 2013 enacted level – while cutting back lower-priority programs and rescinding unused funds.
Agricultural Research – The bill provides $2.6 billion for agriculture research programs including the Agricultural Research Service and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture. This includes $316 million for the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative, the nation’s premiere competitive agricultural research grant program. This funding will support research to help stop and mitigate devastating crop diseases, and improve food safety and water quality, placing priority on drought, invasive species, and herbicide resistance issues. The bill also maintains responsible investments in the nation’s land-grant colleges and universities.
Animal and Plant Health – The legislation includes $821.7 million – equal to the fiscal year 2013 enacted level – for the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). This funding will provide support for programs to help control or eradicate plant and animal pests and diseases that can be crippling to U.S. producers and entire agricultural industries. In addition to base funding, the bill provides APHIS with one-time funding of $20 million to fight citrus greening, a disease that threatens the $13 billion citrus industry in the U.S.
Farm Service Agency (FSA) – The legislation provides $1.5 billion for FSA, which is equal to the fiscal year 2013 enacted level. This funding will support the various farm, conservation, loan, and emergency programs for American farmers and ranchers, including loan authorizations in excess of $5.5 billion for farm ownership, farm operating, conservation and emergency loans.
Rural Development – The bill provides a total of $2.4 billion for rural development programs, which is $180 million above the fiscal year 2013 enacted level. These programs help create an environment for economic growth by supporting basic infrastructure, providing loans to increase opportunities for rural businesses and industries, and helping balance the playing field in rural housing markets.
Food Safety and Inspection – The legislation includes more than $1 billion for the Food Safetyand Inspection Service, $19 million below the fiscal year 2013 enacted level. These mandatory inspection activities help ensure the safety and productivity of the country’s $832 billion meat and poultry industry, and keep safe, healthy food on American tables. The funding provided will maintain more than 8,000 frontline inspection personnel for meat, poultry, and egg products at more than 6,200 facilities across the country.
The legislation also restricts the Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) from implementing certain regulations that would allow harmful government interference in the private market for the livestock and poultry industry.
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) – The FDA receives a total of almost $2.6 billion in discretionary funding in the bill, an increase of $91 million above the fiscal year 2013 enacted level. Total funding for the FDA, including revenue from user fees, is $4.4 billion. In addition to these amounts, the bill provides $85 million to restore the loss of funds due to OMB’s sequester of FDA user fees. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) – Included in the bill is $215 million for the CFTC, which is $100 million below the President’s budget request.
Conservation Programs – The bill provides $826 million for the Natural Resources Conservation Service – virtually the same as the fiscal year 2013 enacted level – to help farmers, ranchers, and private forest landowners conserve and protect their land. This includes $12 million in conservation funding for dam rehabilitation to help rural communities ensure their small watershed projects meet current safety standards.
Food and Nutrition Programs – The legislation contains discretionary funding, as well as mandatory funding required by law, for food and nutrition programs within the Department of Agriculture. This includes funding for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and the Child Nutrition programs.
WIC – This program provides supplemental nutritional foods needed by pregnant and nursing mothers, babies and young children. The bill provides full funding for WIC at $6.7 billion – $153 million below the fiscal year 2013 enacted level – including the replenishment of the contingency reserve. This level will ensure all eligible participants will be served.
• Child nutrition programs – The bill provides for $19.3 billion in required mandatory funding – which is outside the discretionary funding jurisdiction of the Appropriations Committee – for child nutrition programs. Of this amount, $25 million is directed to help schools purchase needed equipment to operate the program. This funding will provide for an estimated 5.6 billion free or reduced-price school lunches and snacks for 32.1 million children who qualify for the program.
• Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) – The bill provides for $82.2 billion in required mandatory spending – which is outside the discretionary funding jurisdiction of the Appropriations Committee – for SNAP. This program provides food assistance to more than 47 million Americans on average every month.
*International Food Programs – The legislation contains $1.47 billion for “Food for Peace” grants, also known as the P.L. 480 – Title II program. This is $32 million above the fiscal year 2013 enacted level. The bill does not reflect the President’s budget request to move this program to the jurisdiction of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). In addition, the legislation provides $185.1 million for the McGovern-Dole International Food Program that uses donated U.S. commodities to support education, child development, and food security.
*Savings and Oversight – The legislation includes several provisions to reduce spending and increase oversight of taxpayer dollars. Some of these provisions include:
Oversight and monitoring requirements for the WIC program, including a directive for the Secretary of Agriculture to increase oversight of vendors to help rein in food costs;
• A provision requiring USDA to submit a plan for reducing high error rates and improper payments in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs;
• Requirements for the Secretary of Agriculture to help weed out and eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse in the SNAP program – including a directive to ban fraudulent vendors, and a prohibition on advertisements or outreach with foreign governments;
• Cuts to lower-priority programs, including a $49 million cut to biofuels programs and the elimination of the Pesticide Recordkeeping Program; and
• Rescissions of unused funding, including $270 million in the Department of Agriculture.
For informational overall funding charts and graphs, please visit: http://appropriations.house.gov/UploadedFiles/FY14_Omnibus_-_Informational_Graphs.pdf
For the full text of the bill and accompanying report, please visit: www.rules.house.gov.
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