Status of FY2017 Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations

Status of FY2017 Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations

Status of FY2017 Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations

August 10, 2017 (R44478)

Contents

LHHS Overview

FY2017 Omnibus

FY2017 Continuing Resolutions

Earlier FY2017 Congressional Action on LHHS

Budget Resolution and Spending Limits

Additional Resources

Tables

Table 1. Status of Full-Year LHHS Appropriations FY2017

Table 2. FY2017 LHHS Discretionary 302(b) Suballocations and FY2017 Enacted, Along with Comparable FY2016 Levels

The House and the Senate began their consideration of annual appropriations for FY2017 during calendar year 2016.¹ Of the 12 bills that are used to consider these appropriations, the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies (LHHS) appropriations bill is one of the largest and most controversial. When taking into account both mandatory and discretionary funding,² the bill typically contains about $900 billion in appropriations each fiscal year.

Final FY2017 LHHS appropriations were enacted on May 5, 2017, as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2017 (P.L. 115-31). This omnibus appropriations act followed three FY2017 continuing resolutions (CRs; P.L. 114-223, P.L. 114-254, and P.L. 115-30), which generally maintained FY2016 LHHS appropriations levels, minus an across-the-board reduction for discretionary spending programs.

Prior to the start of the fiscal year (October 1, 2016), both the House and Senate appropriations committees had taken action on FY2017 LHHS appropriations bills. The Senate Appropriations Committee reported its LHHS bill on June 9, 2016 (S. 3040); the House Appropriations Committee LHHS bill was ordered reported on July 14, 2016, and was reported to the House on July 22, 2016 (H.R. 5926). Neither measure was considered on the House or Senate floor.

This report provides a brief summary of the general scope of the LHHS appropriations bill, status of congressional action with regard to the FY2017 bill, and a list of additional resources. For a more robust treatment of FY2017 LHHS appropriations, see CRS Report R44691, Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education: FY2017 Appropriations, coordinated by [author name scrubbed] and [author name scrubbed].

LHHS Overview

The LHHS bill provides appropriations for the following federal departments and agencies:

the Department of Labor;

most agencies at the Department of Health and Human Services, except for the Food and Drug Administration (provided in the Agriculture appropriations bill), the Indian Health Service (provided in the Interior-Environment appropriations bill), and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (also funded through the Interior-Environment appropriations bill);

the Department of Education; and

more than a dozen related agencies, including the Social Security Administration, the Corporation for National and Community Service, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the National Labor Relations Board, and the Railroad Retirement Board.³

When taking into account both mandatory and discretionary appropriations, the LHHS bill is consistently the largest of the 12 annual appropriations acts. The size of the bill reflects the fact that it includes annual appropriations for a number of mandatory spending programs, such as Medicaid and Supplemental Security Income. Mandatory spending typically accounts for the majority of the LHHS bill (about 81% in FY2017).

It is notable that the LHHS bill contains such a large proportion of mandatory appropriations because most mandatory spending is not provided through the annual appropriations process, but rather through budget authority provided by the program's authorizing law (e.g., the Social Security Act). However, while the levels of spending for appropriated entitlements like Medicaid are controlled by requirements in authorizing law, the laws lack the appropriations to fund those entitlements. As a consequence, those appropriations are provided through the annual appropriations process.

In general, the appropriations process has little control over the amounts provided for appropriated entitlements; rather, the authorizing statute controls the program parameters (e.g., eligibility rules, benefit levels) that entitle certain recipients to payments. If the money necessary to meet these commitments is not appropriated, entitled recipients (e.g., individuals, states, or other entities) may have legal recourse. Because the amount of appropriated mandatory spending is not determined through the appropriations process, discretionary appropriations tend to receive the most attention during the consideration of the LHHS bill, even though they account for less than a quarter of total LHHS appropriations.

Furthermore, while discretionary appropriations represent a relatively small share of the entire LHHS bill, those funds are typically the largest single source of nondefense discretionary appropriations for the federal government (the Department of Defense bill is the largest single source of discretionary appropriations overall).⁴ In FY2017, the LHHS bill accounted for about 31% of all nondefense discretionary appropriations and about 14% of all discretionary appropriations.⁵

FY2017 Omnibus

On May 5, 2017, President Trump signed into law the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2017 (P.L. 115-31). This omnibus appropriations act included full-year LHHS appropriations in Division H. LHHS appropriations for FY2017 total roughly $934 billion in mandatory and discretionary funding. This is an increase of about 5% compared to FY2016 LHHS appropriations levels. The total includes amounts provided by the FY2017 omnibus, as well as certain full-year funds appropriated in the second FY2017 continuing resolution (P.L. 114-254, Division A).⁶

Table 1 displays congressional action on full-year FY2017 LHHS appropriations that occurred both before and after the start of the fiscal year.

Table 1. Status of Full-Year LHHS Appropriations FY2017

Subcommittee Markup

Resolution of House and Senate Differences

House

Senate

House Report

House Initial Passage

Senate Report

Senate Initial Passage

Conf. Report

House Final Passage

Senate Final Passage

Public Law

H.R. 5926

S. 3040

H.Rept. 114-699

S.Rept. 114-274

H.R. 244 (Division H)

H.R. 244 (Division H)

P.L. 115-31

7/7/16

6/7/16

7/14/16

6/9/16

5/3/17

5/4/17

5/5/17

voice vote

voice vote

31-19

29-1

309-118

79-18

Source: CRS Appropriations Status Table, available at http://www.crs.gov/AppropriationsStatusTable/Index.

FY2017 Continuing Resolutions

Full year appropriations were not enacted by the start of FY2017 (October 1, 2016). As a consequence, temporary funding for LHHS was provided by three CRs.

The first FY2017 CR was enacted on September 29, 2016 (P.L. 114-223, Division C). With limited exceptions, the CR generally funded discretionary LHHS programs at FY2016 levels, minus a reduction of about one-half of one percent (-0.496%) through December 9, 2016. Mandatory programs covered by the CR were generally continued at current law levels, less sequestration (where applicable). Provisions specifically affecting LHHS programs appeared in Sections 116 and 138-141.

The second FY2017 CR was enacted on December 10, 2016 (P.L. 114-254, Division A). This CR provided continuing LHHS appropriations through April 28, 2017. It generally funded discretionary LHHS programs at FY2016 levels, minus an across-the-board reduction. However, instead of the across-the-board reduction of 0.496% (per the first FY2017 CR), the reduction in second CR was 0.1901%. Mandatory programs covered by the CR were generally continued at current law levels, less sequestration (where applicable).⁷ The second CR extended all of the provisions in the first FY2017 CR, including special provisions for LHHS programs. In addition, the second FY2017 CR included a number of new provisions affecting LHHS programs, which appeared in Sections 168-174, Sections 194-195, and Sections 198-201.

The third FY2017 CR was enacted on April 28, 2017 (P.L. 115-30). It provided continuing LHHS appropriations through May 5, 2017, when the FY2017 omnibus was signed into law. This CR continued LHHS funding under the same terms and conditions as the second FY2017 CR.

For further information on the FY2017 CRs and their LHHS-specific provisions, see CRS Report R44723, Overview of Further Continuing Appropriations for FY2017 (H.R. 2028), coordinated by [author name scrubbed]; and CRS Report R44653, Overview of Continuing Appropriations for FY2017 (H.R. 5325), coordinated by [author name scrubbed].

Earlier FY2017 Congressional Action on LHHS

The Senate Appropriations Committee reported its version of the FY2017 LHHS appropriations bill on June 9, 2016 (S. 3040), by a vote of 29-1. (The LHHS subcommittee had reported the bill two days prior by a voice vote.) About one month later, the House Appropriations Committee's version of the bill was approved in subcommittee on July 7, 2016, by a voice vote. It was ordered reported by the full committee on July 14, 2016, by a vote of 31-19, and reported to the House on July 22, 2016 (H.R. 5926). In the last decade, initial subcommittee action on the LHHS bill has begun as early as June and as late as September.⁸

Neither the House nor the Senate committee versions of the LHHS appropriations bill (H.R. 5926 and S. 3040) were considered on the floor.

Budget Resolution and Spending Limits

Consideration of FY2017 LHHS appropriations occurred in the context of statutory and procedural constraints on discretionary spending. The statutory constraints are provided through the Budget Control Act of 2011 (BCA; P.L. 112-25, as amended), which imposes separate limits on defense and nondefense discretionary spending each fiscal year.⁹ The LHHS bill is subject to the nondefense limit. For FY2017, the nondefense discretionary limit is $518.5 million, which is $40 million (-0.01%) less than the FY2016 nondefense limit. Amounts provided under the nondefense limit are typically distributed across all 12 of the annual appropriations acts, while only about half of the acts also receive appropriations that are subject to the defense limit.¹⁰

Separately, the congressional budget process also provides a means of procedural budget enforcement through the adoption of a budget resolution. The budget resolution provides an overall limit on spending allocated to the House and the Senate appropriations committees (referred to as a "302(a) allocation"). The appropriations committees subsequently divide the 302(a) allocation among each of their 12 subcommittees, effectively establishing limits on each of the annual appropriations bills (commonly referred to as "302(b) suballocations").¹¹ These subcommittee levels may be revised throughout the annual appropriations process to reflect changing priorities and other budgetary actions.

The House and the Senate did not adopt a budget resolution prior to the start of FY2017.¹² In its absence, the Senate Budget Committee chair filed budgetary levels in the Congressional Record that were enforceable in the Senate as if they had been included in a budget resolution for FY2017.¹³ Based on these levels, the Senate Appropriations Committee reported their initial 302(b) suballocations on April 18, 2016, and subsequently issued several revisions to these suballocations.¹⁴ In the absence of a budget resolution in the House, the House Appropriations Committee chose to adopt "interim 302(b) suballocations" for the appropriations bills as those bills were marked up in full committee.¹⁵ These interim suballocations are not procedurally enforceable. An interim suballocation for the LHHS subcommittee was adopted by the House Appropriations Committee on the same day that the bill was ordered reported out of committee, on July 14, 2016.¹⁶

Ultimately, a budget resolution for FY2017 (S.Con.Res. 3) was adopted in the Senate on January 12, 2017, and in the House on January 13, 2017. Following adoption of the budget resolution, the Senate Appropriations Committee reported further revisions to its 302(b) suballocations.¹⁷ The House Appropriations Committee did not officially report its FY2017 suballocations.

Table 2 displays both the initial and most recently published (current) FY2017 Senate 302(b)s, the House interim 302(b), and the FY2017 enacted and FY2016 comparable levels. The table shows that amounts enacted for FY2017 regular LHHS appropriations subject to the discretionary spending limits were $934 million (-0.6%) less than comparable FY2016 levels. The table also shows LHHS appropriations for which adjustments may be made to the discretionary spending limits under the BCA, including funding for certain LHHS program integrity activities and (where applicable) emergency requirements.

Table 2. FY2017 LHHS Discretionary 302(b) Suballocations and FY2017 Enacted, Along with Comparable FY2016 Levels

(Budget authority in billions)

FY2016 Comparablea

FY2017 House
Interim 302(b)

FY2017 Initial Senate 302(b)b

FY2017 Current Senate
302(b)

FY2017
Enacted

Regular Appropriations

161.959

161.558

161.857

161.025

161.025

Adjustments:

Program Integrity

1.523

1.523

–

1.960

1.960

Emergency Requirements

0.933

–

–

–

–

Adjusted Appropriations

164.415

163.081

–

162.985

162.985

Source: Table prepared by the Congressional Research Service (CRS). Amounts shown for FY2016 comparable and FY2017 enacted are as scored by the Congressional Budget Office (see Fiscal Year 2016 Senate Current Status of Discretionary Appropriations as of September 30, 2016, and Fiscal Year 2017 Senate Current Status of Discretionary Appropriations as of May 26, 2017, available at https://www.cbo.gov/topics/budget/status-appropriations). The FY2017 Senate 302(b) suballocations are as reported in S.Rept. 114-238 (April 18, 2016) and S.Rept. 115-43 (May 4, 2017). The FY2017 House Interim 302(b) suballocations are as posted on the House Appropriations Committee website on July 14, 2016, http://appropriations.house.gov/uploadedfiles/07.14.16_revised_suballocation_of_budget_allocations_for_fy_2017.pdf.

Notes: It is common for suballocations to be revised over the course of the year to reflect actual action on appropriations bills and changes in congressional priorities. Regular appropriations reflect current-year discretionary budget authority subject to the spending limits. Adjusted appropriations include, where applicable, discretionary funds for which special rules apply with regard to the spending limits, including certain funds for program integrity activities and funds designated as emergency requirements. FY2017 enacted amounts in this table do not include, where applicable, funds provided under certain authorities in the 21st Century Cures Act (P.L. 114-255) that are effectively exempt from the discretionary spending limits. (For LHHS, these funds were enacted in P.L. 114-254, and totaled $852 million in budget authority.)

a. FY2016 comparable includes amounts provided by the FY2016 omnibus (P.L. 114-113) and by provisions in Divisions B-D of P.L. 114-223. The latter law provided supplemental LHHS appropriations for FY2016, all of which were designated as emergency requirements. This law also rescinded certain LHHS funds. Rescissions of non-emergency funds are reflected in the "regular appropriations" subtotal, while rescissions of emergency funds are reflected in the "adjusted appropriations" subtotal.

b. The FY2017 Senate initial 302(b) did not include an allocation that accounted for program integrity adjustments. The Senate committee-reported bill would have appropriated $1.960 billion for such adjustments.

Additional Resources

The following resources provide additional information on the status of congressional action on FY2017 appropriations, as well as the LHHS bill as a whole:

CRS Appropriations Status Table: FY2017, available at http://www.crs.gov/AppropriationsStatusTable/Index.

CRS Report R44691, Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education: FY2017 Appropriations, coordinated by [author name scrubbed] and [author name scrubbed].

CRS Report R44287, Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education: FY2016 Appropriations, coordinated by [author name scrubbed] and [author name scrubbed].

CRS Report R44653, Overview of Continuing Appropriations for FY2017 (H.R. 5325), coordinated by [author name scrubbed].

CRS Report R44723, Overview of Further Continuing Appropriations for FY2017 (H.R. 2028), coordinated by [author name scrubbed].

Additional CRS reports addressing key funding questions for the programs and agencies funded by the LHHS appropriations bill are available on the CRS website at http://www.crs.gov/search/#/0?termsToSearch=Labor,%20HHS,%20%26%20Education%20Appropriations&orderBy=Date&navIds=4294930945.

Author Contact Information

[author name scrubbed], Specialist in Social Policy ([email address scrubbed], [phone number scrubbed])

[author name scrubbed], Specialist in Social Policy ([email address scrubbed], [phone number scrubbed])

[author name scrubbed], Specialist in Labor Economics ([email address scrubbed], [phone number scrubbed])

Key Policy Staff

Area of Expertise

Name

Phone

Email

LHHS Coordinators

[author name scrubbed]

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

[author name scrubbed]

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

Department of Labor

Coordinator, DOL

[author name scrubbed]

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

Job training and employment services

[author name scrubbed]

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

Mine Safety and Health Administration

Scott Szymendera

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

Occupational Safety and Health Admin.

Scott Szymendera

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

Office of Workers' Compensation

Scott Szymendera

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

Older Americans Act, employment programs

[author name scrubbed]
[author name scrubbed]

[phone number scrubbed]
[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]
[email address scrubbed]

Pension and welfare benefits

[author name scrubbed]

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

Trade adjustment assistance

[author name scrubbed]

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

Unemployment compensation

[author name scrubbed]
[author name scrubbed]

[phone number scrubbed]
[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]
[email address scrubbed]

Veterans employment

[author name scrubbed]

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

Wage and hour standards

[author name scrubbed]

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

Workforce Investment and Opportunity Act (WIOA)

[author name scrubbed]

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

Health and Human Services

Coordinator, HHS

[author name scrubbed]

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

Coordinator, HHS

[author name scrubbed]

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

Abortion procedures

[author name scrubbed]

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)

[author name scrubbed]

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

AIDS, Ryan White programs

[author name scrubbed]

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

Bioterrorism, HHS funding

[author name scrubbed]

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

Cancer research

[author name scrubbed]

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

[author name scrubbed]

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)

[author name scrubbed]
[author name scrubbed]

[phone number scrubbed]
[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]
[email address scrubbed]

Chafee Foster Care Independence and Education/Training Voucher Programs

[author name scrubbed]

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

Child abuse and neglect, child welfare

[author name scrubbed]

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

Child care and development

[author name scrubbed]

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP; funded in authorizing laws, not LHHS)

[author name scrubbed]
[author name scrubbed]

[phone number scrubbed]
[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]
[email address scrubbed]

Community Services Block Grant

[author name scrubbed]

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

Developmental Disabilities Act

[author name scrubbed]

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

Elder abuse and neglect, elder justice

[author name scrubbed]

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

Family Planning, Title X

[author name scrubbed]

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

Federal health centers

[author name scrubbed]

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

Food and Drug Administration (FDA; funded through Agriculture appropriations, not LHHS)

[author name scrubbed]

[author name scrubbed]

[phone number scrubbed]

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

Foster care and adoption

[author name scrubbed]

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

Global health; international AIDS, TB, and malaria

[author name scrubbed]

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

Head Start

[author name scrubbed]

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

Health professions/health workforce programs

[author name scrubbed]

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)

[author name scrubbed]

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

Immunization

[author name scrubbed]

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

Indian Health Service (IHS; funded through Interior-Environment appropriations, not LHHS)

[author name scrubbed]

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)

[author name scrubbed]

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

Maternal and Child Health Block Grant

[author name scrubbed]

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

Medicaid

[author name scrubbed]

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

Mentoring programs for vulnerable youth

[author name scrubbed]

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

Needle exchange, AIDS

[author name scrubbed]

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

NIH, health research policy

[author name scrubbed]

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

Older Americans Act

[author name scrubbed]
[author name scrubbed]

[phone number scrubbed]
[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]
[email address scrubbed]

Pandemic/seasonal influenza

[author name scrubbed]

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

Prevention and Public Health Fund (directly appropriated by Affordable Care Act, not LHHS)

[author name scrubbed]

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

Refugee Resettlement Assistance

[author name scrubbed]

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

Runaway and Homeless Youth Act

[author name scrubbed]

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

Social Services Block Grant

[author name scrubbed]

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

Stem cell research, cloning

[author name scrubbed]

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)

[author name scrubbed]

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF; funded in authorizing laws, not LHHS)

[author name scrubbed]

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

Department of Education

Coordinator, ED

[author name scrubbed]

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

Accountability

[author name scrubbed]

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

Adult education and literacy

[author name scrubbed]

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

After-school programs

[author name scrubbed]

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

Assessment in education

[author name scrubbed]

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

Block grants (education)

[author name scrubbed]

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

Career and technical education (Perkins)

[author name scrubbed]

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

Charter schools

[author name scrubbed]

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

College costs and prices

[author name scrubbed]

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

Elementary and secondary education

[author name scrubbed]

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

English language acquisition

[author name scrubbed]
[author name scrubbed]

[phone number scrubbed]
[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]
[email address scrubbed]

Higher education

[author name scrubbed]
[author name scrubbed]

[phone number scrubbed]
[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]
[email address scrubbed]

Impact Aid

[author name scrubbed]

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

Indian education

[author name scrubbed]

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

International Education Programs

[author name scrubbed]

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

Legal issues related to education in general

[author name scrubbed]

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

Pell Grants

[author name scrubbed]

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

Reading programs

[author name scrubbed]

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

Rehabilitation Act

[author name scrubbed]

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

School and campus safety

[author name scrubbed]

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

School choice

[author name scrubbed]

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education

[author name scrubbed]

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

Special education, IDEA

[author name scrubbed]

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

Special education, IDEA, legal issues

[author name scrubbed]

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

Student financial assistance/need analysis

[author name scrubbed]
[author name scrubbed]

[phone number scrubbed]
[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]
[email address scrubbed]

Student loans

[author name scrubbed]

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

Teacher recruitment, preparation, & training

[author name scrubbed]

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

Title I, Education for the Disadvantaged

[author name scrubbed]

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

Vocational rehabilitation

[author name scrubbed]

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

Related Agencies

Committee for Purchase from People Who are Blind or Severely Disabled (U.S. Ability One Commission)

[author name scrubbed]

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

Corporation for National & Community Service (VISTA, Senior Corps, AmeriCorps)

[author name scrubbed]
[author name scrubbed]

[phone number scrubbed]
[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]
[email address scrubbed]

Corporation for Public Broadcasting

[author name scrubbed]
[author name scrubbed]

[phone number scrubbed]
[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]
[email address scrubbed]

Institute of Museum and Library Services

[author name scrubbed]

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

National Labor Relations Board

[author name scrubbed]

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

National Labor Relations Board, legal issues

[author name scrubbed]

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

National Mediation Board

[author name scrubbed]

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

Railroad Retirement Board

Scott Szymendera

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

Social Security Administration (SSA), administrative expenses

[author name scrubbed]

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

Supplemental Security Income (SSI)

[author name scrubbed]

[phone number scrubbed]

[email address scrubbed]

Footnotes

1.

For further information with regard to the annual appropriations process, see CRS Report R42388, The Congressional Appropriations Process: An Introduction, coordinated by [author name scrubbed].

2.

The congressional budget process distinguishes between discretionary spending, which is controlled through appropriations acts, and mandatory (or direct) spending, which is controlled through permanent law. The annual appropriations process is also used to provide appropriations necessary to finance certain mandatory spending programs that lack a funding source in the authorizing statute, which is referred to as "appropriated mandatory" or "appropriated entitlement" spending. For further information, see ibid.

3.

For further information, see CRS Report R44645, Social Security Administration (SSA): FY2017 Appropriations and Recent Trends, by [author name scrubbed], and CRS Report RL33931, The Corporation for National and Community Service: Overview of Programs and Funding, by [author name scrubbed] and [author name scrubbed].

4.

For further information about historic trends in defense and nondefense discretionary spending, see Figure 3 in CRS Report RL34424, The Budget Control Act and Trends in Discretionary Spending, by [author name scrubbed].

5.

Calculated by the Congressional Research Service (CRS) based on FY2017 appropriations, as scored by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), and reported in Fiscal Year 2017 House Current Status of Discretionary Appropriations as of May 26, 2017, May 30, 2017, available at https://www.cbo.gov/sites/default/files/appropriations/house/by2017house2017.5.26.pdf. The LHHS bill contains 31% of discretionary appropriations that are subject to the statutory limits on nondefense spending. These are discussed in the section "Earlier FY2017 Congressional Action on LHHS." The bill contains about 14% of all discretionary appropriations, including those that are effectively exempt from the statutory limits.

6.

While most funds provided by the CR were prorated for the duration of the CR, certain funds appropriated to carry out activities authorized by the 21st Century Cures Act (P.L. 114-255) and the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act (P.L. 114-322) were provided for the full fiscal year, or longer.

7.

For further information about sequestration and LHHS appropriations, see the Appendix in CRS Report R44691, Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education: FY2017 Appropriations, coordinated by [author name scrubbed] and [author name scrubbed].

8.

In two cases during the last 10 years (FY2012 and FY2014), the House Appropriations LHHS Subcommittee did not take any action on the LHHS bill.

9.

For further information with regard to the BCA spending limits, see Office of Management and Budget (OMB), OMB Sequestration Preview Report to the President and Congress for Fiscal Year 2017, February 9, 2016, available at https://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/omb/assets/legislative_reports/sequestration/sequestration_preview_report_fy17_house.pdf.

10.

In addition to implementing statutory discretionary spending limits, the BCA also requires sequestration (i.e., automatic across-the-board reductions) of nonexempt mandatory spending programs for each of FY2013-FY2025. On February 9, 2016, President Obama released the required FY2017 sequestration order. The Office of Management and Budget estimated that the sequestration percentages for FY2017 equal 2% of nonexempt Medicare spending and 6.9% of other nonexempt nondefense mandatory spending, a total reduction of $18 billion in FY2017. OMB also estimated a 9.1% reduction, totaling $728 million, in nonexempt defense mandatory spending, but this only applies to components of two LHHS accounts that fund activities associated with the Energy Employee Illness Occupational Compensation Program Act. OMB Report to the Congress on the Joint Committee Reductions for Fiscal Year 2017, February 9, 2016, https://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/omb/assets/legislative_reports/sequestration/jc_sequestration_report_2017_house.pdf.

11.

For an illustration of how this process worked for the FY2016 appropriations measures, see CRS Report R44062, Congressional Action on FY2016 Appropriations Measures, by [author name scrubbed].

12.

For a discussion of budget enforcement mechanisms that may be adopted in the absence of a budget resolution, see CRS Report R44296, Deeming Resolutions: Budget Enforcement in the Absence of a Budget Resolution, by [author name scrubbed], and CRS Report R43535, Provisions in the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2013 as an Alternative to a Traditional Budget Resolution, by [author name scrubbed].

13.

The authority for these actions is provided by Section 102 of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 (P.L. 114-74). The levels were filed by the Senate Budget Committee chair on April 18, 2016. ("Allocation of Spending Authority to Senate Committee on Appropriations for Fiscal Year 2017," Congressional Record, daily edition, vol. 162, no. 59 (April 18, 2016), p. S2121.) No comparable authority for the House Budget Committee chair was provided by the Bipartisan Budget Act.

14.

These revisions did not alter the amount of budget authority that was initially allocated to the LHHS subcommittee. (see S.Rept. 114-238, S.Rept. 114-253, S.Rept. 114-257, S.Rept. 114-273, S.Rept. 114-278, S.Rept. 114-286, S.Rept. 114-358, and S.Rept. 114-405).

15.

These interim suballocations are available on the House Appropriations Committee website, at http://appropriations.house.gov/files/?CatagoryID=34785.

16.

See, "Revised Interim Suballocation of Budget Allocations for Fiscal Year 2017," Submitted by Mr. Rogers, Chairman, Committee on Appropriations, July 14, 2016, available at http://appropriations.house.gov/uploadedfiles/07.14.16_revised_suballocation_of_budget_allocations_for_fy_2017.pdf.

17.

See S.Rept. 115-1 and S.Rept. 115-43