Addressing Veterans, Housing, and Environmental Needs, Subcommittee Approves FY01 VA-HUD Spending Bill

Contact: Elizabeth Morra/John Scofield

(202) 226-5828

FY01Chairman’s Mark (Discretionary): $76.492 billion (Includes $300 million in FEMA Emergency Funds)

FY01 Grand Total (Discretionary + Mandatory): $101.1 billion

FY01 President’s Request: $84.8 billion

CBO Freeze: $76.9 billion

Major Amendments Adopted in Subcommittee:

(Meek): Strikes bill language that prohibits the rehiring of former employees of the Department of Housing and Urban
Development’s (HUD) Community Builders for other positions in the Department.

(Delay): Adds report language recognizing the merits of NASA’s new Alternative Access proposals and states that the Committee
may provide funding for these programs prior to final enactment of the bill.

(Northrup): Adds report language that encourages the Consumer Product Safety Commission to conduct a study of the safety of
small appliances if funds are available.

(Price): Adds report language encouraging the Environmental Protection Agency to work cooperatively with academic research labs
in the management of hazardous waste.

(Goode): Adds report language recognizing the merits of the Small Aircraft Transport System and states that the Committee will
look favorably on the program if further funding becomes available.

Taking Care of Veterans:

• Fully funds Veterans Medical Health Care, providing a $1.3 billion increase over last year, the same as the president’s request.
  Total FY01 funding is $20.3 billion.
• Level funds Veterans Medical and Prosthetic Research at $321 million, the same as the President’s request.
• Provides an extra $73 million over FY00 for the Veterans Benefits Administration to expedite claims processing. Total FY01
  funding is $782 million.
• Provides a $10 million increase over last year for the National Cemetery Administration, bringing FY01 funding to $107 million
  fully funding current and new cemetery operations.
• Veterans State Extended Care Facilities are funded at the President’s request of $60 million.

Addressing Critical Housing Needs:

• Increases the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) $4 billion over FY00, bringing FY01 funding to $30
  billion, $2.5 billion below the President’s request.
• Level funds HUD’s Office of the Inspector General at $83 million.
• Housing for the nation’s elderly (Section 202) is level funded at $710 million.
• Disabled Housing (Section 811) is level funded at $201 million.
• The Housing Certificate Fund, which fully funds Section 8 renewals and tenant protections, is increased $1.9 billion over
  FY00, bringing FY01 funding to $13.3 billion.
• Modernization for public housing is funded $2.8 billion.
• Severely distressed public housing is funded at $565 million.
• Public House Operating Subsidies are level funded at $3.138 billion.
• Homeless Assistance Grants are level funded at $1.02 billion.
• Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA) is level funded at $232 million.
• The Native American Block Grant is level funded at $620 million.
• Drug Elimination Grants are funded at $300 million.
• The Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) is funded at $4.5 billion, $295 million below last year, but grants to states
  are preserved at $4.2 billion.
• Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) is increased $10 million over FY00, bringing FY01 funding to $105
  million, $20 million below the President’s request.
• Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation is fully funded at the President’s requested level of $90 million, $15 million more
  than last year.

Protecting the Environment:

• The Environmental Protection Agency is funded with an emphasis on the states, particularly in the areas of clean water and
  safe drinking water. Most operating programs are preserved at FY00 levels.
• Provides $7.2 billion for the EPA. While it may appear that the EPA is $125 million below the President’s request, the
  difference is due to the redesignation of two Health and Human Services programs which were originally funded under the
  Superfund account and now receive their own appropriation. These programs are the National Institute of Environmental
  Health Sciences funded at $60 million and the Agency for Toxic Substance and Disease Registry funded at $70 million.
• Superfund is fully funded at the President’s requested level of $1.2 billion (when NIEHS and the Agency for Toxic Substance
  and Disease Registry are backed out of the President’s request).
• Provides level funding of $1.9 billion for Environmental Programs and Management.
• EPA Research is increased $5 million over FY00, bringing FY01 funding to $650 million, $24 million below the President’s
  request.
• Level funds the Climate Change Technology Initiative at $103 million.
• Global Climate Change Research is funded at $20.6 million, the same as 2000.
• The Leaking Underground Storage Tank Program receives a $9 million increase over last year at $79 million, $7 million above
  the President’s request.
• Safe Drinking Water State Revolving Funds are funded at $825 million, the same as the President’s request and $5 million
  more than last year.
• Clean Water State Revolving Funds are increased $400 million over the President’s request, bringing FY01 funding to $1.2
  billion.
• Funds State Air Grants at $214.7 million, $11 million over the President’s request and $16 million over last year.
• Includes language prohibiting the use of funds for proposing or issuing rules, regulations, decrees, or orders for the purpose
  of implementing or preparing for implementation of the Kyoto Protocol.
• Includes language temporarily delaying issuance of the Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) Rule, which is supposed to take
  effect this summer. This will allow the EPA and the states time to work out problems with the new Rule. In the meantime, the
  bill provides a $130 million increase over last year for Section 106 Pollution Control Grants to the states ($85 million more
  than the President’s request) to give states the flexibility to do effective clean water programs. Total FY01 funding is $245
  million.

Investing in Science and Technology Research:

• The National Science Foundation (NSF) is increased $167 million over FY00, bringing FY01 funding to $4.1 billion. Funding
  includes: $3.1 billion for research; $77 million for research equipment; and $694 million for education and human resources.

Funding For Space Programs:

• NASA is increased $112 million over FY00, bringing FY01 funding to $13.7 billion, $321 million below the President’s
  request.
• Fully funds Shuttle Operations and Salaries and Expenses at the President’s requested levels.
• The International Space Station is funded at $2.115 billion, $215 below FY00.
• Mission to Mars is fully funded at the President’s requested level of $327 million.

Major Cuts and Reforms:

• Eliminates funding for the Corporation for National and Community Service (Americorps). Americorps was funded at $353
  million last year and the President requested $534 million.
• Contains no funds for earmarks or Member’s projects.

Other Items of Interest:

• The Selected Service System is funded at $23 million, $1 million less than FY00 and $1.5 million below the President’s
  request.
• The Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board is funded at $8 million, the same as the President’s request and last
  year’s level.
• The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is funded at $877 million for Disaster Relief (includes $300 million in
  emergency funds). The President requested $971.3 million (including $300 million in emergency funds). The bill does not
  address an additional $2.6 billion in emergency FEMA funding requested by the President.