House Appropriations Committee Reports FY06 Science, State, Justice Appropriations Bill
Amendments Adopted in Full Committee:
(Northup): Prohibits funds in the bill from being used to include certain language in international trade agreements.
Discretionary Funding Levels:
- FY06 Funding: $57.45 billion
- FY06 President’s Request: $60.5 billion (assumes transfer of economic development programs)
- FY05 Funding: $56.24 billion
Department of Justice
Provides a total of $21.4 billion, $1.1 billion above FY05 and $790 million above the President’s request, including the following:
- $5.8 billion for the Federal Bureau of Investigation, an increase of $542 million above FY05 and $60 million above the President’s request. Does not adopt the proposed transfer of funding to drug task forces. Provides funding to enhance training, information technology management, and provide additional staff (agents, analysts, translators) to improve counterterrorism and counterintelligence capabilities, while continuing to fight white-collar and gang crime.
- $1.7 billion for the Drug Enforcement Administration, an increase of $67 million above FY05 and $12 million above the President’s request to restore proposed reductions in assistance to State and local law enforcement (Mobile Enforcement Teams and Demand Reduction).
- $800 million for the United States Marshals Service, an increase of $41 million above FY05 and $10 million above the request, to enhance witness and judicial protection.
- $924 million for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, an increase of $41 million above FY05 and the same as the President’s request. Does not include new explosives regulatory fees.
- Does not include proposed transfer of the HIDTA program to Justice.
- Does not include $1.2 billion rescission from the Crime Victims Fund.
- Provides $2.6 billion for assistance to State and local law enforcement for crime fighting initiatives, $1 billion above the President’s request, $400 million below FY05 including:
- $387 million for violence against women prevention and prosecution programs; $348 million for the Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grants program (as authorized by H.R. 3036); $334 million for juvenile delinquency prevention and accountability programs; $177 million to eliminate DNA analysis backlogs; $120 million for law enforcement technologies and interoperability; $60 million for meth hot spots; $60 million to reduce gang violence; and $355 million to reimburse States for criminal alien detention costs.
Department of Commerce and Related Agencies receives $5.8 billion, $831 million below FY05 and $3.7 billion below the President’s request. The budget request assumed enactment of a legislative proposal transferring several economic development programs to the Department of Commerce. The relevant authorizing committees have taken no action to date on this proposal. Highlights of the Commerce Department budget include:
- $1.7 billion for the Patent and Trademark Office, $159 million above FY05 and the same as the request. This funding increase includes full access to PTO fee collections, building on the subcommittee’s long record of support for improvements to the patent and trademark process.
- $549 million for the National Institute of Standards and Technology, including $106 million for the Manufacturing Extension Partnerships program, $59 million above the request.
- $3.43 billion for the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), $496 million below FY05 and $152 million below the request, including $856 million for the National Weather Service, $17 million above the request.
Science Agencies
National Aeronautics and Space Administration is funded at $16.5 billion, $275 million above FY05 and $15 million above the request. Funds the President’s vision for space exploration at $3.1 billion; restores the aeronautics research program to the enacted level of $906 million, and provides $40 million over the request to partially restore NASA’s science programs. Provides full request for the Space Shuttle program. In coordination with the House Science Committee, language is included directing the President to develop a national aeronautics policy.
National Science Foundation is increased $171 million over last year and $38 million above the budget request. Total funding is $5.64 billion. Includes $4.38 billion for research, $157 million over last year; and $807 million for education and human resources, $70 million above the request.
State Department and the Broadcasting Board of Governors receives $9.5 billion, $273 million below the request and $1.1 billion below the FY05 (including supplemental appropriations).
- Includes $1.5 billion to continue worldwide security improvements and replacement of vulnerable embassies as authorized by the Secure Embassy Construction and Counterterrorism Act.
- Provides $4.4 billion for Diplomatic and Consular Programs to fund the operating costs of the Department, which is $264 million above FY05 and $36 million below the request, to fill critical staffing needs, including non-proliferation of WMD, and combating terrorist financing; increase critical needs language training, including Global War on Terror languages; strengthen visa adjudication and border security; and increase public diplomacy activities in the Arab and Muslim world.
- Provides $630 million for International Broadcasting, including expanded broadcasting to the broader Middle East.
Other Items of Interest:
- Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Bill includes $290 million, $9 million above FY05 and $14 million below the request.
- Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Bill includes $888 million in budgetary resources, $7 million above FY05 and the same as the request.
- Legal Services Corporation (LSC) Bill includes $331 million, the same as last year.
- Small Business Administration (SBA) Bill provides $590 million for the SBA, and supports a record business loan program to help American entrepreneurs to access capital through the certified development company program ($6 billion), the 7(a) program ($16.5 billion), and the microloan program.
