- Bipartisan bill short of Biden asks, aimed at winning votes
- House GOP legislation would make sharper funding cuts
The departments of Labor, Education, and Health and Human Services would get a $9 billion collective increase in legislation approved by the Senate Appropriations Committee Thursday.
The Labor-HHS-Education Subcommittee’s bill would provide $122.8 billion in discretionary funding for HHS and $13.8 billion to the Labor Department. Unlike their House counterparts, senators are mostly keeping the current funding for worker protection agencies with some slight increases.
“This bill makes major new investments to help Americans in every part of the country get a great education, make ends meet, and get the support and services they need to stay healthy and thrive,” Patty Murray (D-Wash.), chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, said in a statement.
The committee adopted a managers’ amendment and approved the bill by a 25-3 vote Thursday.
The Senate’s bipartisan product differs markedly from the cuts-heavy House Republican bill, and is a more realistic picture of a bipartisan funding measure both chambers could pass. Still, the Senate bill falls short of the spending boost the Biden administration requested to strengthen enforcement of labor laws and boost health care.
The Labor Department’s Wage and Hour Division would receive a small bump of $7.5 million. The agency had long asked for more funds to fulfill its goals of enforcing minimum wage and overtime laws as well as cracking down on illegal child labor, which has seen a dramatic rise over recent years.
The Employee Benefits Security Administration, which enforces laws on worker benefits such as retirement and health care plans, would get an increase of $15 million. The Bureau of International Labor Affairs would have $2 million more for the next fiscal year to combat international child labor and enforce free trade agreements’ labor provisions.
Volunteer Firefighters
Funding for the federal agency in charge of the enforcement of unionizing laws, the National Labor Relations Board, would remain flat at $299 million. Meanwhile, the workplace safety regulator Occupational Safety and Health Administration would get a $5 million bump.
Sen. John Boozman (R-Ark.) said during the markup he included an amendment with Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) in the bill that would block OSHA’s proposed first responder rule from applying to volunteer fire departments.
The rule, which would impose safety requirements on a range of issues, including medical physicals and equipment maintenance, has provoked concerns among volunteer departments that burdensome regulatory costs could lead to closures.
Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) said during the markup that he had circulated a bipartisan letter he plans to send OSHA echoing those concerns. Sen. Chris Coons (D) shared worries about the impact of the first responder rule on his home state of Delaware’s volunteer fire workforce.
The largest DOL sub-agency in charge of the nation’s unemployment insurance and workforce development systems, the Employment and Training Administration, would receive an extra $13 million in funding, a small addition to their $4.2 billion budget.
Abortion
The bill also contains long-standing prohibitions on using federal funds for abortion services, a rider that Democrats including Murray have sought to remove, arguing it disproportionately impacts the poorest people in America.
Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), the head of the subcommittee responsible for the bill, said the fight to expand reproductive rights won’t take place within the appropriations process because it would mean Republicans oppose the overall legislation.
The small increases differ from the House Appropriations Committee, which approved a $185.8 billion Labor-HHS-Education measure July 10 that would provide 11% less than current effective spending. It would cut billions from health care and social programs, as well as from agencies responsible for enforcing worker protections.
House Republicans Tee Up Health, Labor, Education Spending Bill
Lawmakers are likely to use a stopgap measure to extend government funding after Oct. 1 and through the election, with possible lame-duck action on full-year funding if they can resolve their differences.
HHS, Labor Departments Get Hike in Senate Spending Measure (2)
bgov.com
August 1, 2024 3:57 pm
The departments of Labor, Education, and Health and Human Services would get a $9 billion collective increase in legislation approved by the Senate Appropriations Committee Thursday.
The Labor-HHS-Education Subcommittee’s bill would provide $122.8 billion in discretionary funding for HHS and $13.8 billion to the Labor Department. Unlike their House counterparts, senators are mostly keeping the current funding for worker protection agencies with some slight increases.
“This bill makes major new investments to help Americans in every part of the country get a great education, make ends meet, and get the support and services they need to stay healthy and thrive,” Patty Murray (D-Wash.), chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, said in a statement.
The committee adopted a managers’ amendment and approved the bill by a 25-3 vote Thursday.
The Senate’s bipartisan product differs markedly from the cuts-heavy House Republican bill, and is a more realistic picture of a bipartisan funding measure both chambers could pass. Still, the Senate bill falls short of the spending boost the Biden administration requested to strengthen enforcement of labor laws and boost health care.
The Labor Department’s Wage and Hour Division would receive a small bump of $7.5 million. The agency had long asked for more funds to fulfill its goals of enforcing minimum wage and overtime laws as well as cracking down on illegal child labor, which has seen a dramatic rise over recent years.
The Employee Benefits Security Administration, which enforces laws on worker benefits such as retirement and health care plans, would get an increase of $15 million. The Bureau of International Labor Affairs would have $2 million more for the next fiscal year to combat international child labor and enforce free trade agreements’ labor provisions.
Volunteer Firefighters
Funding for the federal agency in charge of the enforcement of unionizing laws, the National Labor Relations Board, would remain flat at $299 million. Meanwhile, the workplace safety regulator Occupational Safety and Health Administration would get a $5 million bump.
Sen. John Boozman (R-Ark.) said during the markup he included an amendment with Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) in the bill that would block OSHA’s proposed first responder rule from applying to volunteer fire departments.
The rule, which would impose safety requirements on a range of issues, including medical physicals and equipment maintenance, has provoked concerns among volunteer departments that burdensome regulatory costs could lead to closures.
Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) said during the markup that he had circulated a bipartisan letter he plans to send OSHA echoing those concerns. Sen. Chris Coons (D) shared worries about the impact of the first responder rule on his home state of Delaware’s volunteer fire workforce.
The largest DOL sub-agency in charge of the nation’s unemployment insurance and workforce development systems, the Employment and Training Administration, would receive an extra $13 million in funding, a small addition to their $4.2 billion budget.
Abortion
The bill also contains long-standing prohibitions on using federal funds for abortion services, a rider that Democrats including Murray have sought to remove, arguing it disproportionately impacts the poorest people in America.
Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), the head of the subcommittee responsible for the bill, said the fight to expand reproductive rights won’t take place within the appropriations process because it would mean Republicans oppose the overall legislation.
The small increases differ from the House Appropriations Committee, which approved a $185.8 billion Labor-HHS-Education measure July 10 that would provide 11% less than current effective spending. It would cut billions from health care and social programs, as well as from agencies responsible for enforcing worker protections.
House Republicans Tee Up Health, Labor, Education Spending Bill
Lawmakers are likely to use a stopgap measure to extend government funding after Oct. 1 and through the election, with possible lame-duck action on full-year funding if they can resolve their differences.