NATIONAL POLITICS & POLICY | Democrats Complete Draft of $515B Spending Bill, Boost Funding for Domestic Family Planning
[Dec. 17, 2007]

Congressional Democrats on Sunday completed work on a $515.7 billion fiscal year 2008 spending measure that combines 10 unfinished spending measures, including the Labor-HHS-Education bill, with the FY 2008 foreign operations spending bill, (HR 2764) the Washington Post reports (Weisman, Washington Post, 12/17).

The omnibus measure does not include language to overturn or loosen the so-called "Mexico City" policy, also known as the "global gag rule," that was approved by both the House and Senate (Washington Post, 12/17).   It does include several cuts to Republican priorities, including 23% less funding for abstinence-only education programs than what was proposed in previous weeks, the Wall Street Journal reports (Rogers, Wall Street Journal, 12/17). Funding for community-based abstinence programs is $113 million the same as for FY 2007. The Title X funding level of $300 million included in the omnibus bill is a $17 million increase over last year's funding level of $283 million. These levels reflect the 1.747% across-the-board cut included in the bill (Bill text,12/16). The earlier version of the Labor-HHS conference report approved by the House and Senate and vetoed by President Bush had included a $28 million increase for both Title X and abstinence-only programs (Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 11/14). In addition, the bill includes $456 million for family planning and reproductive health programs overseas, a $16 million increase above the FY 2007 level, taking into account a small -- across the board -- cut to foreign aid programs (Bill text, 12/16).

The omnibus measure meets Bush's limit on domestic spending but includes $11.2 billion in emergency spending for several domestic programs, including the Women, Infants and Children nutrition program. Under the measure, Bush would have to approve any emergency spending before funds would be released. According to the Post, Democrats are hopeful the requirement that the president's approval of the release of emergency funds will "get around" White House demands that increased spending be offset by cuts to other priorities (Washington Post, 12/17).

The House is expected to vote on the measure on Tuesday. According to the AP/Google.com, the accelerated schedule is likely to draw criticism from some Republicans who want more time to review the measure. The measure is expected to pass this week (Taylor, AP/Google.com, 12/17).

Reaction

White House officials on Sunday seemed optimistic about the measure but would not say whether Bush would sign it until they had a chance to review it. White House officials were expected to begin reviewing the measure on Sunday, spokesperson Tony Fratto said. Fratto added that the White House was "encouraged by some positive developments" in the measure, including the removal of language that would overturn or loosen the Mexico City policy (Washington Post, 12/17).

The Mexico City policy bars U.S. funding to foreign nongovernmental organizations that, with non-U.S. funds, provide or pay for abortion services or counseling or engage in advocacy on abortion-related issues. Bush has threatened to veto any package that included the new language. Both the House and Senate versions of the foreign operations bill included language that would have loosened the Mexico City policy restrictions by allowing the U.S. government to donate contraceptive supplies but not money to groups providing family planning services abroad, including groups that offer abortions or favor legalized abortion. The Senate version of the bill would have overturned the broader Mexico City policy (Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 12/14).

Bush -- who on Friday signed a stopgap measure (HJ Res 69), which will fund the federal government until Dec. 21 -- had said he wanted Congress to pass a "clean" spending package "without gimmicks, without policy riders that could not be enacted in the ordinary legislative process" (CQ Today, 12/14). Rep. David Obey (D-Wis.), chair of the House Appropriations Committee, said the measure is "totally inadequate to meet the long-term investment needs of the country" but added it is a "whole lot better than the country would have had had it not elected a Democratic House last year" (AP/Google.com, 12/17).