H.J.Res. 48 (112^th): Additional Continuing Appropriations Amendments, 2011

GovTrack’s Bill Summary

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Library of Congress Summary

The summary below was written by the Congressional Research Service, which is a nonpartisan division of the Library of Congress.

House Republican Conference Summary

The summary below was written by the House Republican Conference, which is the caucus of Republicans in the House of Representatives.

This summary can be found at http://www.gop.gov/bill/112/1/hjres48.

Summary

The Continuing Resolution (CR) would provide discretionary funding for government operations through April 8, 2011.  The bill would reduce spending by $6 billion from current spending levels and would provide a total of $1.077 trillion in discretionary budget authority for FY 2011.  Presently, government operations are being temporarily funded at $1.083 trillion annually under H.J. Res. 44, the two week CR which the House passed on March 1st and which will expire on March 18, 2011.

The bill would rescind, reduce or eliminate funding for 25 current government programs which were also reduced by H.R. 1.  In addition, H.J. Res. 48 would eliminate funding that was made available in fiscal year 2010 that would have gone to earmarked programs and projects.  Program eliminations in the bill total $3.5 billion in savings while savings from earmark eliminations total $2.6 billion in savings.

Program Rescissions, Reductions and Terminations

H.J. Res. 48 would rescind, reduce or eliminate funding for 25 current federal programs saving a total of $3.5 billion.  According to the House Appropriations Committee, programs eliminated by the bill include the following:

• Preserve America (National Park Service), saving $4.6 million. This grant program promotes “heritage tourism” and was not funded in the President’s budget request.

• Save America’s Treasures grant program (National Park Service), saving $14.8 million. The program was originally slated as a two year initiative to commemorate the year 2000 Millennium and was not funded in the President’s budget request.

• Climate Effects Network Science Application (U.S. Geological Survey), saving $10.5 million. This program to “provide data for forecasting the effects of climate change” was not funded in the President’s budget request.

• Greenhouse Gas Cap and Trade Funding (EPA), saving $5 million. This funding was provided by the last Congress for the EPA to assist Congress in enacting the Cap and Trade legislation. This program was not funded in the President’s budget request.

• Local Government Climate Change Grants (EPA), saving $10 million. This program was not funded in the President’s budget request. In addition, the Administration has indicated that this program lacks focus and effectiveness, and is too broad to allow fair competition for grants.

• Targeted Airshed Grants (EPA), saving $10 million. The program funds diesel retrofits and replacements for pollution reduction. Funding for similar programs is already available, and the program was not funded in the President’s budget request. 

• Construction Funding Rescission (National Park Service), saving $25 million.  This cut rescinds unobligated balances from completed construction projects.

• Wildland Fire Suppression Rescission (U.S. Forest Service), saving $200 million.  These funds were carried over from last year, and were not needed or used for last year’s fire suppression efforts.  This rescission was included Senate Democrats’ most recent CR proposal.

• Single Family Housing (Department of Agriculture), saving $144 million. This reduction was requested in the President’s budget request.  These funds for this unsubsidized loan guarantee are no longer necessary due to the authorization of a borrower fee.  In addition, this reduction was included in the Senate Democrats’ most recent CR proposal.

• Customs and Border Protection - Construction (Department of Homeland Security), $107 million. This rescission of unneeded construction and planning funding was requested by the agency, and was part of the Senate Democrats’ recent CR proposal. 

• Emergency Steel Loans (Commerce Department), saving $48 million. The CR rescinds the remaining balances from prior year appropriations for the Emergency Steel, Oil, and Gas Guaranteed Loan Program Account.  Only three loans have been made under this program and no new loans have been made since 2003.  Similar rescissions were proposed in the President’s budget request.

• Public Telecommunications Facilities and Construction (Commerce Department), saving $19 million. The mandated conversions of public television stations to digital broadcasting and other mandated conversion efforts are now completed and the funds are no longer necessary.  This termination was requested in the President’s budget request.

• Census Rescission (Commerce Department), saving $1.74 billion.  These funds were appropriated in Fiscal Year 2010 to conduct the 2010 Decennial Census.  The Census is complete and these balances are no longer needed.

• Career Pathways Innovation Fund (Labor Department), saving $125 million.  This reduction was included in the President’s budget request, as well as the Senate Democrats’ most recent CR proposal.  This discretionary funding is not necessary as the program received $500 million in mandatory funding provided in the “Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010.”

• Community Service Employment for Older Americans (Labor Department), saving $225 million.  This funding was originally provided as one-time funds. The funding was not included in the President’s budget request, nor the Senate Democrats’ most recent CR proposal.

• State Health Access Grants (Health and Human Services Department), saving $75 million.  Only 13 states receive funding through this program, and the program was terminated in the President’s budget request.

• Flu Funding (Health and Human Services Department), saving $276 million. The bill reduces this “no-year” pandemic influenza funding, while continuing approximately $65 million in annual flu funding. There is sufficient carry-over funding available to the agency to cover any necessary long-term costs.  This “no-year” funding was eliminated in the President’s request, and in the Senate Democrats’ most recent CR proposal.

• “Parklawn” Building Lease (Health and Human Services), saving $35 million.  The bill reduces funding for the Public Health Service building in Rockville, MD.  The reduction was included in the President’s budget request, and in the Senate Democrats’ most recent CR proposal.

• Corporation for Public Broadcasting, saving $50 million.  The bill terminates the “Fiscal Stabilization Fund” which provides funding increases to public broadcasting stations to offset reduced public donations.  The bill also terminates the “Radio Interconnection” project that was completed in 2010.  These programs were also terminated in the President’s budget request as well as the Senate Democrats’ most recent CR proposal.

• Internet Technology Funds (Social Security Administration), saving $200 million.  The CR reduces carry-over funding for information technology and telecommunication activities. The funds in this account do not expire – essentially creating a “slush fund” which totaled over $825 million at the beginning of fiscal year 2011.  The SSA budget requested use of only $200 million of this funding this year, and the reduction of $200 million in this bill leaves more than sufficient funding available.  This reduction was also included in the Senate Democrats’ recent CR proposal.

• Brownfields Redevelopment (Housing and Urban Development Department), saving $17.5 million. All activities undertaken by this program are also eligible for funding through the Community Development Block Grant. No funds were requested for this program in the President’s budget request.

• Railroad Safety Technology Program (Federal Railroad Administration), saving $50 million.  The Department has not released significant grants under this program, and the technology is not yet fully developed. No funds were requested for this program in the President’s request. 

• Chief Administrative Officer Salaries and Expenses (House of Representatives), saving $1.5 million. This CR reduces 38 unneeded and unfilled House operations positions, and reduces contractor funding within the House of Representatives.

Discretionary Budget Authority by Subcommittee

Earmarks

The bill would eliminate $2.6 billion in earmark funding made available in FY 2010.  According to the House Appropriations Committee, earmark funding eliminated by the bill includes spending from the following accounts:

Agriculture

• $24 million Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service for Salaries and Expenses
• $37 million for Natural Resources Conservation Service – Conservation Operations
• $30 million for Natural Resources Conservation Service for Watershed and Flood Prevention Operations
• $3 million for Rural Community Development Grants
• $3 million for National Center for Natural Products
• $3 million for Agricultural Pest Facility
• $10 million for Various Agricultural Grants
• $115 million for Agriculture Research Service
• $122 million for National Institute of Food and Agriculture - Research and Education
• $11 million for National Institute of Food and Agriculture - Extension

Commerce/Justice/Science

• $5 million for International Trade Administration for Operations and Administration
• $2 million for Minority Business Development
• $20 million for NIST for Scientific and Technology Research
• $47 million for NIST for Research Facility Construction
• $99 million for NOAA for Operations, Research, and Facilities
• $18 million for NOAA for Procurement Acquisition and Construction
• $185 million for State and Local Law Enforcement Assistance for Byrne projects
• $91 million for Juvenile Justice Programs
• $169 million for Community Oriented Policing Services for Technology projects
• $25 million for Community Oriented Policing Services for Methamphetamine projects
• $63 million for NASA for Cross Agency Support

Financial Services/General Government

• $3 million for Community Development Financial Institutions
• $2 million for ONDCP for Federal Drug Control Programs
• $2 million for District of Columbia for Chief Financial Officer (federal funds)
• $894 million for GSA Federal Buildings Fund for Construction
• $130 million for GSA Federal Buildings Fund for Repair and Alterations
• $16 million for National Archives and Records for Repairs and Restoration
• $59 million for Small Business Administration for Salaries and Expenses

Interior

• $1 million for Bureau of Land Management (BLM) - Management of Lands and Resources
• $2 million for BLM for Construction
• $3 million for BLM for Land Acquisition
• $12 million for Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) for Resource Management
• $10 million for FWS for Construction
• $22 million for FWS for Land Acquisition
• $10 million for National Park Service (NPS) for Historic Preservation for Save Americas Treasures
• $6 million for NPS National Recreation and Preservation for Statutory or Contractual aid
• $23 million for NPS for Construction
• $17 million for NPS for Land Acquisition
• $7 million for U.S. Geological Survey for Surveys, Investigations, and Research
• $1 million for Bureau of Indian Affairs for Operation of Indian Programs
• $1 million for Office of Insular Affairs for Assistance to Territories
• $6 million for Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for Science and Technology
• $26 million for EPA for Environmental Programs and Management
• $1 million for EPA for Buildings and Facilities
• $172 million for EPA for Tribal Assistance Grants
• $8 million for EPA for “Hunter’s Point” project
• $400,000 for Forest Service (FS) for Forest and Rangeland Research
• $6 million for FS for State and Private Forestry
• $1 million for FS for National Forest System
• $7 million for FS for Capital Improvement and Maintenance
• $30 million for FS for Land Acquisition 
• $6 million for FS for Wildland Fire Management

Cost

According to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the bill would provide $1.077 trillion in annual discretionary budget authority and reduce current spending levels by $6.008 billion.

House Democratic Caucus Summary

The House Democratic Caucus does not provide summaries of bills.

So, yes, we display the House Republican Conference’s summaries when available even if we do not have a Democratic summary available. That’s because we feel it is better to give you as much information as possible, even if we cannot provide every viewpoint.

We’ll be looking for a source of summaries from the other side in the meanwhile.