The House and Senate Appropriations Committees have released preliminary timeframes for consideration of their 12 fiscal year (FY) 2021 appropriations bills.
Senate Appropriations Committee staff reported on June 9 that markups for FY 2021 spending bills are expected to begin the week of June 22. Subcommittees also have the option of skipping individual markups to proceed directly to full committee consideration.
The markup schedule was released after Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Richard Shelby’s (R-Ala.) May announcement that funding to carry out the Department of Veteran’s Affairs MISSION Act health program would be exempt from the FY 2021 budget caps, addressing a key stumbling block in initiating the appropriations process [see Washington Highlights, May 22].
House Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Nita Lowey (D-N.Y.) sent a June 4 “Dear Colleague” letter outlining that her committee will hold markups during the weeks of July 6 and July 13, with the possibility to consider committee-passed bills on the House floor the weeks of July 20 and July 27. There have been no announcements from either chamber regarding when each subcommittee bill, including the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies bill, will be considered.
Shelby and Ranking Member Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) have yet to strike a deal on all subcommittee top-line spending levels, or 302(b) allocations, which could slow down Senate progress towards completing spending bills by the start of the fiscal year. House subcommittees received 302(b) allocations in April [see Washington Highlights, April 17].