The House Appropriations Committee convened to consider its first fiscal year (FY) 2025 bills on May 23, including passing suballocations for each of the spending bills (PDF) by a party line vote. This includes a nearly 6% cut to nondefense spending for FY 2025. The House suballocation for the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (Labor-HHS) bill would represent a nearly $10 billion cut below FY 2024 enacted levels.
In the same meeting, House appropriators approved the FY 2025 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies (MilCon-VA) spending bill and accompanying report (PDF), along party lines, by a vote of 34-25. The bill would provide the VA Medical and Prosthetic research program $923.5 million in funding, $19.4 million below the FY 2024 enacted level and $55.5 million above the president’s budget request. The bill would provide $113 billion for VA medical care programs, $6 billion below the FY 2024 enacted level and equal to the president’s budget request.
On May 16, House Appropriations Committee Chair Tom Cole (R. Okla.) released the schedule to mark-up all 12 appropriations bills. The Labor-HHS spending bill is set to be considered by the subcommittee on June 27 and by the full committee on July 10.
- Washington Highlights