Appropriations for FY2001: VA, HUD, and Independent Agencies (P.L. 106-377)

Publication Date: November 2000

Publisher: Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

Author(s):

Research Area: Banking and finance

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Abstract:

Congress completes action on FY2001 VA-HUD Bill. Congress has passed, and the President signed (P.L. 106-377) an FY2001 appropriations bill (H.R. 4635) for the Departments of Veterans Affairs (VA) and Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and several independent agencies, including the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), National Science Foundation (NSF), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNS).

The bill provides a total of $107.3 billion in appropriations for programs covered by the bill, including $82.6 billion in discretionary spending. Mandatory spending, mostly for VA cash benefit programs, is projected to require $24.6 billion. Rescissions of $1.8 billion in unobligated HUD housing assistance funds were included in the bill. After all scorekeeping factors are considered, the total mandatory and discretionary funds provided by the bill is $107.1 billion.

The President's FY2001 Request. According to congressional estimates, the Administration's request for VA, HUD, and Independent Agencies FY2001 appropriations totals $109.4 billion. The request assumes $24.6 billion in mandatory spending for VA entitlements, and $84.8 billion (including $4.2 billion in advance FY2002 HUD funds) for discretionary programs funded through the VA-HUD bill. The request assumes major increases in VA medical care spending, adding $1.3 billion in new funds to FY2000 levels. HUD spending would increase by $6.6 billion over FY2000, including the Administration's proposed advance FY2002 appropriations of $4.2 billion, a move also enacted for FY2001 in the FY2000 appropriations bill.

FY2001 Congressional Budget Resolution (H.Con.Res. 290). The budget resolution for FY2001 called for an allocation for VA, HUD, and Independent Agencies of about $400 million below the total provided for FY2000. VA would receive a $1.5 billion increase in discretionary spending, most of which would increase VA health care funding. Discretionary appropriations targets for the VA, HUD, and Independent Agency appropriations subcommittees, known as ''302(b) allocations,'' have been placed at $76.2 billion for the House, and $77.8 billion for the Senate.

P.L. 106-74 (H.R. 2684). The FY2000 bill provided $99.7 billion in FY2000 appropriations (current estimates revise the effect of the bill to $99.1 billion) for programs covered under the Act, compared to $99.6 billion requested. As requested, the bill incorporated $4.2 billion in advance FY2001 funding, and $2.9 billion in rescissions of funds appropriated in previous years. P.L. 106-113 subsequently required 0.38% in across-the-board reductions, and these reductions lowered appropriations of P.L. 106-74 by $285 million. Among agencies with funding increases under P.L. 106-74 were VA medical care, up by $1.7 billion over FY1999 (the Administration requested a freeze), and HUD, up $2 billion above FY1999, or about $2 billion less than the Administration request.