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Federal Budget: How to Work on Appropriations 4/11/08

April 11, 2008

 

Dear Friends,

After a couple of weeks of recess, Congress is back and ready to continue its work on the federal budget. In the following weeks, the House and Senate are expected to finish the budget resolution. This resolution sets the blueprint for Congress' decisions in the appropriations process. In this process, twelve subcommittees in the House and Senate determine how much money to allocate to specific federal programs.

The appropriations process is a time when you, as a constituent, can influence which programs and departments receive funding. Say, for example, that you are from the 18th congressional district of New York. Your representative, Nita Lowey, sits on the House Appropriations Committee. As a member of the appropriations committee, she works on four smaller appropriations subcommittees:

• Homeland Security;
• Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies;
• Select Intelligence Oversight Panel; and
• State, Foreign Operations, as Chair of the subcommittee.

If you have concerns about programs or departments that are funded through any of these subcommittees, you could contact Representative Lowey during the appropriations process to express your concerns and to urge her to consider your budget priorities for the country.

To find out if your members of Congress sit on an appropriations committee, visit FCNL's Senate Appropriations Committee Directory and FCNL's House Appropriations Committee Directory. If one of your members of Congress is on an appropriations committee, make a list of the subcommittees he or she works on.

Below you will find descriptions of key appropriations subcommittees. In some cases, FCNL has a specific concern about which we are speaking with members of the subcommittee. In the coming weeks, you will hear from us about the work of various subcommittees. Keep your list of subcommittees and your concerns handy so that you will know when you want to take action to promote your budget priorities for the country.

Appropriation Subcommittees

Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration and Related Agencies: Provides funding for the Department of Agriculture, the Food and Drug Administration and food programs. FCNL supports full funding for the Food Stamp Program, child nutrition programs, Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), Commodity Assistance Program, and the Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP).

Defense: Provides funding for the Pentagon and other military spending. FCNL believes funding on military spending should be cut and redirected towards domestic and international human needs programs.

Energy and Water Development: Provides funding for some renewable energy programs as well as nuclear weapons and nuclear non-proliferation programs. FCNL opposes the further development of nuclear weapons and supports renewable energy.

Homeland Security: Provides funding for the border fence, detention facilities for immigrants and for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. FCNL believes funding for the border fence and detention facilities should be redirected towards funding for processing visas and naturalization applications.

Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies: Provides funding for the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Indian Health Services, and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Labor, health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies (LHHS): Provides funding for most anti-poverty initiatives, which FCNL supports, including Low Income Home Energy Assistance (LHEAP), Adult Training (WIA) and Dislocated Worker Assistance, Community Health Centers, Community Services Block Grant and Social Services Block Grant, Family Violence/Battered Women's Shelters, Head Start and Child Care & Development Block Grant (CCDBG). In addition, LHHS provides funding for the Department of Education, Department of Labor and the Social Security Administration, among other federal agencies.

Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies: Provides funding for assistance to veterans and potentially for long-term military bases in Iraq. FCNL believes more funding should be provided to assist returning veterans and no funding should be appropriated to carry out the construction of long-term or permanent bases in Iraq.

State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs: Provides funding for the Department of State, contributions to international organizations, diplomacy and peaceful prevention of conflict programs, all of which FCNL supports. FCNL is also working to increase funds for specific conflict resolution programs.

Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies (T-HUD): Provides funding for housing programs, including programs for the elderly, people with disabilities, people with AIDS, and homeless assistance. T-HUD also provides funding for mass transit programs, which FCNL supports.