109th Congress Concludes; Passes Health Legislation in its Final Hours
December 2006
Before adjourning for the last time, Congress passed the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act and the Ryan White Treatment Modernization Act. Funding for FY 2007 remains unfinished, and will be the responsibility of the 110th Congress.
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Mid-Term Election Recap and Public Health Funding Update
November 2006
On November 7, midterm Congressional elections were held, and the results may be quite significant for public health. When the 110th Congress convenes in January, Democrats will be in the majority in the House and the Senate.
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Election Outlook and Public Health Funding Update
October 2006
Congress passed a continuing resolution before the end of the fiscal year September 30 to keep the government running through November 17. The continuing resolution funds programs in bills not completed by the start of the new fiscal year October 1 (including Labor, Health and Human Services and Education) at their current FY 2006 level or the FY 2007 level proposed by the House or Senate, whichever is lowest. More »
Public Health Funding and Legislative Updates
September 2006
Congress reconvened on September 5 after its August recess with only one of the 12 annual appropriations bills completed. As reported previously in Notes from Washington, the House and Senate Appropriations Committees have both passed versions of the Labor-Health and Human Services-Education (L-HHS) appropriations bills for FY 2007. More »
Senate Committee Passes All-Hazards Preparedness Bill and HHS Funding Measure
August 2006
In mid-July, the week before NACCHO's annual conference in San Antonio, the heat of debate on Capitol Hill matched the ambient air temperature—over 100 degrees. Stem cell research was the issue generating the heat. Coolly and quietly, however, the Senate addressed two measures with significant implications for local public health. More »
Congress Passes Supplemental Pandemic Influenza Funding
July 2006
May and June were busy months on Capitol Hill. Lawmakers settled on final spending caps for FY 2007, passed a large FY 2006 supplemental spending bill that included more funds for pandemic influenza preparedness, and began work on FY07 public health funding measures. In the midst of all this, NACCHO sponsored a standing-room-only Capitol Hill briefing on local pandemic influenza preparedness. More »
Victory for Public Health Funding in House Battle Over Budget Resolution
June 2006
Moderate Republicans, upset over cuts in the President's budget to health and education spending, threatened to vote against the Republican sponsored Budget Resolution unless money was diverted to those accounts. More »
Congress Poised to Appropriate Additional Pandemic Influenza Funding
May 2006
On Tuesday, April 4th the Senate passed an amendment introduced by Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) adding $2.3 billion to an Emergency Supplemental Appropriations bill for Pandemic Influenza preparedness funding. More »
Senate Passes $2.8 Trillion Budget, Raises Debt Limit
April 2006
On March 16 the United States Senate passed a $2.8 billion budget blueprint for FY 2007 by a narrow margin of 51-49. Vice President Cheney was on hand in the Senate in case his voice was needed to break a tie vote. More »
Lean White House Health Budget Faces Uncertain Future
March 2006
The White House sent its FY 2007 budget to Congress on February 6, 2006, as required by law. There are two alternative theories about the impact of the budget. The first is that it presages larger and more serious cuts in public health funding than Congress enacted for FY 2006. The second theory is that it will make no difference at all in what Congress does during this election year. More »
More Domestic Spending Cuts Predicted for New Year
January 2006
Congress left town for the holidays after passing the funding bill for discretionary health programs at the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) at the last possible moment on December 21, 2005. The same day, it also completed work on funding for the Department of Defense. That had an important public health consequence for two reasons. More »
