House Approves Labor-HHS Spending Bill Without Veto-Proof Majority

Main Category: Public Health
Article Date: 24 Jul 2007 - 8:00 PST

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The House on Thursday voted 276-140 to approve a fiscal year 2008 Labor-HHS-Education spending bill, the AP/Arizona Daily Star reports (AP/Arizona Daily Star, 7/20). The House Appropriations Committee on July 11 by voice vote approved the $607 billion bill, which includes $151.5 billion in discretionary funds, exceeding FY 2007 discretionary spending by $7 billion and topping President Bush's FY 2008 spending request by $10.6 billion. The House bill would increase spending on health care for the uninsured by 9% above FY 2007 levels and Bush's request for FY 2008.

Funding for the uninsured includes a 10% increase in spending for community health centers. The bill also includes $1.1 billion to prepare for a potential avian flu pandemic. Earmarks in the bill total $565 million -- a 50% reduction from earmarked funds in the appropriations bill that was approved two years ago (Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, 7/19).

The bill did not receive the two-thirds majority of votes that would be necessary to override Bush's expected veto. House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) expressed confidence that the Republicans would be able to sustain a veto. "We have other members who, while they may have voted 'yes' here, will vote to sustain a veto," Boehner said. House Appropriations Chair David Obey (D-Wis.) said, "It was a damn good vote. With all of the Sturm und Drang, they couldn't find anything in the bill that they wanted to change (in the GOP motion to recommit). I think that demonstrates that they think it's a pretty good doggone bill." The Senate might not consider its version of the bill until October, CongressDaily reports (Cohn, CongressDaily, 7/20).

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