National Security Legislative Wrap-up

Congress completed work on the Fiscal Year 2009 Budget Resolution this past week, but postponed action on the Supplemental Appropriations Bill to pay for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The House is expected to act on the Supplemental this week, and perhaps the Senate too. The Senate is also expected to consider the Fiscal Year Defense Authorization bill, but not for another week or two. The House Appropriations Committee is moving close to writing the Fiscal Year 2009 appropriations bills.


FISCAL YEAR 2008 SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATION BILL

The Supplemental bill now moves back to the House for approval, rejection or modification of the Senate-passed measure, likely early in June, before going to the President for signature or a veto. One possible outcome is that the House will now pass the war funding, the GI education bill, and not much else, and the Senate will agree to the House-passed version. However, Senate Democrats are pushing to include in the bill other provisions, including a 13-week extension of unemployment insurance benefits. Reminder: there will be no House-Senate conference on this bill.


FISCAL YEAR 2009 BUDGET RESOLUTION

A House-Senate conference to resolve differences between the two versions of the Fiscal Year 2009 Budget Resolution was concluded on May 20. The conference report provided $1.1 trillion in Fiscal Year 2009 discretionary spending, which is $21 billion above the $991.6 billion requested by the Administration. The total budget including mandatory spending (Social Security, Medicare), is $3 trillion. The recommended funding for defense discretionary funding is $537.8 billion in budget authority and $568.7 billion in outlays -- not including money to pay for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The conference report also provided $38.3 billion for International Affairs budget authority and $38.4 billion in outlays. Although this funding level is $1.5 billion below the Administration's request, it is $4 billion above the FY08 enacted level of $34.3 billion.

On June 4, the Senate adopted the Budget Resolution conference report by a vote of 48 to 45. Senators John Warner (R-VA) and Peter Domenici (R-NM) withheld their "no" votes as both Senators Edward Kennedy (D-MA) and Robert Byrd (D-WV) were absent.

On June 5, the House voted 214 to 210 to adopt the conference report.


FISCAL YEAR 2009 DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS BILL

The House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee has scheduled its mark-up or writing of this bill for July 16. The full House Appropriations Committee mark-up is scheduled for July 23.


FISCAL YEAR 2009 ENERGY AND WATER APPROPRIATIONS BILL

The House Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee has scheduled its mark-up or writing of this bill for June 17. The full House Appropriations Committee mark-up is scheduled for June 24.