Federal Budget

Senate

On March 16, the U.S. Senate approved by a vote of 73-27 an amendment to its Fiscal Year 2007 budget resolution to provide funding at FY 2005 levels for a variety of education and health and human service programs. While this vote does not ensure increases in spending, it is a step toward lifting the overall amount of funding available in FY 2007 for these and other programs. The $7 billion bipartisan amendment, led by Senators Arlen Specter (R-PA) and Tom Harkin (D-IA), could provide funding for afterschool programs, mentoring, job training and a host of other important services for children, youth and families. The entire $2.8 trillion Senate Budget Resolution passed the Senate, 51-49, also on March 16.

To view how your Senator voted on the Specter-Harkin amendment, click here. To view how your Senator voted on the resolution, click here. Additional voting information can be accessed through the Youth Policy Action Center.

House

The House of Representatives voted on the FY 2007 Budget Resolution on May 18, 2006. House moderates worked to increase funding for domestic discretionary programs in a manner similar to the effort that succeeded in the Senate. They secured an additional $4.1 billion along with a commitment for an additional $3.1 billion without cuts to mandatory programs. $1 billion would come from unobligated funds for Iraq reconstruction, but it isn’t clear where the remaining funds come from. This resolution is the House’s proposal for the congressional budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2007, setting forth budgetary levels for fiscal years 2008 through 2011.

To view how your Representative voted, click here. Additional voting information can be accessed through the Youth Policy Action Center.

Next Steps

Since the Senate and the House have yet to conference their differing resolutions into one version, for Appropriators to move forward and create spending bills, the chambers need to create "deeming" resolutions. The House passed a deeming resolution immediately after passing its budget. The Senate has yet to take action on a deeming resolution.

What remains unclear, however, is what figures Appropriators will use, as House Members are currently working under direction to follow the President's proposed budget numbers. Furthermore, Majority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) has stated that he still hopes to conference the House and Senate Budget Resolutions, documents that differ by $16 billion dollars. The House and the Senate leave for Memorial Day recess on May 26, and will return on June 5.

Human Service Organizations' Action

Members of the National Human Services Assembly and other like-minded organizations collaborated on letters addressing the 2007 Budget Proposals in the Senate and the House.

Click here to read the Senate letter

Click here to read the House letter to Speaker Hastert and Leader Pelosi

Click here to read the letter sent to the House of Representatives

CLICK HERE for more information and resources on the Fiscal Year 2007 Budget.