New York Times Examines Allocations for Health-Related, Other Agencies, Programs in Omnibus Appropriations Bill
The New York Times on Tuesday examined some of the allocations for health-related and other federal agencies and programs under the $388 billion, fiscal year 2005 omnibus appropriations bill that Congress approved on Saturday. According to the Times, the "most-striking feature of the new bill is how little it affects the budget deficit," which reached $412 billion in 2004, with more than 80% of the federal budget "shielded from cuts."
Under the legislation, NIH would receive $28.4 billion in FY 2005, a 2.1% increase from FY 2004 and the smallest percentage increase for the agency in more than 15 years, according to congressional aides. President Bush had requested a 2.7% increase for NIH, whose budget doubled between FY 1998 and FY 2003. The bill would provide $1.7 billion for community health centers in FY 2005, a $130 million increase from FY 2004 but less than Bush had requested.
In addition, the legislation would provide CDC with $4.5 billion in FY 2005, a 4% increase from FY 2004 and more than Bush had requested. Under the legislation, abstinence education programs would receive $105 million in FY 2005, a $29 million increase from FY 2004. The bill also would provide $2.3 billion to fight HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria internationally in FY 2005, a $690 million increase from FY 2004 and $99 million more than Bush had requested (Seelye/Rosenbaum, New York Times, 11/23).
The San Francisco Chronicle on Tuesday examined provisions included in the omnibus spending bill, including some to fund some health-related projects in House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi's (D-Calif.) San Francisco district. According to the Chronicle, the omnibus spending bill was a "particularly rich one" for Pelosi's constituency, including $4.75 million to fund HIV/AIDS programs and services for the homeless in San Francisco.
A list Pelosi provided to the Chronicle states that the omnibus also includes:
- $500,000 for the University of California-San Francisco Children's Hospital Mothers' and Children's Birth Defects Center;
- $350,000 for the San Francisco State University Minority Nurse Training Program; and
- $150,000 for Bayview Hunters Point Health and Environmental Resource Center (Epstein, San Francisco Chronicle, 11/23).