The U.S. House of Representative and Senate voted to approve their respective budget resolutions, nonbinding blueprints for the annual appropriations process, before going on Spring recess. The President released his proposed budget in early February, requesting $991.6 billion in discretionary funding for fiscal year (FY) 2009. The Senate budget would provide an additional $21.8 billion in discretionary funding over the President's budget request, while the House would provide $25.4 billion more funding.
The House budget includes reconciliation instructions to the Ways and Means Committee to find $750 million in savings over five years from mandatory programs under its jurisdiction. Any resulting reconciliation bill could be the legislative vehicle to which a Medicare fix bill for such issues as the fee schedule, therapy caps, and SLP supplier status will be attached, as such legislation only requires a simple majority for passage. The Senate budget did not include reconciliation instructions.
The Senate overwhelmingly voted to approve an amendment offered by Senators Harkin (D-IA) and Specter (R-PA) to provide an additional $2.1 billion to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The two budget resolutions will now go to a House-Senate conference, but do not have to be signed by the President. For more information, please contact Jim Potter, ASHA's Director of Government Relations and Public Policy, at jpotter@asha.org or 800-498-2071, ext. 5670.
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