House appropriators will begin marking up their fiscal 2023 funding bills next week, after House Democrats approved a $1.6 trillion topline for discretionary spending yesterday.
The House adopted a resolution deeming the funding goal in a partisan vote, 218-205, with all Republicans opposed. It takes the place of a budget resolution, which would normally set spending. Democrats did not take up a resolution this year.
House Budget Chair John Yarmuth (D-Ky.) said the topline supports President Joe Biden’s budget request and would boost overall discretionary spending by about 9 percent over current levels. It would also allow for $25 billion in additional emergency spending that could include wildfires and other natural disasters.
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) told reporters yesterday he expects the spending bills to move to the House floor in July, a month later than initially expected. He acknowledged Democrats were forced to deem a figure after bicameral negotiations this spring failed to yield a budget agreement.
House appropriators, led by Chair Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), released a schedule yesterday evening that would have them marking up all 12 fiscal 2023 spending bill by the end of June. There will be at least a week between each bill’s subcommittee and full committee markup.
The Energy-Water and Interior-EPA spending bills, which fund the bulk of federal energy and environmental programs, will be marked up in their subcommittees on June 21 and then by the full committee on June 28.
Yarmuth said the deeming would pave the way for a “timely” appropriations process. It will be up to appropriators to set the allocations for the 12 annual spending bills.
Rep. Jason Smith (R-Mo.), however, blasted the move, saying Democrats were avoiding a full budget debate because they don’t want to have to defend their “out-of-control spending” and polices that foster “energy dependence.”
Renewable energy reserves
Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio), the chair of the House Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee, said her annual bill is “shaping up well,” but declined to offer a spending target. She said the legislation would focus on putting America on a path toward American energy independence, particularly in light of the ban on Russian energy imports.
“We can’t take our foot off the accelerator because of what is happening globally,” said Kaptur, who said to expect increased investments for research and development at DOE’s research laboratories aimed at technologies vital to energy independence.
Kaptur said she is also working on ways to expand the nation’s strategic energy reserves to include fuels beyond petroleum.
“We could have ethanol in reserve, we could have biodiesel in reserve, we could have new age batteries in reserve,” said Kaptur, who said she would coordinate with authorizers to make sure there is the authority to establish an expanded reserve.
Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.), a senior appropriator, predicted solid opposition from House Republicans to the proposed appropriations bills, but predicted Congress would ultimately fund the government in a lame-duck omnibus spending package.
“It’s going to look a lot like last year,” said Cole. “The defense number is going to need to go up, the domestic number — which is wildly out of balance — is going to have to come down. The Hyde Amendment [on banning federal abortion funding] will have to go back in and whatever poison pills they put in on climate and labor will have to come out. It’s the exact formula as last time.”
Cole also predicted most lawmakers would see their earmarks funded this year, although he said there may be more rejections as more House members make requests.
House appropriators increased the number of earmarks each member could request from 10 to 15 for fiscal 2023, while keeping earmarks capped at 1 percent of all discretionary spending and limited to projects for communities and nonprofits.
The Senate Appropriations Committee, meanwhile, has yet to announce any plans for moving its spending bills, although it traditionally does not act until House appropriators move their measures.
House appropriators will begin marking up their fiscal 2023 funding bills next week, after House Democrats approved a $1.6 trillion topline for discretionary spending yesterday.
The House adopted a resolution deeming the funding goal in a partisan vote, 218-205, with all Republicans opposed. It takes the place of a budget resolution, which would normally set spending. Democrats did not take up a resolution this year.
House Budget Chair John Yarmuth (D-Ky.) said the topline supports President Joe Biden’s budget request and would boost overall discretionary spending by about 9 percent over current levels. It would also allow for $25 billion in additional emergency spending that could include wildfires and other natural disasters.
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) told reporters yesterday he expects the spending bills to move to the House floor in July, a month later than initially expected. He acknowledged Democrats were forced to deem a figure after bicameral negotiations this spring failed to yield a budget agreement.
House appropriators, led by Chair Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), released a schedule yesterday evening that would have them marking up all 12 fiscal 2023 spending bill by the end of June. There will be at least a week between each bill’s subcommittee and full committee markup.
The Energy-Water and Interior-EPA spending bills, which fund the bulk of federal energy and environmental programs, will be marked up in their subcommittees on June 21 and then by the full committee on June 28.
Yarmuth said the deeming would pave the way for a “timely” appropriations process. It will be up to appropriators to set the allocations for the 12 annual spending bills.
Rep. Jason Smith (R-Mo.), however, blasted the move, saying Democrats were avoiding a full budget debate because they don’t want to have to defend their “out-of-control spending” and polices that foster “energy dependence.”
Renewable energy reserves
Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio), the chair of the House Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee, said her annual bill is “shaping up well,” but declined to offer a spending target. She said the legislation would focus on putting America on a path toward American energy independence, particularly in light of the ban on Russian energy imports.
“We can’t take our foot off the accelerator because of what is happening globally,” said Kaptur, who said to expect increased investments for research and development at DOE’s research laboratories aimed at technologies vital to energy independence.
Kaptur said she is also working on ways to expand the nation’s strategic energy reserves to include fuels beyond petroleum.
“We could have ethanol in reserve, we could have biodiesel in reserve, we could have new age batteries in reserve,” said Kaptur, who said she would coordinate with authorizers to make sure there is the authority to establish an expanded reserve.
Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.), a senior appropriator, predicted solid opposition from House Republicans to the proposed appropriations bills, but predicted Congress would ultimately fund the government in a lame-duck omnibus spending package.
“It’s going to look a lot like last year,” said Cole. “The defense number is going to need to go up, the domestic number — which is wildly out of balance — is going to have to come down. The Hyde Amendment [on banning federal abortion funding] will have to go back in and whatever poison pills they put in on climate and labor will have to come out. It’s the exact formula as last time.”
Cole also predicted most lawmakers would see their earmarks funded this year, although he said there may be more rejections as more House members make requests.
House appropriators increased the number of earmarks each member could request from 10 to 15 for fiscal 2023, while keeping earmarks capped at 1 percent of all discretionary spending and limited to projects for communities and nonprofits.
The Senate Appropriations Committee, meanwhile, has yet to announce any plans for moving its spending bills, although it traditionally does not act until House appropriators move their measures.
| House spending subcommittee markups |
|
| Date | Bill |
| June 15 | Defense Legislative Branch Military Construction-Veterans Affairs Agriculture-Rural Development |
| June 16 | Homeland Security Financial Services-General Government |
| June 21 | Interior-Environment Energy-Water |
| June 22 | Foreign Operations Commerce-Justice-Science |
| June 23 | Transportation-Housing and Urban Development Labor-Health and Human Services |
| House spending full committee markups |
|
| June 22 | Defense Legislative Branch |
| June 23 | Agriculture-Rural Development Military Construction-Veterans Affairs |
| June 24 | Homeland Security Financial Services-General Government |
| June 28 | Energy-Water Commerce-Justice-Science |
| June 29 | State-Foreign Operations Interior-Environment |
| June 30 | Transportation-Housing and Urban Development Labor-Health and Human Services |
