DeLauro, Lowey Call for Action on Bill Funding Crucial Labor, Health, Education Programs

WASHINGTON, DC—Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) and Nita Lowey (D-NY) today called for prompt action on legislation funding crucial labor, health, education programs. Republicans on the House Appropriations Committee originally scheduled a July 25 meeting of the Labor, Health And Human Services, Education Subcommittee, but canceled the meeting and never publicly released their bill. Even if that meeting had occurred as scheduled, the Labor, Health And Human Services, Education Subcommittee would have been the last of 12 subcommittees to debate and vote on a 2014 spending bill. If the Appropriations Committee fails to act this would be the third year in a row that Republicans have failed to bring the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education bill before the full Appropriations Committee.

"The Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations bill funds critical programs that protect the public health and safety, promote and develop our workforce, and support the education of our children," DeLauro and Lowey wrote in a letter to Appropriations Committee Chairman Hal Rogers (R-KY) and Labor, Health and Human Services, Education Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Jack Kingston (R-GA). DeLauro is the senior Democrat on the Subcommittee and Lowey is the senior Democrat on the Full Committee. "These programs are too important to be left behind and Members of the committee from both sides of the aisle deserve an opportunity to publically consider their proper level of funding.

"On numerous occasions, you pledged to move every bill through the Appropriations Committee, yet the consideration of the Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations bill was indefinitely postponed in July," they continued.  "The programs funded through this bill are too important to be ignored.  When the House returns from recess next week, we request that you immediately schedule a subcommittee and full committee markup of the Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations bill."

Budget cuts proposed by Republicans come on top of a severe erosion of funding for these programs over the last 10 years. The level of funding allocated for the Labor-HHS-Education fiscal year 2014 bill is 22 percent below enacted levels for the last fiscal year. In actual dollar terms, it would be the smallest Labor-HHS-Education bill since 2001. Once adjusted for inflation, it would actually be 15 percent below the 2001 funding level. But the true impact of these numbers will only be known once a bill is brought before the subcommittee, which the House Majority has refused to do.

The full letter is as follows:

Dear Chairman Rogers and Chairman Kingston:

We write to request that you immediately schedule a markup of the FY 2014 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations bill.  The Labor-HHS-Education bill is the only FY14 bill that has not been marked up in subcommittee this year.  It is also the only bill that has not been marked up in full committee since 2009.  The Senate Appropriations Committee reported out a bill nearly two months ago.  Another year should not go by without regular order in the House for the Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations bill.  

As you know, the Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations bill funds critical programs that protect the public health and safety, promote and develop our workforce, and support the education of our children.  These programs are too important to be left behind and Members of the committee from both sides of the aisle deserve an opportunity to publically consider their proper level of funding.

At one time the Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations bill was known by both Republicans and Democrats as "The People's Bill" given its vital components, including: medical research for diseases like cancer, autism, and Alzheimer's, support for our schools to educate students with special needs or children living in poverty, job training and career education to train our workforce to succeed in today's economy, support for our senior citizens through Meals on Wheels, public health infrastructure to detect and combat infectious diseases and fight chronic illnesses, Social Security Administration services and so much more. 

On numerous occasions, you pledged to move every bill through the Appropriations Committee, yet the consideration of the Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations bill was indefinitely postponed in July.  The programs funded through this bill are too important to be ignored.  When the House returns from recess next week, we request that you immediately schedule a subcommittee and full committee markup of the Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations bill. 

Sincerely,

Rosa DeLauro

Nita Lowey