As Congress Continues Debates, NBCC Focuses on Funding

In late September, Congress passed a short-term spending bill to keep the government running through November 21. This is a small step forward in what has been a series of contentious debates over federal spending levels. While the House has passed the majority of their appropriations bills, the Senate has seen its processes slowed down by procedural and partisan hurdles.

SAMHSA’s Minority Fellowship Program saw a $2 million increase in the House version of the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies subcommittee’s appropriations bill. In the Senate version of this legislation, the program was funded at its FY19 level, $13,169,000. While this is positive news because the program did not see a spending cut, NBCC is working with congressional partners to secure an increase in the final version of the legislation. The two appropriations bills will now head to conference, where members of both the House and Senate will try to reconcile differences in spending levels. NBCC’s Government & Legislative Affairs staff will continue working to have an increase more in line with the House recommendation included in the final appropriations bill.