Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education: FY2013 Appropriations Overview

This report provides an overview of actions taken by Congress to provide FY2013 appropriations for the accounts funded by the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies (L-HHS-ED) appropriations bill. The L-HHS-ED bill provides funding for all accounts subject to the annual appropriations process at the Departments of Labor (DOL) and Education (ED). It provides annual appropriations for most agencies within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), with certain exceptions (e.g., the Food and Drug Administration is funded via the Agriculture bill). The L-HHS-ED bill also provides funding for more than a dozen related agencies, including the Social Security Administration. Continuing Resolutions: Congress did not enact a regular L-HHS-ED appropriations bill prior to the beginning of FY2013. Instead, FY2013 funding for programs typically supported by the LHHS-ED bill has been provided—through March 27, 2013—by a government-wide continuing resolution (CR). The CR was signed into law (P.L. 112-175) on September 28, 2012. It generally maintains funding for discretionary programs at their FY2012 rates, plus 0.612%. Sequestration: On March 1, 2013, President Obama issued a sequestration order, as required under the terms of the Budget Control Act of 2011 and the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985, as amended. The order called for an across-the-board cut of 5.0% for non-exempt nondefense discretionary funding, 2.0% for certain Medicare funding (per a special rule), and 5.1% for other non-exempt nondefense mandatory funding. Disaster Relief Funding: On January 29, 2013, the President signed into law a supplemental appropriations bill in response to Hurricane Sandy (P.L. 113-2). This disaster supplemental included roughly $827 million for L-HHS-ED programs and activities, the majority of which ($800 million) went to HHS to support health, mental health, and social services needs in affected states, including costs related to the construction and renovation of damaged health, mental health, biomedical research, child care, and Head Start facilities. House Actions on L-HHS-ED Bill (112th Congress): The House Appropriations L-HHS-ED Subcommittee approved a draft FY2013 L-HHS-ED bill on July 18, 2012. This bill was not introduced or marked up by the full committee prior to the end of the 112th Congress. Senate Actions on L-HHS-ED Bill (112th Congress): The Senate Appropriations Committee reported its FY2013 L-HHS-ED bill on June 14, 2012 (S. 3295, S.Rept. 112-176). The committee report estimated that this bill included $166.0 billion in discretionary funds, which is about 1.2% more than the committee’s estimate of comparable FY2012 funds ($164.1 billion). President’s Request: On February 13, 2012, prior to the initiation of congressional action on FY2013 appropriations, the Obama Administration released the FY2013 President’s Budget. The President’s Budget, as estimated in the committee report accompanying the FY2013 Senate (S.Rept. 112-176), called for $166.1 billion in discretionary funding for L-HHS-ED accounts (+1.2% from FY2012). DOL Snapshot: The FY2013 Senate committee bill from the 112th Congress would have provided roughly $12.3 billion in discretionary funding for DOL. HHS Snapshot: The FY2013 Senate committee bill from the 112th Congress would have provided roughly $71.0 billion in discretionary funding for HHS. ED Snapshot: The FY2013 Senate committee bill from the 112th Congress would have provided roughly $68.5 billion in discretionary funding for ED. Related Agencies Snapshot: The FY2013 Senate committee bill from the 112th Congress would have provided roughly $14.1 billion in discretionary funding for L-HHS-ED related agencies.