Republican leaders in the Senate Appropriations Committee this week released a draft funding bill for fiscal year 2020 that would freeze spending for most programs at current levels.
The bill’s funding levels were generally expected after the Senate Appropriations Committee last week approved a funding allocation for the Labor, HHS and Education (LHHS) appropriations subcommittee that was a shade greater than the FY 2019 allocation.
The Senate bill is widely expected to represent the “low-water mark” for LHHS funding in the FY 2020 appropriations process. Congressional negotiators must eventually reconcile the Senate bill with a House version that provided a substantial funding increase for the LHHS bill. Final legislation will likely provide funding somewhere between the two bills.