Bills
| 3.23.22

Should a Seven-Bill, $615 Billion ‘Minibus’ Be Approved for FY2022? (H.R. 4502)

Do you support or oppose this bill?

What is H.R. 4502?

(Updated March 12, 2022)

This “minibus” appropriations package would provide $614.6 billion in discretionary funding for FY2022 for agencies funded under seven of the 12 appropriations categories, including Energy & Water Development; Financial Services & General Government; Labor-Health-Education; Transportation-Housing and Urban Development; Agriculture & Rural Development; Interior & Environment; and Military Construction and Veterans Affairs. A breakdown of its various provisions can be found below.

LABOR, HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, EDUCATION

This section would provide $253.8 billion in funding for FY2022, an increase of $55 billion (28%) above the prior year. Additionally, this section would repeal the Hyde Amendment, which prohibits the use of federal taxpayer dollars to pay for abortions through Medicaid or similar programs..

HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (HHS): HHS would receive a total of $119.8 billion for FY2022, an increase of $22.9 billion from the prior year.

National Institutes of Health (NIH): This section would provide $49 billion for FY2022, an increase of $6.5 billion, including: 

  • An increase of $3.5 billion for existing NIH Institutes and Centers.

  • $3 billion to establish the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health and accelerate scientific breakthroughs related to diseases.

  • $3.4 billion for Alzheimer’s research.

  • $3.3 billion for HIV/AIDS research.

  • $250 million for Universal Flu Vaccine research.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): This section would provide the CDC with $10.6 billion for FY2022, an increase of $2.7 billion from the prior year, including:

  • $1 billion in new, flexible funding for public health infrastructure and capacity nationwide.

  • $843 million for global health.

  • $715 million for public health emergency preparedness cooperative agreements.

  • $663 million for opioid overdose prevention and surveillance.

  • $250 million to address tobacco and e-cigarettes.

  • $190 million for the National Center of Health Statistics.

  • $150 million to modernize public health data surveillance and analytics.

DEPT. OF EDUCATION (ED): This section would provide $102.8 billion in discretionary appropriations for FY2022, an increase of $29.3 billion from the prior year, including:

  • $36 billion for Title I grants to local educational agencies.

  • $17.2 billion for IDEA special education grants.

  • $1.3 billion for Title IV student support and academic enrichment grants.

  • Pell grants would be funded at a maximum of $6,895 -- an increase of $400 from the prior year. Non-citizen “Dreamer” students with temporary protected status would be eligible for Pell grants along with other forms of financial aid.

DEPT. OF LABOR: This section would provide a total of $14.7 billion in FY2022 appropriations, an increase of $2.2 billion from the prior year, including:

  • $11.6 billion for the Employment and Training Administration, including $3.1 billion for Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act state grants.

  • $1.83 billion for Job Corps.

  • $2.1 billion for worker protection agencies.

AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT

This section would provide $26.5 billion in appropriations for FY2022, an increase of $2.85 billion from the prior year. It would also authorize over $170 billion in funding for mandatory food and nutrition programs.

Food and Nutrition Programs: This section would provide discretionary and mandatory funding for the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture’s (USDA) food and nutrition programs, including:

  • Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP): $105.7 billion in mandatory funding for SNAP would be authorized for FY2022, including $3 billion for the SNAP reserve fund.

  • Child Nutrition Programs: $26.9 billion in mandatory funding for FY2022, an increase of $1.77 billion from the prior year.

  • Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC): $6 billion in discretionary funding for WIC.

Rural Development: This section would provide $4.6 billion for FY2022, including $1.45 billion for rural water and waste programs, and $907 million for rural broadband service. Rural housing loan authority would be funded with $30 billion in loan authority for single family housing, in addition to $1.5 billion for rental assistance and rental vouchers for low-income families and the elderly in rural communities. 

Food and Drug Administration: A total of $3.47 billion in discretionary funding would be provided for the FDA in FY2022. Total funding inclusive of revenue from user fees would total $6.28 billion.

International Programs: This section would provide $2 billion for international food aid, including $1.74 billion in Food for Peace grants and $245 million for the McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition program.

ENERGY AND WATER DEVELOPMENT

This section would provide a total of $53.2 billion in FY2022 appropriations, an increase of $1.4 billion from the prior year.

Nuclear Security: A total of $20.2 billion would be provided for DOE’s nuclear security programs in FY2022, including $15.5 billion for weapons activities, $2.34 billion for nonproliferation activities, and $1.87 billion for naval nuclear reactor maintenance.

Environmental Cleanup: A total of $7.76 billion would be provided for FY2022, which is used for nuclear cleanup work at 16 sites across the country. It includes $6.6 billion for defense environmental cleanup, $831 million for uranium enrichment decontamination and decommissioning, and $334 million for non-defense environmental cleanup.

Additionally, this section would provide:

  • $8.66 billion for the Army Corps of Engineers, including $4.8 billion for operation and maintenance, $2.6 billion for construction, and $2 billion for Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund projects.

  • $7.32 billion for the DOE Office of Science, an increase of $294 million.

FINANCIAL SERVICES AND GENERAL GOV’T

This section would provide $29.1 billion in discretionary appropriations for FY2022, an increase of $4.8 billion from the prior year.

Treasury Dept.: A total of $15.4 billion would be provided for FY2022, an increase of $1.9 billion from the prior year. Of the total, $13.6 billion would go to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

Judiciary: A total of $8.2 billion would be provided for FY2022, an increase of $432 million from the prior. Of the total, $5.7 billion would go to the federal courts of appeal and district courts, $1.37 billion to defender services, and $682 million to court security.

Small Business Administration (SBA): A total of $1 billion would be provided for SBA in FY2022, an increase of $111 million from the prior year.

General Services Administration (GSA): A total of $10.4 billion would be provided for GSA in FY2022, including $1 billion for repairs and alterations, $254 million for consolidation of the Dept. of Homeland Security in D.C. and $103 million for the Calexico, California port of entry.

Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC): A total of $2 billion would be provided for FY2022, an increase of $73 million from the prior year, which includes expenses for move costs related to the SEC’s regional offices in Fort Worth, Texas.

District of Columbia: A total of $794 million would be provided, an increase of $47 million from the prior year. This section would also eliminate bans on the use of local funds for D.C. to provide abortion services, legalize marijuana, implement needle exchange programs, and restrict the president’s ability to federalize the D.C. Metropolitan Police Dept.

Federal Trade Commission (FTC): A total of $390 million would be provided for FY2022, an increase of $39 million from the prior year.

Miscellaneous: This section would:

  • Make “Dreamers” eligible for federal employment.

  • Allow federal healthcare plans to cover abortion services.

  • Create a commission to recommend name changes or removal of federal property deemed inconsistent with values of diversity, equity, and inclusion.

INTERIOR AND ENVIRONMENT

This section would provide $43.4 billion in FY2022 appropriations, an increase of $7.3 billion (20%) from the prior year.

Dept. of the Interior (DOI): A total of $15.6 billion would be provided for DOI and agencies under its jurisdiction in FY2022 appropriations, an increase of $2.3 billion from the prior year. DOI’s sub-agencies would receive the following:

  • Bureau of Indian Affairs and Bureau of Indian Education (BIA/BIE): $4 billion, an increase of $507 million from the prior year, including $1.9 billion for BIA programs and $1.1 billion for BIE programs. 

  • National Park Service (NPS): $3.5 billion, an increase of $324 million, including $3 billion for NPS operations; $156 million for the Historic Preservation Fund; and $80 million for national recreation and preservation.

  • U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS): $1.9 billion, an increase of $301 million, including $315 million for ecological services; $582 million for the National Wildlife Refuge System; $82 million for state and tribal wildlife grants; and $22 million for multinational species conservation fund.

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): This section would provide a total of $11.3 billion in FY2022 appropriations for the EPA, an increase of $2.11 billion from the prior year, including. 

  • $4.17 billion for the EPA’s core science and environmental programs.

  • $5.32 billion for state and tribal assistance grants, including $3.23 billion for Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds.

  • $1.54 billion for Superfund.

U.S. Forest Service: A total of $4.14 billion would be provided for FY2022 in non-fire and non-Land and Water Conservation Fund accounts, an increase of $680 million from the prior year.

Wildland Fire Management: A total of $5.66 billion would be provided for FY2022, an increase of $385 million from the prior year. The total includes $2.45 billion in cap-adjusted fire suppression funding.

Indian Health Services: A total of $8.1 billion would be provided for FY2022, an increase of $1.8 billion from the prior year, including $5.8 billion for health services and $1.3 billion for health facilities.

MILITARY CONSTRUCTION, VETERANS AFFAIRS

This section would provide $279.9 billion in mandatory and discretionary funding for FY2022, an increase of $28.1 billion from the prior year. Discretionary funding would total $124.5 billion, an increase of $11.4 billion from FY2021.

Dept. of Veterans Affairs (VA): This section would authorize mandatory VA funding for FY2022 in addition to providing $113 billion in discretionary appropriations for the VA, an increase of $8.7 billion from the prior year. 

VA Medical Care: $97 billion would be provided for FY2022, an increase of $7.6 billion from the prior year, to facilitate care for the 7.1 million patients expected to receive VA treatment in FY2022. Of the total, $13.2 billion would be provided for mental healthcare, $2.2 billion for homeless assistance programs, $2.6 billion to continue implementation of VA electronic health records, and $2.2 billion for VA construction projects.

Military Construction: A total of $10.9 billion would be provided for FY2022, an increase of $2.9 billion from the prior year, including:

  • $1.4 billion for family housing;

  • $849 million for construction or alteration of Guard and Reserve facilities;

  • $550 million for unaccompanied soldiers’ barracks;

  • $546 million for Base Realignment and Closure;

  • $475 million for shipyard infrastructure optimization;

  • $205 million for the NATO Security Investment Program; and

  • $213 million for child development centers.

TRANSPORTATION, HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

This section would provide a total of $84.1 billion in discretionary FY2022 funding, an increase of $8.7 billion (over 11%) from the prior year. It would also authorize $78.5 billion in budgetary resources. The $162.6 billion in total budgetary resources would be an increase of $25.9 billion from the prior year.

Dept. of Transportation (DOT): This section would provide $105.7 billion in FY2022 budgetary resources, an increase of $19 billion from the prior year. It would provide:

  • $1.2 billion for national infrastructure investments through RAISE, TIGER, and BUILD grants.

  • $61.9 billion for the Federal Highway Administration for formula programs funded from the Highway Trust Fund.

  • $18.9 billion for the Federal Aviation Administration.

  • $15.5 billion for the Federal Transit Administration, including $12.2 billion for formula grants to expand bus fleets and increase the transit system’s level of good repair.

  • $4.1 billion for the Federal Railroad Administration.

Housing and Urban Development (HUD): This section would provide $56.5 billion in FY2022 funding, an increase of $6.8 billion from the prior year. It would include:

  • $29.2 billion for Tenant-Based Rental Assistance through Section 8.

  • $14 billion for Project-based Section 8.

  • $10.6 billion for community planning and development, including $3.7 billion for community development block grants and $1.85 billion for affordable homes.

Argument in favor

This minibus appropriations package reflects the priorities of the Democratic caucus by increasing funding for the federal agencies involved. It would also make important policy changes, such as eliminating the Hyde Amendment to allow federal funds to be used for abortions, allowing the District of Columbia to operate a needle exchange, and ensuring federal agencies follow diversity and inclusion guidelines.

Argument opposed

Combining seven of the 12 annual appropriations bills into one “minibus” package that exceeds $600 billion is a nightmare for transparency. Democrats stuffed this bill full of ideological provisions, such as eliminating a longstanding, bipartisan policy preventing federal taxpayer dollars from being used to fund abortions. The lack of bipartisan input means this package has no chance whatsoever of becoming law.

Impact

Agencies funded under the following appropriations categories: Energy & Water Development; Financial Services & General Government; Labor-Health-Education; Transportation-Housing and Urban Development; Agriculture & Rural Development; Interior & Environment; and Military Construction and Veterans Affairs.

Cost of H.R. 4502

A CBO cost estimate is unavailable.

Additional Info

In-Depth: The seven individual appropriations bills that comprise this minibus spending package passed the House Appropriations Committee on the following votes:

  • Labor-Health-Education passed on a party-line 33-25 vote.

  • Energy & Water Development passed on a party-line 33-24 vote.

  • Agriculture-Rural Development-FDA passed on a party-line 33-25 vote.

  • Transportation & Housing & Urban Development passed on a party-line 33-24 vote.

  • Military Construction & Veterans Affairs passed on a party-line 33-24 vote.

  • Interior & Environment passed on a party-line 32-24 vote.

  • Financial Services & General Government passed on a party-line 33-24 vote.


Media:

Summary by Eric Revell

(Photo Credit: iStock.com / Douglas Rissing)