July 13, 2001

House VA-HUD Subcommittee Provides Increases for VA, NSF

The House VA-HUD Appropriations Subcommittee marked up its FY 2002 funding bill on July 10, providing increases for the VA medical care and research programs and the National Science Foundation. The full Appropriations Committee is expected to address the bill on July 17 with House floor consideration possible by the end of July.

The VA medical and prosthetics research program was allocated $360 million, an increase of $10 million, the same as the President's budget request. The VA medical care appropriation received an increase of $1 billion to a total of $21.3 billion, an increase of approximately 5 percent and $300 million over the President's request. The Subcommittee also provided $300 million for a "Facility Rehabilitation Fund," $30 million of which must be spent on research facilities. The Facility Rehabilitation Fund is authorized by the Veterans' Hospital Emergency Repair Act (H.R. 811) which passed the House on March 27 and awaits consideration in the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee.

The National Science Foundation received $4.84 billion, an increase of 9.35 percent over FY 2001, $368 million higher than the budget request. NSF Research was provided $3.64 billion, an increase of 8.72 percent, $315 million higher than the President's request.

The Senate VA-HUD Appropriations Subcommittee has tentatively scheduled a mark-up for July 19. Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) is currently circulating a "dear colleague" letter asking Senators to join him in asking Sens. Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.) and Kit Bond (R-Mo.), chairwoman and ranking member respectively, of the VA-HUD Appropriations Subcommittee to "go significantly beyond the proposed $360.2 million mark."

Information: Jonathan Fishburn, AAMC Office of Governmental Relations, 202-828-0525.