May 11, 2001

Congress Passes Budget

Both the House and Senate passed the conference report (H. Rpt. 107-60) on the FY 2002 budget resolution (H.Con.Res. 83), setting the stage for Congress to now move to the appropriations and budget reconciliation processes. The House May 8 approved the conference report by a vote of 221 to 207. Only six Democrats voted for the measure and three Republicans voted against it. The Senate cleared the budget May 9 by a vote of 53 to 47, with five Democrats voting for it and two Republicans voting no.

The conference agreement assumes $661.3 billion for discretionary spending in FY 2002, a 4 percent increase over the current year. The conference agreement also includes a reserve fund of up to $300 billion for Medicare reform and a prescription drug benefit.

Information: Dave Moore, AAMC Office of Governmental Relations, 202-828-0525.