November 2, 2001

Senate Continues Debate on HHS Spending Bill

The Senate Oct. 30 began consideration of its version of the FY 2002 Labor-HHS, Education appropriations bill (H.R. 3061). The Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations Subcommittee had approved the measure, which provides $123 billion in discretionary funding for FY 2002, on Oct. 10, and the full Appropriations Committee reported the bill (S.Rept. 107-84) on Oct. 11.

During consideration of the bill, the Senate adopted an amendment by Senators Pete Domenici (R-N.Mex.), Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) and Paul Wellstone (D-Minn.) to provide equal coverage of mental health benefits with respect to health insurance coverage unless comparable limitations are imposed on medical and surgical benefits. The Senate also approved an amendment by Senator Harkin (D-Iowa) to provide funding for the development and construction of the first and second phases of the John Edward Porter Neursoscience Research Center at NIH.

The Senate avoided a debate on the contentious issues of stem cell research and human cloning when Senator Brownback (R-Kan.) agreed to withhold a series of amendments he had planned to offer. In return, Senator Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) agreed to drop language from the bill that would have given the president legal authority to expand federally funded embryonic stem cell research. The Senate leadership has committed to floor debate and votes on freestanding legislation on these issues next year.

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