AAMC Washington Highlights - November 9, 2001: Senate Passes HHS Spending Bill

November 9, 2001

Senate Passes HHS Spending Bill

The Senate Nov. 6 approved its version of the FY 2002 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies Appropriations bill (H.R. 3061) by a vote of 89 to 10. The Senate bill now moves to a conference committee to negotiate the differences with the House version of the bill that was approved Oct. 11 [see Washington Highlights, Oct. 12].

The Senate bill provides $23.695 billion for NIH, a $3.4 billion (16.8 percent) increase over FY 2001 and $820 million more than the House bill. The Senate bill also retains the NIH extramural salary cap at Executive Level I ($161,200 in 2001); the House bill reduced the cap to Executive Level II ($145,100). The Senate bill also provides $125 million for extramural facilities construction, a $50 million increase over FY 2001 and $28 million more than the House bill.

For the Title VII and VIII health professions education programs, the Senate bill provides $352.9 million, the same as in FY 2001 and $32 million less than the House level of $384.9 million. Unlike the House bill, which provided line item appropriations for individual health professions programs, the Senate bill does not specify individual program levels. The Senate bill also includes $243.4 million for children's hospitals graduate medical education, an $8.5 million (3.6 percent) increase but $41.6 million less than the House level of $285 million.

The Senate bill includes $154.4 million for the National Health Service Corps, $25 million (19.4 percent) more than FY 2001 and $11.9 million more than the House bill.

The Senate bill provides $291.2 million for the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, a $21.4 million (7.9 percent) increase but $15 million less than the House bill.

For the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Senate bill provides $4.42 billion, which is $372.3 million (9.2 percent) more than FY 2001 and $158 million more than the House bill.

Information: Dave Moore (NIH), Jonathan Fishburn (NIH, NHSC, CDC), or Erica Froyd (health professions, AHRQ), AAMC Office of Governmental Relations, 202-828-0525.