Congress Sends Emergency
Spending Bill to President
July 26, 2002 - Both the House and Senate have approved
the long-debated FY 2002 supplemental spending bill (H.R.
4775), clearing the measure for the President. The House
passed the conference agreement on the spending bill July
23 by a vote of 397-32; the Senate approved the bill the following
day by a vote of 97 to 2.
The bill, which the House passed in late May, had been stalled
while the White House and Congress debated how much additional
emergency spending above the President's initial request should
be provided. The conference agreement totals $28.9 billion
- $1.8 billion over the President's request. All funds over
the President's request are provided as a "contingent
emergency" giving the President discretion on whether
they should be spent.
The conference bill includes an additional $417 million for
VA medical care. The conference agreement directs VA to distribute
all of the funds to the VISNs according to VERA and directs
the CMS to issue each VA health care facility a provider number.
The conference report states this in no way obligates CMS
to reimburse VA for services. The bill also includes $1 billion
to avert an estimated shortfall in the Pell Grant program
caused by increased program costs due to the economic downturn
and the rise in individuals seeking postsecondary education.
The bill includes a provision renaming the National Research
Service Award program as the "Ruth L. Kirschstein National
Research Service Awards," in honor of the former acting
director of NIH. The conference agreement includes a rescission
of $30 million for NIH's intramural buildings and facilities
account, including $9.3 million rescinded from safety and
regulatory compliance and repairs and improvements and $20.7
million rescinded from the Phase I renovation of Building
10. The conferees rejected a Senate proposal to add $72 million
in emergency funding for NIH security enhancements.
The conferees also rejected a provision in the House bill
reclassifying certain counties in Pennsylvania and New York
for purposes of reimbursement under the Medicare program.
The conferees did express "in the strongest terms their
request that the authorizing committees of jurisdiction, the
Senate Finance Committee and the House Ways and Means Committee,
develop legislation as soon as possible to address the geographic
inequities that exist nationwide in Medicare reimbursement
because of the wage indices used."
Information:
Dave Moore, Senior Associate Vice President
AAMC Government Relations
dbmoore@aamc.org
(202) 828-0525
Get Washington Highlights
in your Inbox!
| 
