Senate Resolutions - 109th Congress

S. Con Res. 83—An Original Concurrent Resolution Setting Forth the Congressional Budget for the United States Government for Fiscal Year 2007

On March 10, 2005, Senator Judd Gregg (R-NH) introduced S. Con. Res. 83, an original concurrent resolution setting forth the congressional budget for the United States Government for Fiscal Year 2007, and including the appropriate budgetary levels for Fiscal Years 2006 and 2008 through 2011. The measure includes specific language about NIH which states: “The Chairman’s Mark assumes an increase of $1 billion over the President’s request for a total budget of $29.6 billion. This allows NIH spending to keep pace with biomedical inflation.” Under President Bush's budget request, released February 6, NIH would receive $28.59 billion in FY 2007, the same amount as FY 2006. Senate consideration of the resolution began March 13. The House Committee on the Budget has not yet reported its version of the FY2007 budget resolution.

FLOOR ACTION

On March 17, 2005, the Senate narrowly passed the FY2007 budget resolution, S. Con. Res. 83, by a vote of 51-49. Although the budget resolution does not bind appropriators to an amendment's discretionary spending assumptions for specific programs, Senate Labor-HHS Appropriations Chairman Arlen Specter (R-PA) and cosponsor Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) succeeded in adding $7 billion to the cap on advance appropriations, with the increase aimed at education, health and labor programs. The Senate budget resolution recommends $29,350,000,000 for the NIH in FY2007, which is $1 billion over the FY2006 appropriation and the President’s request. The report accompanying the resolution includes specific language about NIH which states, “The Chairman’s mark assumes an increase of $1 billion over the President’s request for a total budget of $29.6 billion. This allows NIH spending to keep pace with biomedical inflation.” The Specter-Harkin amendment would provide NIH with a $2 billion increase over the President’s budget. Even with this increase, the amount is below the amount provided in FY2005 when adjusted for inflation.