GovernmentExecutive.com

House Democratic leaders on Monday released a $410 billion omnibus package that, if approved, would wrap up appropriations for fiscal 2009, which started Oct. 1.

The package could be considered by the House as soon as Wednesday. It includes the nine spending bills Congress has not approved.

But the measure also includes thousands of member-directed spending earmarks -- in contrast to the recently enacted $790 billion economic stimulus, which did not include any -- and would extend authorization through the end of the fiscal year for the Homeland Security Department's E-Verify program, which allows employers to check the citizenship status of employees.

Another provision would allow Cuban exiles to visit immediate family members in that nation annually, instead of only once every three years. The bill also expands the definition of "close relative" for purposes of travel, and reverses the Bush administration's 2005 regulatory impediments on the sales of food and medicine to Cuba.

The bill maintains funding for the District of Columbia's $14 million school voucher program, which originated in Bush's fiscal 2004 budget and provided D.C. schoolchildren with $7,500 scholarships for private school tuition.

The appropriation comes with strings, however: None of the funding can be used for the 2009-10 school year unless Congress passes a bill reauthorizing the program and the local D.C. government approves it. The program, dubbed the D.C. School Choice Incentive Act, expired at the end of 2008.

Republicans criticized the change. "The D.C. school choice program has provided hope for thousands of low-income children in the District of Columbia since it was established, and has been demonstrating results," House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, said in a statement. He said ending the program would be "irresponsible" and "shameful."

Most federal programs are being funded by a continuing resolution, which expires March 6. It must be extended if Congress cannot pass the omnibus by then. Three of the appropriations bills were cleared in late September with the CR, including Defense, Military Construction-VA and Homeland Security.

The omnibus includes $151.8 billion for Labor-HHS Appropriations Subcommittee programs, above fiscal 2008 funding levels of $145.1 billion, and more than the $145.4 former President George W. Bush wanted. The National Institutes of Health would receive $30.3 billion for research; $17.3 billion would go for Pell Grants, and $6.6 billion for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

For programs under the Commerce-Justice-Science Appropriations Subcommittee's jurisdiction, the bill includes $57.7 billion, more than the $51.8 billion Congress provided for fiscal 2008 and the $54.1 billion requested by Bush. The measure includes $24.3 billion for scientific discovery to improve quality of life and enhance long-term economic security, such as $14.7 billion to the Commerce Department's Economic Development Administration for the Global Climate Change Mitigation Fund, to encourage businesses to use green practices.

The omnibus would provide $55 billion for Transportation-HUD Appropriations Subcommittee programs, more than the $48.8 billion provided for fiscal 2008 and above the $50.6 billion Bush sought. This portion of the bill includes $40.7 billion for highway construction and $3.9 billion for HUD's Community Development Block Grants.

The bill requires the Federal Transit Administration to develop a plan to encourage and assist transit authorities in building energy efficient facilities, and includes $4.3 million to improve road access to the Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville, Pa.

State-Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee programs would pull in $36.6 billion. Congress provided $32.8 billion and Bush wanted $38.2 billion. This part of the package would provide $875 million for the Millennium Challenge Corporation, a Bush-favored foreign aid agency, which is $669 million below fiscal 2008 funding levels and $1.35 billion below Bush's request. This program has been cut because of slow program implementation, committee Democrats said. But the funds provided "are sufficient to move forward on new compacts," according to a statement by the committee.

The Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee portion of the bill would total $33.3 billion, above fiscal 2008's $30.9 billion and more than the $31.2 billion recommended by Bush. The bill would include $27 billion for the Energy Department and $5.4 billion for the Army Corps of Engineers, $185 billion less than the Corps received in fiscal 2008. The package also rejects Bush's proposal to double the size of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve and does not fund an initiative to reprocess spent nuclear fuel.

Interior Appropriations Subcommittee programs would receive $27.6 billion, above fiscal 2008's $26.3 billion and more than Bush's $25.6 billion request. Of the $27.6 billion, EPA would get $7.6 billion and $3 billion would go to fight wildfires.

The omnibus includes $22.7 billion for programs under the Financial Services Appropriations Subcommittee. Congress provided $20.7 billion for fiscal 2008 and Bush sought $22.3 billion. That includes $8.4 billion for the General Services Administration.

The legislation includes $20.5 billion for programs overseen by the Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee, above fiscal 2008's $18 billion and the $18.6 billion sought by Bush. The agriculture portion includes $6.9 billion for the women, infants and children nutrition programs and $2.7 billion for USDA programs important to rural communities, including housing, water projects, community facilities and economic development efforts.

Legislative Branch Appropriations Subcommittee programs would receive $4.4 billion. In fiscal 2008 Congress provided $3.97 billion and Bush recommended $4.66 billion.

Kasie Hunt contributed to this report.

COMMENTS

• Don't worry! The Messiah will go through it "line by line" and remove any pork just like he did in the spendulus package! Oh wait! Tom Posted February 26, 2009 12:38 PM
• Maybe Shumer was right, the American citizens don't care about the millions/billions worth of PORK in the bills, all they care about is "what's in it for me". The only one that seems to know what they are talking about is the Chairman of the FDIC. Maybe she should be promoted. QUIT DIGGING, the hole is to deep already! dave.tucker Posted February 26, 2009 1:10 AM
• 1.2 T in less than two weeks and counting! This bill has 8600 earmarks totalling in excess of $8 Billion! "I'll go through line by line and remove any pork!" And the koolaid drinkers and swing voters bought it! Cheers! Tom Posted February 25, 2009 8:08 PM