The Senate Appropriations Committee marked up its Labor-HHS-Education bill earlier today, which was approved by a bipartisan vote of 26-2. It provides $224.4 billion overall for programs within its jurisdiction, a 1% cut below current levels and in stark contrast to the 28% overall cut proposed in the House version of the bill. The Senate Labor-HHS-Education bill includes $79.6 billion in discretionary funding for the Department of Education and $117.0 billion in discretionary funding for the Department of Health and Human Services. The bipartisan Senate markup includes a $250 increase for the maximum Pell Grant.
“The bill provides $35 million more for the Mental Health Block Grant over fiscal year 2023 and includes $172 million for the Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training Program, a $19 million increase over fiscal year 2023, to expand community-based clinical training and for repayment of education loans for individuals working in either a Mental Health Professional Shortage Area or where the overdose death rate exceeds the national average. Additionally, the bill provides $400 million for Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics, a $15 million increase over fiscal year 2023, and an $18 million increase over fiscal year 2023 for the 988 Suicide Prevention Lifeline, building on the nearly $400 million increase in fiscal year 2023. The bill also includes over $100 million in investments within the Department of Education to address the shortage of school-based mental health professionals in our nation’s K-12 schools.”
“The bill protects essential funding to address public health threats, improve health care access and affordability, and strengthen the health care workforce. This includes: $1.86 billion for Community Health Centers, including $55 million for school-based health centers; $1.4 billion for Health Professions Workforce Development; $1.2 billion for the core Maternal and Child Health programs; $341 million for the Improving Maternal Health Initiative to combat the unacceptable levels of maternal mortality; and $4.1 billion for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid’s administrative needs.”
In her opening remarks, Ranking Member Collins noted that the bill “invests in workforce training, including funding to increase the number of geriatric health professionals…[and] provides significant resources for substance abuse prevention and treatment programs and mental health programs.” Her press release noted the inclusion of “$302.5 million for Title VIII Nursing Workforce programs, an increase of $2 million above the FY23 enacted level, $48.2 million for HRSA Geriatric workforce education programs, which include the Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Program and Geriatric Academic Career Awards, and $172 million for Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training, an increase of $19 million above the FY 23 enacted level.”
The Senate Labor-HHS-Education bill text is here, report is here, summary is here, and resource page which should be updated by the Committee with further details is here. Sen. Murray’s remarks are here and a joint statement from Chair Murray and Ranking Member Collins is here.
Congress is leaving town for an extended summer recess with the Senate returning to session on September 5 and the House not slated back until September 12. That leaves only eleven legislative days with both chambers in session before the end of the fiscal year, with none of the twelve appropriations bills having been enacted, foreshadowing a busy September.