Washington Roundup December 5, 2003
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Congress Publishes FY 2004 Omnibus Funding Bill that Would Allocate Major Funding Increases for Drug and Alcohol Treatment and Research Programs and Restore Major Cuts to Prevention Programs; House Vote on Bill Expected Next Week, Senate Vote Expected in January

This week, Congress released the FY 2004 omnibus appropriations bill that includes the Labor, Health and Human Services and Education bill that funds drug and alcohol treatment, prevention, education and research programs.  As published by the Conference Committee, this bill would provide significant new funding for drug and alcohol treatment and research, including $35 million for the Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant and $105 million for the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, including $100 million for the Administration’s drug treatment voucher initiative, “Access to Recovery.”  The Access to Recovery program’s funding level represents the House’s full original allocation, a significant amount of funding for a new program in this tough fiscal environment.  The Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant received a funding increase that fell between what the House and Senate originally proposed. 

Additionally, the bill would beat back the Administration’s proposed cut to the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention with an allocation of $200 million, $3 million above the FY 2003 funding level and slightly more that the House and Senate bills originally allocated.  While the bill would cut $24 million from the Safe and Drug Free Schools and Communities’ State Grants Program, the final program funding level is a dramatic improvement over the $47 million cut the Senate bill and Bush Administration’s budget originally proposed.

Both the National Institutes on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) would receive funding increases, with NIDA receiving a $35 million increase over FY 2003 funding and NIAAA receiving a $15 million increase.  Both of these funding increases are slightly more generous than what the House bill allocated.

The House of Representatives is expected to return next week to vote on the omnibus appropriations bill.  The content of the bill is not expected to change.  The Senate originally was hoping to be able to vote on the bill next week by unanimous consent (no Senator objecting to the bill’s passage.)  However, Senator Robert Byrd (D-WV), Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, has objected to the Senate passing the bill in this manner, therefore making it unlikely that the Senate will be able to consider the bill next week.  At this point, it seems likely that the Senate may not consider the bill for final passage until early January.