Appropriations Process Delayed

The consideration of appropriations bills in the House and Senate slowed to a crawl during the last half of June. Six appropriations bills that had been reported from committee, including the Transportation Appropriations bill, were held up as a result. The House had previously cleared the transportation bill, which funds the USCG, so it will be ready for conference once the Senate acts. In the House, difficulties in keeping appropriations bills within the mandatory budget caps, as well as attempts to trim appropriations bills on the floor, slowed the process. As a result, some appropriations subcommittees will not report out their bills until after the July 4 recess. This is the case with the Energy and Water Development appropriations bill which funds the USACE. The Energy and Water Development bill had previously been passed by the Senate. The delayed House timetable means the Energy and Water Development bill did not go to conference until the latter half of July. The House and Senate leadership still maintain their intention to pass all appropriations bills before leaving on summer recess in August.