According to the Coalition for Health Funding, the Senate Appropriations Committee (SAC) had intended to meet this week to begin marking up the 12 FY 2021 bills. However, partisan fights over what should be included, specifically but not limited to coronavirus and criminal justice funding matters, have caused the SAC to pause consideration of the FY 2021 bills. Congress is internally debating if the spending levels set in the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2010, particularly the limit set for non-defense discretionary programs, are sufficient to meet the nation’s needs in the era of COVID-19. The Senate appropriations process may be stalled until September (after the August recess). Meanwhile, House Appropriations Committee (HAC) Chair Nita Lowey (NY-17) recently advised Members that subcommittee and full committee markups of the 12 federal appropriations bills will take place the weeks of July 6th and July 13th and House consideration of the FY 2021 appropriations bills are then expected the weeks of July 20th and July 27th. While progress on FY 2021 appropriations is encouraging, crises, elections, and politics will make enactment of these spending bills unlikely before September 30th—the end of the federal fiscal year.
