Congress Reaches Tentative Deal for FY 2012 Spending Proposal

Last night, House and Senate lawmakers reached a tentative agreement on a $1 trillion omnibus spending proposal for fiscal year (FY) 2012. The tentative agreement is the outcome of extensive negotiations between House and Senate appropriations leaders and does not include any “riders” or policy language. This afternoon, the House passed the bill on a 296-121 vote.

The current appropriations package calls for an allocation of $296.4 million for the Title X program in FY 2012, a $2.6 million cut ((0.67%) from FY 2011 funding. Minor additional cuts to the program could be made as part of an across the board cut across the total federal budget, to keep the total federal funding level at or below the spending cap established as part of the Budget Control Act.

There is a rush to get a deal done before federal lawmakers go home for the holidays.  However, Congress has other important business to complete that will compete with getting a final spending bill done, including passing an extension of the Payroll Tax that the President has deemed a priority. It is possible Congress will pass another continuing resolution (CR) to keep the government running - the current CR expires today - until a Payroll Tax bill is passed and a final deal is reached.

California Family Health Council will continue to keep you informed as the FY 2012 appropriations process moves forward.  In the meantime, if you have any questions, please contact Amy Moy, Vice President of Public Affairs, at moya@cfhc.org.