Because of the extraordinary efforts of Labor, Health and Human Services and Education Subcommittee Chair John Porter (R-IL), FY96 funds for NIH ($11.9 billion) were included in the Continuing Resolution passed January 5, 1996. NIH is funded through September 20, 1996 with an increase of 5.7% above last year s funding. This is more than the Administration or the Senate had proposed for NIH. Chair John Porter deserves accolades for his hard work on Under the current Continuing Resolution (HR2880), due to expire on March 15, 1996, funding for the Commerce Department is about $3.4 billion. This amounts to about $285 million for the Census Bureau. The Department continues to be at risk because efforts by House Republicans to eliminate it persist. If such action is successful, the Census Bureau would be moved, perhaps to the Department of Labor or a new Federal Statistical Service.
The current CR (HR 2880) provides funding for the NSF at about $3.2 billion through March 15, about $100 million less than last year.
HR 2880 also includes $12.1 billion in foreign aid through September 30, 1996, $1.5 billion below last year s funding and $2.6 billion or 18% less than the President s request. Funding for international family planning programs is not available until July 1 unless authorized sooner in separate legislation. After that, funding would be at no more than 65 percent of the current rate. The imposed spending limits mean that FY96 population assistance through AID is only 13% of the FY95 total.