http://worldcat.org/entity/work/id/1862911013

Commerce, justice, science, and related agencies FY2009 appropriations

This report monitors actions taken by the 110th Congress for the FY2009 Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (CJS) appropriations bill. On June 12, 2008, the House CJS Appropriations Subcommittee approved an FY2009 CJS appropriations bill that includes $5.1 billion more than the FY2008 enacted amount and $3.1 billion more than the FY2009 request, or about $59.7 billion in total funding ($56.8 billion in discretionary funding). The House subcommittee mark includes $8.7 billion for the Department of Commerce (DOC), $25.4 billion for the Department of Justice (DOJ), $24.7 billion for science agencies, among other amounts. The Administration's FY2009 request initially included $56.563 billion for those departments and agencies funded through the CJS appropriation, or $1.926 billion more than the enacted FY2008 appropriation of $54.637 billion (a 3.5% increase). For the DOC, the FY2009 request included $8.217 billion, or $1.360 billion more than the enacted FY2008 level (a 19.8% increase). The Census Bureau, however, is facing substantial funding shortfalls due to equipment failures associated with the 2010 decennial census. Congress is considering an FY2008 supplemental appropriations bill (H.R. 2642) that includes an additional $210 million for Census. Also, the Administration submitted a budget amendment on June 9, 2008 that provides an additional $546 million for the 2010 Census, partly offset by canceling $111 million in other Department of Commerce accounts and shifting amounts within the Census Bureau account. For the DOJ, the FY2009 request includes $23.089 billion, or $503 million less than the enacted FY2008 level (a 2.1% decrease). This decrease largely reflects a proposed reduction of $1.542 billion in funding for state and local law enforcement assistance, which was funded at $2.411 billion for FY2008. However, the FY2008 request also includes increases of $492.7 million for national security investigations, $100 million for a Southwest border crime fighting initiative, and $67.1 million to support essential federal detention and incarceration programs. In addition, the Administration has requested $185.8 million in FY2008 supplemental funding for DOJ counterterrorism activities and programs. By comparison, the House-passed FY2008 supplemental appropriations bill would provide DOJ with $407.3 million, and Senate-passed bill would provide $1.131 billion. For science agencies, the FY2009 request includes $24.474 billion, or $1.094 billion more than the enacted FY2008 level (a 4.7% increase). Among other things, the FY2009 request includes $396.8 million for the NSF and the National Nanotechnology Initiative. In addition, the Senate-passed FY2008 supplemental appropriation bill would provide the NASA with $200 million and the NSF with $200 million. For related agencies, the FY2009 request includes $784 million, or nearly $24.8 million less than the enacted FY2008 level (a 3.1% decrease). The Legal Services Commission would absorb this decrease, as the FY2009 request only includes $311 million for the commission, a reduction of $39.5 million, as compared to the commission's enacted FY2008 level of funding.

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