Fiscal Year 2024 Appropriations Moving Forward, Albeit Slowly

June 26, 2023

After the recent debacle over the debt ceiling, Congress is once again working on the fiscal year (FY) 2024 budget. The Senate is using the agreed-to FY 2023 amount set by the debt ceiling and the House of Representatives is following the much lower FY 2022 amount.

This situation means the overall budget that House appropriators will begin working with is much lower. As such, there is little room to fund other programs, especially since cuts to defense funding are off the table and guarantees have been made for veterans.

For the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies budget, House appropriators are starting with an amount of $147.1 billion, a 29.1% reduction from the $207.4 billion budgeted in FY 2023. Senate appropriators are starting with a more generous amount of $195.2 billion, which is still a 5.9% reduction from FY 2023. This budget funds the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Environmental Health, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, and many other programs vital to environmental health. With both the House and Senate seeking to reduce this budget, we can expect deep cuts to programs funded by this budget.

As for the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies budget, the House is seeking a 34.6% reduction, providing $25.4 billion in FY 2024. The Senate is seeking a 2.5% reduction, bringing its budget to $37.9 billion. This budget provides funding for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

The bright spot in the battle over the FY 2024 budget is the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies budget. The House is seeking a 30% budget cut to $17.8 billion and the Senate is seeking a 2% cut to $25.9 billion. In both mark-ups, however, the Senate and House agreed to increase funding for food safety within the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The Senate version is seeking a $3.75 million increase for FDA food safety programs. The amount the Senate is providing for the Food Safety Inspection Service within the U.S. Department of Agriculture is an additional $46.7 million.

House and Senate negotiators have a long way to go before finalizing the FY 2024 budget.

For more information, contact Government Affairs Director Doug Farquhar.