Last week the Senate was unable to set up a final vote on a FY 2012 minibus appropriations package. However, after securing a unanimous consent agreement, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) announced that a vote on final passage of the FY 2012 "minibus" appropriations package is scheduled for November 1 (H.R. 2112). The "minibus" includes FY2012 appropriations bills for the departments of Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, Agriculture and Commerce-Justice-Science. During the debate, on October 20, Senate Appropriations Chairman Daniel Inouye (D-HI) reiterated his opposition to further cuts in discretionary spending as part of any budget deal. Additionally, Office of Management and Budget Director Jacob Lew warned both House and Senate appropriators in a letter last week that the president would veto any appropriations measure that “undermines critical domestic priorities or national security through funding levels or language restrictions, contains earmarks, or fails to make tough choices to cut where needed while maintaining what we need to spur long-term job creation and win the future.” Lew also said that spending bills should not be jeopardized over ideological or political issues, which was a clear reference to policy riders that were attached to previously approved House spending bills. The Senate will take an up-or-down vote on their first minibus package upon their return from recess. Additionally, as part of the minibus debate, which began last week, the Senate adopted a bipartisan provision to reinstate higher limits on federally backed mortgages.

Following the Senate’s failure to approve its first minibus, there were some reports last week that any hope of Congress avoiding having to pass another continuing spending resolution by November 18 has all but vanished. This is due to the number of spending bills that have to be approved as part of the FY 2012 budget and previous commitments by both chambers to avoid passing an omnibus spending bill.

On October 14, the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies released draft text for the FY 2012 Interior-Environment appropriations bill, which includes funding for the Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds. Federal Funds Information for States updated their Jim Martin Table (includes state-by-state estimates) to include funding levels reported in the draft bill.

Links: H.R.2112, FY 2012 Interior-Environment spending bill