The Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education (L-HHS-ED) today approved the FY2017 spending bill, which will now go to the full Senate for consideration. The bill was approved on a 29-1 vote.
While the bill provides increased funding for certain programs, it also cuts funding for others, amounting to $270 million less than FY2016. The bill also recommends additional spending reductions and eliminates 18 “duplicitous or unnecessary” federal programs. The bill has not yet been made public, so details on what programs have been eliminated are not available at this time.
We know that the Independent Living Program has received level funding in this bill, which is a far cry from the $200 million increase we’ve been asking for. We will continue to monitor this bill as it moves to the full Senate, and we need to keep the pressure on the House as they work on their spending bills. As the work in both the Senate and House moves forward, it is critical for us to ensure that Members of Congress recognize the importance of CILs in this country, work to prevent budget cuts, and continue to push for increased appropriations.
