Appropriations Committee Approves Fiscal Year 2023 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Funding Bill

The House Appropriations Committee today approved the fiscal year 2023 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies bill on a 32 to 24 vote.

For 2023, the bill provides $242.1 billion, an increase of $28.5 billion – 13 percent – above 2022. With this historic increase, the legislation:

Creates and sustains good-paying American jobs through investments in job training, apprenticeship programs, and worker protection
Grows opportunity with major investments in education, including significant funding for high-poverty schools and students with disabilities, and strong increases for programs that expand access to post-secondary education
Bolsters our public health infrastructure with more resources for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and for states and local governments to strengthen infrastructure and capacity
Strengthens lifesaving biomedical research with increased funding for the National Institutes of Health, as well as increased funding for the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health
Supports middle class and working families with increased funding for child care, Head Start, and preschool development grants
Advances equal treatment for women by increasing funding for the range of health services, including family planning, covered by Title X and repealing the discriminatory Hyde Amendment
Addresses our nation’s most urgent health crises, including maternal health, mental health, gun violence, and substance misuse, while making strides to reduce persistent and unacceptable health disparities

“Too many hardworking Americans are struggling. Pay has not kept up with inflation, people are living paycheck to paycheck, women have been pushed out of the workforce and have trouble accessing good childcare, and educational opportunity remains hard to reach for many,” Appropriations Committee Chair Rosa DeLauro (D-CT-03) said. “I am proud that this 2023 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education funding bill makes transformative investments that help working families with high costs of living, create American jobs, support workers, and strengthen our health care infrastructure. This bill touches people at every stage of their lives, and the massive funding increase will create a society that provides people with the help they so desperately need. With this funding, House Democrats are ensuring the American people— our workforce, public health infrastructure, and education system— are equipped with the resources needed to allow our communities to thrive.”

The following amendments to the bill were adopted by the full Committee:

Rep. DeLauro – The manager’s amendment makes technical and noncontroversial changes to the bill and report. The amendment was adopted by voice vote.

Rep. Lee – This amendment urges the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to ensure access to medication abortion. The amendment was adopted by voice vote.

Rep. Clark – This amendment provides $5 million from the HHS Office of the Secretary to award grants to health care providers to pay for security services or otherwise to enhance the security of their facilities, personnel, and patients to ensure safe access. The amendment was adopted by voice vote following the adoption of the second degree amendment by Rep. Hinson to extend eligibility to these funds to Pregnancy Help Centers.

Rep. Newhouse – This amendment prohibits the termination of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Title 42 Order until at least 60 days after the termination of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency declaration. The amendment was adopted by voice vote.

A summary of the bill is here. The text of the draft bill is here. The bill report, before the adoption of amendments in full Committee, is here. In keeping with the Appropriations Committee’s commitment to transparency, information on Community Project Funding in the bill is here.

Original source can be found here