Congress Approves FY07 Spending Bill
News Date February 20, 2007
The House and Senate have approved a massive long-term budget resolution to fund most government agencies and programs through the 2007 fiscal year. The $463 billion spending package, which provides funds for USDA and agriculture, was necessary because Congress failed to pass nine regular FY07 appropriations bills last year. In December, lawmakers approved a temporary funding resolution to fund government programs until February 15.
Most government programs are funded at FY06 levels with increases to cover the cost of pay raises, maintain staff levels, and generally meet increased costs or workloads for agencies. Some programs received increased funding, such as veterans' health care and education, but more than sixty programs were cut below FY06 spending levels. (Contact: Charlie Ingram)