Fiscal 2016 News Archive: March to August 2015
The House and Senate have adopted a joint budget resolution and appropriations season is in full swing. Below are links to CQ's news coverage and key documents.
In early February, the president submitted his proposal; coverage of that is available here.
For premium coverage, check out CQ Budget Tracker.
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Appropriations: Overview
Links to text and overviews of each bill will be added to the 12 sections below as they become available. In the meantime, view background and related news by clicking the link under the bill that interests you.
CQ Roll Call news stories
- 'No More Government Shutdowns,' McConnell Vows Aug. 4
- Appropriators Gain New Headache in Planned Parenthood Flap July 31
- Senate Freshman Appropriators Seek Their Place at the Table July 28
- House Appropriations' Rogers Likely to Give Up Gavel July 24
- Need for Continuing Resolution 'Pretty Clear,' Boehner Says July 23
- House GOP Appropriators Prepare for Sequester Showdown July 22
- The GOP's Self-Inflicted Confederate Wound July 13
- Smith: Steering Through the Appropriations Storm July 13
- Confederate Flag Flap a Death Knell for Appropriations Work July 10
- House Appropriators Tweak Subcommittee Allocations July 8
- Democrats Pursue a No-Veto Strategy on Spending Bills July 1
- Brisk Appropriations Pace About to Hit Summer Slowdown June 29
- McConnell to Prod Democrats With 'Periodic' Test Votes on Spending June 23
- Senate Democrats Launch a Risky Gambit on Defense Spending June 18
- Spending Bills Headed for Partisan Gridlock June 16
- After a Speedy Start, Appropriations Collision Ahead June 12
- Senate Democrats Renew Vow to Block Spending Bills June 9
- Discretionary Spending Offsets Weakened June 2
- Toomey Fights for Allocations to Crime Victim Fund June 2
- House Sets Rules for Two Appropriations Bills June 1
- Appropriations Bills Face Democratic Roadblock June 1
- Democrats Vow to Block Spending Bills on Senate Floor May 22
- Senate Appropriators Lock In Sequester Spending Caps May 21
- The Curtain Rises on Senate Appropriations Drama May 21
- Alternative Appropriations Allocations to be Presented by Senate Democrats May 18
- House Appropriations Tweaks Subcommittee Allocations May 13
- A Long Summer of Spending Standoffs Is Coming May 12
- Senate Appropriators Launch Initial Work on Spending Bills May 12
- Appropriations Lobbying Thrives Despite Earmark Ban May 11
- Senate Appropriators Poised to Begin Work May 6
- Initial Success on House Spending Bills, But a Steep Trail Ahead May 4
- One Down, 11 to Go: GOP's Uncertain Appropriations Season April 30
- Appropriations Blockade to be Joined by House Democrats April 29
- White House Veto Threats Amplify Democratic Challenges April 28
- Appropriators Set Fiscal 2016 Funding Levels April 22
- Appropriators Hope for Budget-Deal Relief From Sequester-Level Spending Caps April 22
- Initial Success on Spending Bills, But a Steep Trail Ahead May 4
- Spending Caps Are Fraying in the Face of Republicans' New Budget Reality March 24
- Obama Threat Roils Debate on Spending Bills March 24
Hot Docs (PDFs)
Agriculture
Approved by House subcommittee on June 18. Approved by Senate subcommittee on July 14. Approved by Senate full committee July 16.
CQ Roll Call news stories
- Two More Senate Spending Bills Slammed by White House July 29
- Senate Appropriators Advance 2016 Agriculture-FDA Bill July 16
- A Whale of a Debate in Appropriations Over Marine Mammals July 16
- Senate Panel Advances Agriculture Spending Bill With Dietary Rider July 14
- House Appropriations Includes Tobacco Provision in Spending Bill July 8
- Tobacco Rules Could Roil Spending Negotiations July 8
- House Appropriators Scold USDA on Overruns, Ask FDA to Clarify Trans Fats Policy July 7
- House Appropriators May Ease Tobacco Product Rules in Ag Bill June 22
- House Panel Trims Ag-FDA Funding, Backs Thorny Policy Riders June 18
- House Ag Spending Bill Would Favor Rural Development June 17
- CQ Weekly Preview April 27
- Background and Related News
Commerce-Justice-Science
House bill approved in subcommittee May 14 and in full committee May 20. House passed June 3. Senate bill approved in subcommittee June 10 and in full committee June 11.
CQ Roll Call news stories
- White House Criticizes House Commerce-Justice-Science Bill June 24
- Senate Panel Puts Marijuana Into Commerce-Justice-Science Bill June 11
- Senate Panel Moves Commerce-Justice-Science Bill Over First Hurdle June 10
- House Passes Spending Plan June 3
- House Backs Marijuana Policy Riders June 3
- House Opens Debate on Commerce-Justice-Science Spending Bill June 2
- Marijuana Foes, Friends Agree on Need for Research May 21
- House Panel Advances Commerce-Justice-Science Spending Bill May 20
- Think Earth First, White House Tells Science Appropriators May 19
- House Appropriators Would Spend to Fight Domestic Terrorism May 19
- House, Senate Appropriators at Odds Over Immigration Judges May 15
- House Panel Advances Commerce-Justice-Science Spending Bill May 14
- U.S. Marshals Funding Held Captive by Appropriations Move May 14
- Draft Bill Would Appropriate More for NASA, Police May 13
- Lynch Sidesteps Conflicts in Debut With Appropriators May 7
- CQ Weekly Preview April 27
- Background and Related News
Defense
House bill approved in subcommittee on May 20 and in full committee June 2. Senate bill approved in subcommittee June 9 and in full committee June 11. House bill passed June 11.
CQ Roll Call news stories
- Senate Democrats Stonewall Defense Spending Bill June 18
- House Passes Fiscal 2016 Defense Spending Bill June 11
- Submarine Boosters Score Another Victory in Defense Spending Bill June 11
- Senate Appropriators Advance Defense Bill Amid Partisan Spats June 11
- House Defeats Gitmo Amendments June 10
- Senate Panel Slams Navy Budgeting, Doesn't Fund Special Submarine Account June 10
- House Kicks Off Debate on Defense Spending Bill June 10
- Lawmakers Poised for Fight Over Nuclear Missile Subs June 1
- Under Veto Threat, House Defense Spending Bill Heads to Floor June 9
- Defense Appropriations Panel Pushes Senate Closer to Budget Clash June 9
- Appropriators Keep War Funds, Add AUMF Language in Defense Bill June 2
- Panel Would Add $500 Million Account for Military Intelligence June 1
- Appropriators Would Hold Up Almost Half of F-35s Over Logistics Woes June 1
- Appropriators Defer Arguments, Easily Advance Defense Spending Bill May 20
- House Appropriators Back Arms for Ukraine May 19
- House Appropriators Draft Beefed-Up Defense Money Bill May 19
- Carter Warns Senators of Defense Budget 'Double Whammy' May 6
- CQ Weekly Preview April 27
- Halting Afghan Troop Withdrawal Could Cost Billions March 25
- Services Begin to Submit Budget Wish Lists March 24
- Keeping High Troop Levels in Afghanistan Would Cause Budget Fallout March 20
- Background and Related News
Energy-Water
House bill approved in subcommittee April 15 and in full committee April 22. It passed on the floor May 1. Senate bill approved in subcommittee May 19 and in full committee May 21.
CQ Roll Call news stories
- Senators, Following Obama's Lead, Continue Reduced Spending to Secure Nuclear Material May 22
- Senate Appropriators Advance Energy-Water Bill May 21
- Senate Appropriations Bill Advanced by Subcommittee May 19
- Next Yucca Mountain Debate Will Wait for the Floor May 19
- Bill Gains Scant Democratic Support in House Passage May 1
- Frustrations Over Spending Levels Emerge in Debate April 30
- Energy-Water Amendment Votes Set, but Path Forward Unclear April 29
- CQ Weekly Preview April 27
- Energy-Water Spending Bill Heads to Floor With Environmental Riders April 22
- Spending Increase Advanced by House Panel April 15
- House Energy-Water Bill Would Boost Spending by $1.2 Billion April 14
- Energy Gripes Could Find Traction in Reconciliation March 23
- Background and Related News
Hot Docs (PDFs)
- House Bill Text
- House Committee Summary
- House Committee Report
- Statement of Administration Policy on House Bill
- Senate Bill Text, Part 1
- Senate Bil Text, Part 2
- Senate Bill Text, Part 3
- Senate Committee Report, Part 1
- Senate Committee Report, Part 2
- Senate Committee Report, Part 3
- Senate Committee Report, Part 4
- Senate Committee Summary
Financial Services
House bill approved in subcommittee June 11 and full committee June 17. Senate bill approved in subcommittee July 22 and full committee July 23.
CQ Roll Call news stories
- White House Takes One Last Shot at Departing Appropriators Aug. 5
- Spending Bill Safeguards Breast-Feeding in Capitol Aug 3
- Obama Climate Change Order Blocked in Spending Bill July 28
- Report: Budget Cuts Led IRS to Reduce Investigations July 24
- Senate Panel Moves Sprawling Financial Services Spending Bill July 23
- Banks Could Serve Marijuana Businesses Under Senate Bill July 23
- Cuba Travel, Trade Would Be Allowed Under Senate Bill July 23
- Iran Provision Inserted into Financial Services Spending Bill July 23
- Banking Overhaul Rolled Into Financial Services Spending Bill July 22
- Campaign Finance Loophole Inserted in Spending Bill July 22
- Senate Panel Advances Financial Services Spending Bill July 22
- GOP Appropriators Mull Financial Services Spending Bill as Banking Vehicle July 21
- Spending Bill Sparks Fight Over Political Money Disclosure July 9
- Appropriators Seek Assurances OPM Will Boost Security After Data Breach June 23
- House Spending Bill Would Amplify Non-Banks' Voice at Regulator June 17
- Financial Services Spending Bill Advances After Partisan Battles June 17
- OMB Warns House Against IRS Cuts, Dodd-Frank Changes in Spending Bill June 16
- House Subcommittee Advances Financial Services Bill June 11
- House Appropriators Re-Open Old Front on Dodd-Frank June 10
- House Appropriators Seek More IRS Funding Cuts June 10
- Smaller Budget Increase Likely for Financial Regulators May 5
- CQ Weekly Preview April 27
- Background and Related News
Homeland Security
Senate bill approved in subcommittee June 16. Senate bill approved in full committee June 18. House bill approved in subcommittee July 9 and in full committee July 14.
CQ Roll Call news stories
- Secret Service Faces Struggle if Appropriations Work Stalls July 15
- New Immigration Disputes Weigh Down Homeland Spending Bill July 14
- Immigration Returns to Homeland Bill, With a Lighter Touch July 13
- Homeland Security Spending Bill Heads to Full Committee July 9
- House Bill Would Cut $2 Billion From White House Homeland Request July 8
- White House Hints at Possible Homeland Veto July 7
- Immigration Squabble Leaves Homeland Spending Bill in Limbo July 6
- Senate Appropriations Committee OKs Homeland Spending Bill June 18
- Cochran Moves to Add Home State Ship to Coast Guard Fleet June 16
- Cybersecurity, Secret Service Boosted Under Homeland Spending Bill June 16
- CQ Weekly Preview April 27
- Background and Related News
Hot Docs (PDFs)
Interior-Environment
House bill approved in subcommittee June 10 and in full committee June 16. Senate bill approved in subcommittee June 16 and in full committee June 18.
CQ Roll Call news stories
- House Pulls Spending Bill Amid Confederate Flag Debate July 9
- Uproar Over Confederate Flag Blocks Interior-Environment Bill July 9
- House Targets Species for Relaxed Federal Protections July 9
- GOP Defeats Efforts to Remove EPA Spending Bill Policy Riders July 8
- Obama Renews Veto Threat as Interior-Environment Debate Begins July 7
- House Waits to Consider Hot-Button Interior Spending Amendments June 25
- House Set for Testy Debate on Interior-Environment Spending June 25
- House Rules Sets Up Floor Debate for Interior Spending Bill June 23
- Senate Panel Endorses Interior, EPA Spending Bill June 18
- Senate Panel Endorses Spending Bill to Cut, Limit EPA June 16
- House Appropriators OK Bill to Cut EPA Budget, Power June 16
- Senate to Take on Interior, EPA Budget After Hiatus June 15
- House Appropriators Advance Bill to Squeeze EPA June 10
- House Appropriators Target EPA Rules in Spending Bill June 9
- CQ Weekly Preview April 27
- Background and Related News
Labor-HHS-Education
House bill approved in subcommittee June 17 and in full committee June 24. Senate bill approved in subcommittee June 23 and full committee June 25.
CQ Roll Call news stories
- House Appropriator Vows to Fight for Alzheimer's Funding July 22
- Senate Appropriators Vote Out Labor-HHS-Education Bill June 25
- Senate Panel's Labor Spending Plan Cuts Training Funds June 25
- House Appropriators Advance Labor-HHS-Education Bill June 24
- House Bill Undergoes Sustained Attack by White House June 24
- Senate Panel Approves NIH Budget Boost, Curbs on Obamacare June 23
- Senate Spending Panel Advances Cuts for Labor, NLRB June 23
- Senate Spending Bill Would Cut Education Less Than House Proposal June 23
- Groups Say House Cuts May Boost Unintended Pregnancies June 23
- Democrats Protest Labor-HHS Spending Levels in Markup June 17
- Labor Proposed for 2 Percent Cut in House Appropriations Bill June 16
- Education Cuts of $2.8 Billion Proposed in House Bill June 16
- House Labor-HHS Draft Has $3.7 Billion in Cuts, Would Boost NIH June 16
- House Republicans Prepare First Labor-HHS Draft in Three Years May 13
- CQ Weekly Preview April 27
- Background and Related News
Legislative Branch
House bill approved in subcommittee April 23 and in full committee April 30. It passed on the floor May 19. Senate bill approved in the full committee June 11.
CQ Roll Call news stories
- Hill's Spending on Itself Set on Cautious Course July 8
- Legislative Branch Spending Bill Advanced by Senate Panel June 11
- Spending Bill Passed by House May 19
- Legislative Branch Bill Set for House Floor Consideration May 18
- House Appropriators Restore Funding for Russian Leadership Center April 30
- CQ Weekly Preview April 27
- Legislative Branch Spending Bill Advances April 23
- Legislative Branch Spending Bill Calls for $3.3 Billion April 22
- Background and Related News
Military Construction-VA
House bill approved in subcommittee April 14 and in full committee April 22. It passed on the floor April 30. Senate bill approved in subcommittee May 19 and full committee May 21.
CQ Roll Call news stories
- Senate Appropriators OK VA Funding with Medical Marijuana Language May 21
- Senate Measure Gains Swift Approval May 19
- VA Requests Cost Increase for Denver Site May 19
- Defense Budget Fight Makes Strange Bedfellows May 11
- Military Construction-VA Bill Squeaks Through House April 30
- Spending Tactic Threatened, GOP Leaders Delay Votes April 29
- CQ Weekly Preview April 27
- Military Construction-VA Bill Advances Without Medical Marijuana Provision April 22
- Spending on Fast-Track Despite Dems' Funding Concerns April 15
- Markup Puts GOP in Tough Position Of Balancing Defense, Veterans Spending April 14
- By the Numbers April 14
- House Appropriators Want to Boost Spending April 14
- Background and Related News
State-Foreign Operations
House bill approved in subcommittee June 3 and in full committee June 11. Senate bill approved in subcommittee July 7 and in full committee July 9.
CQ Roll Call news stories
- Two More Senate Spending Bills Slammed by White House July 29
- Senate Panel Opts to Scrap 'Global Gag Rule' on Abortion Services July 9
- Senate Foreign Aid Bill Doesn't Block Cuban Embassy July 7
- House Panel Advances Foreign Aid Bill with $1.4 Billion Cut June 11
- White House Faults State-Foreign Operations Spending Bill June 10
- House Appropriators Deny Obama Yemen Funding June 10
- House Bill Would Withhold 15 Percent of State Budget Over Clinton Emails June 4
- House Panel Advances Foreign Aid Bill; Lowey Predicts Major Overhaul June 3
- House Foreign Aid Bill Sets Up Multiple Policy Fights with Obama June 2
- CQ Weekly Preview April 27
- Background and Related News
Hot Docs (PDFs)
- Letter to Sen. Cochran From OMB Regarding Fiscal 2016 Department State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs Appropriations Bill July 29
- House Bill Text
- House Committee Summary
- OMB Letter to House Committee
- Senate Committee Summary
- Senate Minority Summary
- Senate Bill Text Part 1
- Senate Bill Text Part 2
- Senate Bill Text Part 3
- Senate Bill Text Part 4
- Senate Bill Text Part 5
- Senate Committee Report Part 1
- Senate Committee Report Part 2
Transportation-HUD
House bill approved in subcommittee April 29 and in full committee May 13. It passed on the House floor June 9. Senate bill approved in subcommittee June 23 and in full committee June 25.
CQ Roll Call news stories
- Skimping on Homeless May Boost Budget Deficit July 20
- Senate Appropriators Approve Transportation-HUD Spending Bill June 25
- Senate Panel's Transportation-HUD Spending Bill Carries Trucking Cargo June 23
- Senate Panel Boosts Amtrak in Transportation-HUD Spending Bill June 23
- House GOP Hopes Third Day Lucky for Transportation-HUD Bill June 9
- House Breezes Through Amendments, but More on the Way June 4
- Rail Safety Dominates House Debate on Transportation-HUD Spending June 4
- Senate Democrats Eye Funds for Amtrak May 21
- House Panel Advances Transportation-HUD Bill Amid Safety Complaints May 13
- House Transportation-HUD Report Offers Criticism, Not Funds, for Obama May 12
- OMB Complains About Proposed T-HUD Cuts, Riders May 11
- Republicans Block Effort to Jumpstart Housing Fund April 30
- House Transportation-HUD Panel Approves Spending Bill April 29
- House Appropriators Hit Back on Obama's Cuba Shift April 28
- House Appropriators Offer Small Boost in Funding April 28
- CQ Weekly Preview April 27
- Background and Related News
Hot Docs (PDFs)
- Bill Text
- Bill Summary
- Committee Report
- Statement of Administration Policy on House Bill
- Senate Bill Part 1
- Senate Bill Part 2
- Senate Bill Part 3
- Senate Bill Part 4
- Senate Bill Part 5
- Senate Bill Part 6
- Senate Bill Summary
- Senate Report Part 1
- Senate Report Part 2
- Senate Report Part 3
- OMB Letter on Senate Bill
House Budget
Released March 17. Approved in committee March 19. Passed on the floor March 25. The conferenced budget resolution was adopted on the floor April 30.
CQ Roll Call news stories
- Reid Hopes for Papal Assist on Sequester Deal Aug. 3
- End of Fiscal Year Nears With No Budget Talks in Sight July 21
- Budget Chairman: Reconciliation Will Wait Until September July 15
- Reconciliation Deadline Closes In With Few Decisions Made July 7
- In Jockeying for Budget Deal, Congress Courts Disaster June 22
- Senate Appropriations Debates Floor Tactics June 16
- For CBO, Dynamic Scoring Is the Battle of Evermore June 1
- Complex Models Determine Dynamic Scoring June 1
- CBO Director Pledges Transparency in Dynamic Scoring May 19
- OMB Chief Urges New Talks to Replace Sequester April 30
- Dynamic Scoring Called 'Reasonable' by Elmendorf May 19
- House Adopts Budget Plan, Senate Votes Next Week April 30
- Members Sound Off on Budget Deal Chances May 12
- GOP Budget Plan Calls for Higher Defense Spending April 29
- Boehner, Pelosi Appoint Conferees on Budget Resolution April 14
- Defense Hawks Prevail as House Passes Budget Resolution March 25
- House Panel Defers Defense Dispute, Advances Budget Resolution March 19
- Budget Blueprints Filled With Potential Political Land Mines March 23
- Budget Blueprints Filled With Potential Political Land Mines March 23
- House Panel Defers Defense Dispute, Advances Budget Resolution March 19
- RSC Chairman Supports GOP Budget While Peddling Alternate March 23
- The White House Planned This. Really. March 19
- House Panel Defers Defense Dispute, Advances Budget Resolution March 19
- Senate, House Take Different Paths to Boost Defense Spending March 19
- House Panel Defers Defense Dispute, Advances Budget Resolution March 19
- Fiscal Conservatives Buck Leadership, Send Tighter Budget to Floor March 19
- GOP Defense Angst Revives White House Budget Leverage March 19
- House Panel Marks Up Budget Linking 'National Security, Economic Security' March 18
- High Stakes for Negotiators March 18
- GOP Leaders Try to Quell Budget Revolt Over Defense Spending March 18
- Defense Hawks Balk at Budget March 17
- Threatening Revolt, Defense Hawks Win Budget Concession March 17
- House Budget Sets Up Questionable Economic, Tax Assumptions March 17
- House GOP Budget Would Boost Defense, Drive Toward Balance March 17
- Budget Includes Medicare Means Testing, Also Expected in 'Doc Fix' Deal March 17
- House Budget Would Convert SNAP to Block Grant March 17
- House GOP Sees Obama's Defense Budget, Raises Him by $1 Billion March 17
Hot Docs (PDFs)
- CBO's Budgetary and Economic Outcomes
- House Budget Summary
- Legislative Text of Conference Agreement
- Summary of Conference Agreement
- Conference Report
- Conference Report Signatures
- Text of Price 1 Budget Substitute Amendment
- Text of Successful Price 2 Budget Substitute Amendment
- Text of Congressional Black Caucus Budget Substitute Amendment
- Text of Democratic Caucus Budget Substitute Amendment
- Text of Congressional Progressive Caucus Budget Substitute Amendment
- Text of Republican Study Committee Budget Substitute Amendment
- OMB Factsheet
Senate Budget
Released March 18. Approved in committee March 19. Passed on the floor March 27. The conferenced budget resolution was adopted on the floor May 5. See the "House Budget" section above for stories and documents on the conference report.
CQ Roll Call news stories
- Senate Clears First Budget Resolution in Six Years May 5
- Budget Agreement's Small Print Holds Clues to a Bigger Deal May 4
- Senate Appoints Budget Conferees April 15
- Senate Adopts Fiscal 2016 Budget Resolution March 27
- Senate Launches Voting Marathon by Sidetracking Defense Measures March 26
- Senate OKs Competing Climate Amendments March 26
- Same-Sex Marriage Benefits Endorsed on Senate Floor March 26
- Bill Nelson: Don't Censor 'Climate Change' March 26
- Deal on Kirk's Iran Amendment Leads to Unanimous Vote March 26
- Vulnerable Senators Switch Votes on Paid Sick Leave March 26
- Senate Launches Voting Marathon by Sidetracking Defense Measures March 26
- Senators' Reveal Education Positions in Budget Voting March 26
- Rand Paul Proposes Higher Defense Spending — If It's Paid for March 26
- Voting Marathon: More Test Marketing Than Attack Ads March 26
- Vote-a-Rama Presents Political Peril for Vulnerable Incumbents March 26
- Senate Rejects Murray Bid to Revive Budget Deal March 25
- Senate Budget Sets Path to Limit Defense Spending March 24
- Budget Debate Gives McConnell Chance for a Reset March 24
- Democratic Leaders Pushing for Minimum Wage Hike Amendment March 24
- Senate Rejects Sanders' Highway Funding Amendment March 24
- Sanders to Seek $478 Billion for Infrastructure in Budget March 23
- Senate Panel Advances 2016 Budget With Added Defense Funding March 19
- Congress May Take War Budget 'Shell Game' to New Level March 19
- Senate Budget Resolution May Carry a Message to House March 16
- Senate Budget Will Maintain Spending Caps March 11
- Graham, McCain Want More War Money in Senate Budget March 18
- Senate Budget Draws Battle Lines Over Defense Spending March 18
- Graham Expects Budget Resolution to Stick with Sequester March 2
- Senate Budget Summary March 18