Interviews Available: House & Senate Appropriations Levels

NPP Pressroom

INTERVIEWS AVAILABLE:

House and Senate Appropriators set 2014 spending levels;

defense budget would see increases

Contact:

MATTEA KRAMER, 413-824-2026,mattea@nationalpriorities.org

24 June 2013

Appropriators in the House and Senate have now set spending levels for the federal budget in 2014. There isn't much they agree on, but both chambers want to increase military spending. Lawmakers in the House would restore funding that the Pentagon lost in 2013 due to sequestration and make up the difference with deep cuts to domestic programs. Meanwhile, the Senate would also restore funding to the Pentagon-- and provide $4 billion more for defense than the House-- but would not offset those increases with cuts elsewhere.

"The House's decision to add military funding and cut other areas equates to nearly a 19 percent cut in Health and Human Services and Education programs-- such as Head Start and Pell grants," said National Priorities Project Research Director Mattea Kramer. "Meanwhile the Senate adds still more funding for the military and uses an entirely different set of overall funding levels than the House. This is setting the stage for yet another irresponsible, off-the-rails budgeting process."

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National Priorities Project (NPP) is a non-partisan, non-profit organization that makes our complex federal budget transparent and accessible so people can exercise their right and responsibility to influence how their tax dollars are spent. NPP believes the U.S. federal budget will reflect the values and priorities of a majority of Americans when all people have the opportunity and ability to participate in shaping our nation's budget.