The Republican leadership narrowly passed a Budget Resolution last night 51-49, with only one Democrat supporting the passage of the overall resolution, Mary Landrieu of Louisiana, who received promises in return that a portion of the revenues from ANWR drilling (which was included in the resolution) to be dedicated to assisting Gulf Coast states recovering from Katrina.

Republican Moderates demonstrated tremendous influence in this budget debate, breaking sharply with the Administration’s proposal to severely restrict domestic discretionary spending. Moderates supported three amendments that significantly increased domestic spending in the Budget Resolution for low income energy assistance, airline ticked fee increases, and most notably, the $7 billion Specter/Harkin amendment to restore funding for programs in the Labor-HHS Appropriations Subcommittee to FY 05 levels. As a result, an additional $16.5 billion in domestic discretionary spending was included above that requested in the Administration’s budget. This additional funding comes on top of $3 billion already allocated above the President’s request for Labor-HHS programs by Budget Committee Chairman Judd Gregg before the Committee marked up its bill last week.

Senator Specter also received commitments from Majority Leader Frist and Appropriations Chairman Cochran that the Labor-HHS Subcommittee will receive the $10 billion in additional funding dedicated in the Budget Resolution for these programs when the Appropriations process moves forward. Specter threatened to vote against the entire Budget Resolution without these commitments.

Senators Specter and Harkin made a tremendous effort to ensure that the education, health, and workforce communities were unified behind their amendment, rather than seeking individual funding increases. Senator Harkin’s staff told NWA that Senators indicated that the combined grassroots effort on behalf of this amendment was the best they had seen in support of Labor-HHS programs. Please fax send thank you notes to Senators Specter (fax 202-228-1229) and Harkin (fax 202-224- 9369), thanking them for their leadership in sponsoring the Specter/Harkin amendment. The Specter/Harkin amendment allocates roughly $1 billion in additional WIA funding, allowing 5 million more workers to receive assistance from WIA programs and the Employment Service.

The House Budget Resolution is tentatively scheduled for an April 5 Committee markup. An influential House Budget Committee Member told NWA yesterday that he believes that House Chairman Nussle is getting close to having enough votes to pass its own budget. He is expected to offer a budget close to the Administration’s request level in preparation for a showdown with the more generous Senate passed budget. However, twenty-three moderate House Republicans yesterday informed Speaker Hastert that they will oppose the House Budget Resolution and future appropriations bills unless it includes a 2% (about $8 billion) increase for domestic non-security discretionary programs.

The internal fighting within the House Republican Conference will make it difficult to get a Budget Resolution passed in the House with a successful agreement in a House-Senate Budget Conference. If the two chambers are unable to reach agreement in the course of the next two months, each chamber will pass its own “deeming resolution,” which is a procedural maneuver that mandates each chamber follow the overall funding levels developed in their budgets as they move forward to the appropriations process.

The Porter Dear Colleague funding request matches the funding levels being circulated in the Senate by Senators Cantwell and Collins in their Dear Colleague letter and recently included in the Senate budget by the Specter/Harkin amendment. NWA also met with Senator Cantwell yesterday who is heavily engaged in securing additional funding for WIA in the appropriations process this year.