This week, the House Appropriations Committee released the first two of twelve appropriations bills for Fiscal Year 2016. The first bill funds federal Energy and Water programs for Fiscal Year 2016, and appropriates funds for the Department of Energy and Army Corps of Engineers, among other agencies. The bill also contains legislative language aimed at halting the ongoing Waters of the United States Rule. The second appropriations bill is the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations bill, which contains funding to house, train, and equip military personnel, provide housing and services to military families, and help maintain base infrastructure. The bill also funds veterans’ benefits and programs.
Both bills were approved at the subcommittee level this week, with full committee consideration likely to follow shortly. House and Senate Republicans have expressed a desire to follow “regular order” for the twelve appropriations bills, enacting each one separately instead of relying on a large omnibus bill, as has most often been the case in recent years.