Senate panel includes funding for implementing health law in spending bill

GOP members of the Senate appropriations subcommittee opposed the measure.

CQ HealthBeat: Despite GOP Objections, Health Care Law Funding Included In Draft Spending Bill
A Senate Appropriations panel on Tuesday approved a fiscal 2013 spending bill for labor, health and education programs that includes funding to implement provisions of the 2010 health care overhaul, despite Republican objections. The Labor-HHS-Education Subcommittee approved the draft measure along party lines, 10-7. According to the committee, the legislation would provide a total of $158.8 billion in discretionary funding, which is $2 billion more than fiscal 2012 levels and roughly equal to the president's request. The amount includes approximately $12.3 billion for the Labor Department, $71 billion for the Health and Human Services Department (HHS) and $68.5 billion for the Education Department (Khatami, 6/12).

The Hill: Dems, GOP Battle Over Health Care Law As 2012 Spending Bill Advances
Democrats and Republicans clashed Tuesday over President Obama's signature healthcare reform law as Democrats moved forward with a 2013 spending bill that funds it. The Labor, Health and Human Services appropriations bill passed out of a Senate Appropriations subcommittee by a vote of 10 to 7 with the GOP united in its opposition to increased funding for the Affordable Care Act. It heads for a full committee vote on Thursday. Protecting the ACA's funding could be tricky if part of the law is struck down by the Supreme Court later this month (Wasson, 6/12).

Politico Pro: Labor-HHS Bill Would Increase CMS Funding
CMS would see its operations budget soar 20 percent -; in part to fund the implementation of the Affordable Care Act -; under the Senate Labor-HHS spending bill approved by an appropriations subcommittee Tuesday (Cheney, 6/12).

Meanwhile, the House and Senate are working toward a July 4 goal for an FDA bill.

CQ HealthBeat: Lawmakers Set July Fourth Deadline For Clearing FDA User Fee Measure
House and Senate leaders are continuing to work toward a July Fourth goal of completing legislation to reauthorize the Food and Drug Administration's authority to collect drug and device user fees. Even though the House is not in session this week, staff members and some lawmakers are meeting in an informal conference to work out the differences between the chambers' bills (Ethridge, 6/12).