Appropriations Committee Releases the Fiscal Year 2014 Commerce, Justice, Science Appropriations Bill

Jul 9, 2013
Press Release

The House Appropriations Committee today released the fiscal year 2014 Commerce, Justice, Science (CJS) Appropriations bill, which will be considered in subcommittee tomorrow. The bill funds the Department of Commerce, the Department of Justice, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the National Science Foundation (NSF), and other related agencies.

In total, the legislation contains $47.4 billion in total funding. This is $2.8 billion below the fiscal year 2013 enacted level and $350 million below the level caused by automatic sequestration budget cuts.

“This legislation targets taxpayer dollars to federal law enforcement and safety programs, ensuring that essential functions of the federal government – protecting the life, liberty, and property of our citizens – are maintained. In addition, the bill supports commerce and research programs to increase our nation’s competitiveness and help the economy continue to move forward,” House Appropriations Chairman Hal Rogers said. “However, these are tight budget times, and in order to fund these critical programs, hard choices had to be made to reduce or eliminate funding in lower-priority areas.”

“This legislation builds on significant spending reductions achieved in last year’s bill, while continuing to preserve core priorities such as job creation, fighting crime, gangs and terrorism, bolstering cybersecurity, and boosting U.S. competitiveness through smart investments in science and space exploration," CJS Subcommittee Chairman Frank Wolf said. "The bill makes job creation a top priority by maintaining manufacturing and job repatriation initiatives, while focusing resources and oversight on trade enforcement against foreign competitors who are violating trade agreements. It also includes a significant focus on expanding the FBI’s cybersecurity efforts and on protecting U.S. networks from foreign espionage and cyber-attacks.”

Bill Highlights:

Department of Justice (DOJ) – The bill funds DOJ at $26.3 billion, a decrease of $720 million (3%) below the fiscal year 2013 enacted level and $770 million above the current level caused by sequestration cuts. This funding will allow the continuation of critical investigation, law enforcement, and prosecution activities at DOJ to protect the safety and well-being of communities across the country, and to help ensure law-breakers are brought to justice.

  • Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – The bill includes $8.1 billion for the FBI – an increase of $11 million above the fiscal year 2013 enacted level. Within this funding, priority is given to counter-terrorism and programs that combat the growing threat of cyber-intrusion, and the National Instant Criminal Background Check system.
  • Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) – The DEA is funded at $2.3 billion in the legislation, a decrease of $54 million below the fiscal year 2013 enacted level. This includes $335 million for regulatory and enforcement efforts to combat prescription drug abuse, and $10 million (by transfer) to assist states and communities with the cleanup of hazardous materials at meth lab sites.
  • Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) – The legislation contains $1.1 billion for the ATF, $10 million above the fiscal year 2013 enacted level. It also includes a prohibition on funding to transfer firearms to known members of drug cartels, such as those transfers that occurred under the “Fast and Furious” program.
  • U.S. Marshals Service – The Marshals Service is funded at $2.7 billion in the bill, a decrease of $115 million below the fiscal year 2013 enacted level. This includes $1.5 billion for federal prisoner detention.
  • Federal Prison System – The Bureau of Prisons is funded at $6.7 billion, which is a decrease of $110 million below the fiscal year 2013 enacted level. This funding will maintain staffing levels to ensure safe and adequate facilities to house the nation’s criminal population, and will continue the opening of newly constructed prisons. The bill prohibits funding for construction or acquisition of a prison within the U.S. to house Guantanamo detainees.
  • Grant Programs – The bill includes a total of $1.8 billion for various grant programs, $357 million below the fiscal year 2013 enacted level. This funding is targeted to the highest-priority national programs, including $413 million for Violence Against Women programs, $465 million for Byrne Justice Assistance Grants, $165 million for the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program, $13.5 million for Victims of Trafficking grants, $67 million for missing and exploited children programs, and $55 million for state grants to improve data submissions to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System. 

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) – NASA is funded at $16.6 billion in the bill, a decrease of $928 million below the fiscal year 2013 enacted level and $1.1 billion below the President’s request. This funding includes:

  • $3.6 billion for Exploration – $202 million below the fiscal year 2013 enacted level. This includes funding to keep NASA on schedule for upcoming Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle and Space Launch System flight program milestones.
  • $4.8 billion for NASA Science programs – $266 million below the fiscal year 2013 enacted level. This includes funding above the President’s request for planetary science to ensure the continuation of critical research and development programs.

Department of Commerce – The bill includes $7.5 billion for the Commerce Department – a decrease of $198 million below the fiscal year 2013 enacted level and $1 billion (12%) below the President’s request. This includes funding for the following agencies:

  • Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) – The bill provides $3 billion for the PTO, which is equal to the requested level and the estimated amount of fees to be collected by the PTO during fiscal year 2014. This total is an increase of $146 million, or 5%, above the fiscal year 2013 enacted level. The bill also includes a provision that allows the PTO to use any fees in excess of the estimated collected amount, subject to congressional approval. 
  • National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) – NIST is funded at $784 million in the bill, which is $25 million below the fiscal year 2013 enacted level. Within this total, important core research activities are funded to help advance U.S. competitiveness, innovation, and economic growth, including $120 million for the Manufacturing Extension Partnership program, which provides training and technical assistance to U.S. manufacturers.

  • National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) – The legislation contains $4.9 billion for NOAA, a decrease of $89 million below the fiscal year 2013 enacted level. Within this total, National Weather Service operations and systems are funded above the President’s request. The bill includes full funding for the Joint Polar Satellite System weather satellite program ($824 million) and the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite ($955 million) to ensure the continuation of important weather data collection, which is essential to maintain and improve weather forecasting to warn communities about potentially devastating natural disasters.

  • Census Bureau – The Census Bureau is funded at $845 million in the bill, which is a cut of $44 million below the fiscal year 2013 enacted level.

  • Economic Development Administration (EDA) – The bill includes $221 million in funding for the EDA – the same as the fiscal year 2013 enacted level. This includes $5 million in grant funding to attract U.S. jobs that have gone to other countries back into the country.

National Science Foundation (NSF) – The legislation funds NSF at $7 billion, which is $259 million below the fiscal year 2013 enacted level and $631 million below the President’s request. This funding is targeted to programs that help bolster innovation and U.S. economic competitiveness, including funding for an advanced manufacturing science initiative and for research in cybersecurity and cyber-infrastructure.

Other Provisions – The bill continues several general provisions that have been included in previous years, such as:

  • A prohibition on the transfer or release of Guantanamo detainees into the U.S.
  • Three prohibitions on various import or export criteria related to firearms.
  • A prohibition on NASA and the Office of Science and Technology Policy engaging in bilateral activities with China unless authorized or certified via procedures established in the bill.

For the subcommittee draft text of the legislation, please visit: /UploadedFiles/BILLS-113HR-SC-AP-FY2014-CJS-SubcommitteeDraft.pdf

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Subcommittees: 
Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (113th Congress)
113th Congress