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September 30, 2008
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On September 30, the President signed a year-end spending package (H.R. 2638) that includes Fiscal Year (FY) 2009 funding for Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security and funds other federal government operations at FY 2008 levels through March 6, 2009. This continued funding of government operations was necessary given the fact that nine of the FY 2009 appropriations bills remain unfinished, FY 2009 begins on October 1 and Congress is scheduled to leave town this week. H.R. 2638 has been sent to the President with the anticipation of his signature.
The legislation also includes:
- a total of $5.1 billion for the Low Income Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) for FY 2009--almost double the FY 2008 level;
- an additional $1 billion for the Women, Infant and Children (WIC) program, which includes an additional $23.5 million for the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP). CSFP provides food and administrative funds to states to supplemental the diets of pregnant woman, new mothers, children under the age of six and elderly people at least 60 years of age;
- an additional $250 million for the Weatherization Assistance Program;
- $22.9 billion for disaster relief, this includes $6.5 billion in Community Development Block Grants, $600 million in Social Services Block Grants and $850 million to repair roads and bridges; and
- $7.5 billion to support a $25 billion loan program for the auto industry for the retooling of vehicle manufacturing plants in the United States with the goal of building more efficient cars.
The FY 2009 spending levels for homeland security programs provide:
- $950 million for the State Homeland Security Grant Program (SHGP) with $60 million earmarked for Operation Stonegarden (a border security program); and
- $50 million for state implementation of the Real ID and an additional $50 million to develop an information sharing and verification ability for the states to meet the requirements of the Real ID.
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