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Senate to Take Up FY 2004 Omnibus Funding Bill – Additional Funds for Mental Illness Research and Veterans’ Mental Health Care At Risk

When the Senate reconvenes on January 20, it will immediately turn to action on a massive $820 billion spending bill covering funding for dozens of federal agencies for the current fiscal year. The FY 2004 Omnibus Appropriations bill (HR 2673) includes important increases for mental illness research, veterans’ medical care and homeless programs that will be placed at risk if the Senate fails to act quickly. It is expected that Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN) will move to cut off prolonged debate on HR 2673 (a procedure known as invoking closure) in order to pass the bill and send it to President Bush.

ACTION REQUIRED

NAMI advocates are strongly encouraged to contact their Senators and urge them to support efforts to invoke "cloture" on HR 2673 and expedite passage of the FY 2004 Omnibus Appropriations bill. Remind Senators that important increases for mental illness research and services are included in the FY 2004 omnibus spending bill such as:

• a $49.7 million increase (3.7% over FY 2003) for mental illness research at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) – raising the NIMH budget to a record $1.39 billion,
• a $2.8 billion increase for veterans’ medical care (increasing overall funding to $28.5 billion) – a hard fought $1.57 billion increase over the President’s FY 2004 request for the VA,
• a $47 million increase for homeless programs at HUD (boosting funding to $1.267 billion for FY 2004) – this includes full funding for renewal of all expiring Shelter Plus Care (S+C) rent subsidies (a key permanent housing resource for people with mental illness experiencing chronic homelessness), and
• increases at SAMHSA including a $7 million increase for the PATH program (services for homeless individuals with mental illness) and a $5 million increase for the Childrens’ Mental Health program.

If the Senate fails to cut off debate and quickly pass HR 2673, congressional leaders are likely to instead pass a "continuing resolution for the remainder of FY 2004 (through October 1, 2004). This would keep FY 2003 spending levels in place for an additional 9 months and result in the permanent loss of the increases noted above for mental illness research and services.

All Senate offices can be reached can be reached by calling the Capitol Switchboard toll free at 1-800-839-5276 or at 202-224-3121 or online through www.congress.org.

Click here for additional information on key provisions related to mental illness research and services in the FY 2004 Omnibus Appropriations bill.

 

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