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P.L. 110-252, The Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2008
- This item is from the 110th Congress (2007-2008) and is no longer current. Comments, voting, and wiki editing have been disabled, and the cost/savings estimate has been frozen.
Comparing revision saved on September 6, 2007, 18:17:27 (webmaster), with revision saved on September 7, 2007, 18:27:03 (webmaster):
Making appropriations for military construction, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2008.
== Detailed Summary ==
<summary>
Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act, 2008 - <b>Title I: Department of Defense </b>- Appropriates funds for FY2008 for the Department of Defense (DOD) for: (1) military construction for the Army, Navy and Marine Corps, and Air Force (military departments), DOD, the Army and Air National Guard, and the Army, Navy, and Air Force reserves; (2) the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Security Investment Program; (3) family housing and related operation and maintenance for the military departments and DOD; (4) the Department of Defense Family Housing Improvement Fund; (5) chemical demilitarization construction; and (6) the Department of Defense Base Closure Accounts of 1990 and 2005.
Specifies restrictions and authorizations regarding the use of funds appropriated in this title and in other military construction appropriations Acts.
(Sec. 113) Directs the Secretary of Defense to notify the appropriate congressional committees 30 days in advance of the plans and scope of any proposed military exercise involving U.S. personnel if construction costs are anticipated to exceed $100,000.
(Sec. 118) Directs the Secretary to report to the appropriations committees on actions proposed by DOD to encourage other members of NATO, Japan, Korea, and U.S. allies bordering the Arabian Sea to assume a greater share of the common defense burden of such nations and the United States.
(Sec. 121) Prohibits this Act's funds from being obligated for Partnership for Peace programs in the new independent states of the former Soviet Union.
(Sec. 122) Requires the Secretary of the military department concerned, at least 60 days prior to issuing any solicitation for a contract with the private sector for military family housing, to notify the appropriations committees of any guarantees (including the making of mortgage or rental payments) proposed to be made to the private party in the event of: (1) the closure or realignment of the installation for which the housing is provided; (2) a reduction in force of units stationed at such installation; or (3) the extended deployment overseas of units stationed at such installation.
(Sec. 123) Authorizes the transfer of DOD funds for expenses associated with the Homeowners Assistance Program under the Metropolitan Demonstration Cities and Metropolitan Development Act of 1966.
(Sec. 125) Requires the Secretary or any other DOD official, when requested by specified congressional subcommittees to respond to a question or inquiry pursuant to a subcommittee hearing or other authorized activity, to respond to such request within 21 days.
(Sec. 127) Places specified restrictions and limitations on the obligation or expenditure of funds made available in this title or in any other military construction appropriations Act to carry out a military construction, land acquisition, or family housing project at or for a military installation approved for closure, or for supporting a function that has been approved for realignment to another installation, in 2005 under the Defense Base Closure and Realignment Act of 1990.
(Sec. 128) Provides for the transfer of lapsed unobligated military construction and family housing funds into the Foreign Currency Fluctuations, Defense account.
(Sec. 129) Prohibits this Act's funds from being used in connection with the construction of an outlying landing field in Washington County, North Carolina.
<b>Title II: Department of Veterans Affairs</b> - Authorizes appropriations for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for: (1) the Veterans Benefits Administration; (2) readjustment benefits; (3) veterans insurance and indemnities; (4) the Veterans Housing Benefit Program Fund; (5) the Vocational Rehabilitation Loans Program; (6) the Native American Veteran Housing Loan Program; (7) guaranteed transitional housing loans for homeless veterans; (8) the Veterans Health Administration (including for medical and prosthetic research and information technology systems); (9) the National Cemetery Administration; (10) the Office of the Inspector General; (11) construction for major and minor projects; and (12) grants for the construction of state extended care facilities and veterans cemeteries.
Specifies restrictions and authorizations regarding the use of funds appropriated in this title.
(Sec. 209) Makes funds from this title available to reimburse expenses of the Office of Resolution Management and the Office of Employment Discrimination Complaint Adjudication, within specified limits.
(Sec. 215) Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to allow veterans eligible under existing VA medical care requirements and who reside in Alaska to obtain medical services from facilities supported by the Indian Health Service or tribal organizations.
(Sec. 217) Prohibits the VA from using funds available in this or any other Act to replace the current system by which the Veterans Integrated Service Networks select and contract for diabetes monitoring supplies and equipment.
(Sec. 219) Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to report quarterly to the appropriations committees on the financial status of the Veterans Health Administration.
<b>Title III: Related Agencies</b> - Appropriates funds for: (1) the American Battle Monuments Commission; (2) the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims; (3) cemeterial expenses, Army; and (4) the Armed Forces Retirement Home.
<b>Title IV: General Provisions</b> - Specifies restrictions and authorizations regarding the use of funds appropriated in this Act.
(Sec. 408) Requires the Director of the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) to submit annually to the appropriations committees projected appropriations necessary for the VA to continue providing necessary health care to veterans for FY2009-FY2012.
(Sec. 409) Prohibits this Act's funds from being used: (1) to purchase light bulbs unless such bulbs have the "ENERGY STAR" designation; or (2) for any action related to or promoting the expansion of the boundaries or size of the Pinon Canyon Maneuver Site in southeastern Colorado.
</summary>
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== Status of the Legislation ==
<status>
Latest Major Action: 9/5/2007:9/6/2007: Resolving differences -- Senate floor actions. Status: Considered by Senate.Senate insists on its amendment, asks for a conference, appoints conferees Johnson; Inouye; Landrieu; Byrd; Murray; Reed; Nelson NE; Leahy; Hutchison; Craig; Brownback; Allard; McConnell; Bennett; Cochran.
</status>
<!-- Leave in the 'status' tags if you want the latest reported status from THOMAS automatically to replace the text between the tags once it becomes available. -->
== Points in Favor ==
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== Points Against ==
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Visitor Comments
Darrell Parke
June 8, 2008, 4:14pm (report abuse)I work with physicians and physician owned hospitals. Why is this issue in this bill?
Les
June 19, 2008, 4:33pm (report abuse)Because opponents of physician owned hospitals try to put bans like this on anything they can. Similar bans were placed on the SCHIP bill, a farm bill, and a few others in the recent past.
Paul
June 19, 2008, 6:58pm (report abuse)Because the minority party blocks all programs to actually help the poor. And the pennies per thousand of this amendment attributable to medicaid should embarrass those who tried to cut it.
Jen
June 20, 2008, 9:34am (report abuse)I think this is where they slipped in the "Merida Initiative" which proposes billions of dollars for the fake drug war and giving lethal aid to mexican forces implicated in murders and massacres.
Jack Lohman
June 23, 2008, 10:14am (report abuse)C'mon guys. Physician owned hospitals are at best a conflict of interest, and in the good old days were banned by Medicare because of it. Physicians who have ownership in hospitals order more expensive tests than physicians that don't, and they ship off unprofitable patients to other hospitals.
See http://tinyurl.com/2hzj65
Sharon
June 23, 2008, 10:30am (report abuse)Wheres the positive comments for the veterans here?
Time to get rid of the Republicans in November!
dem in tx
June 23, 2008, 3:17pm (report abuse)This looks like to me the government ran out of money, doesn't know how to operate on a budget and is now asking for more money. If it's for things for the US citizens - like Iowans, fine. but for more terrorist fighting money - NFW!!!
This is like any one of us asking out bosses for more salary money because we can't manage our own budgets. We'd probably get fired and that's EXACTLY what needs to happen with this bill! They lump in too many things that are not related just and demand passing the whole thing.
bj4dixie
June 30, 2008, 3:06pm (report abuse)They probably need more money so that can arrange another false flag event, making Iran look like the terrorists that actually our administration is, then start a war that will envelop the entire mid-east and bring America to its knees financially. And they do it all with our money. Doesn't that make you feel soooo good?
Disgusted Doug
July 11, 2008, 5:43pm (report abuse)Well I have just been turned down for the EDD extension by CA sighting Supplemental Appropriations Act requirement that I made 40x more $ than my weekly benefit amount = more than double my old income! This is a upper middle class program! Figures!
julie
July 16, 2008, 11:05am (report abuse)Title IV has several mistakes. It does not reflect the actual law but rather the bill before the conference agreement.