The House Appropriations Committee approveditsversion of the bill on June 14, 2000 ( H.R. Introduction and Overview

This report tracks legislative action by the second session of the 106th Congress on FY2001 appropriations fortheDepartments of Commerce, Justice, and State, the Judiciary, and other related agencies (often referred to as CJSappropriations). The President Clinton's FY2001 budget requested about $39.6 billion for these agencies, about the same level as that appropriated for FY2000. It approved total funding of $36.7billion which is about $700 million below the House version and about $2.9 billion below both the President'srequest andthe actual FY2000 appropriation ( S.Rept. Department of Commerce: 
Progress made in the streamlining and downsizing of Department programs and operations. Other Agencies: 
Adequacy of funding for the Legal Services Corporation. 5548 . Major issues or concerns included: building more prisons; extending the 1994 Crime Act fundingauthorizationbeyond September 30, 2000; increasing funding for drug-related efforts among the Department of Justice (DOJ)agencies;increasing funding for community law enforcement; combating cybercrime; funding of DOJ's legal action againstthetobacco industry; changing the focus and levels of appropriations for DOJ's Office of Juvenile Justice andDelinquencyPrevention; providing funding for programs that would reduce gun and youth violence; reducing pending caseloadsinimmigration-related claims, particularly green card and naturalization applications; meeting the statutory mandatethat theBorder Patrol be increased by 1,000 agents in FY2001, and accounting for the shortfall in hiring in FY1999;determiningthe level of detention capacity necessary to comply with the statutory mandate that certain criminal aliens bedetained untildeported; and restructuring INS internally as proposed by the Administration or dismantling or restructuring theagency bylegislation; the downsizing of Commerce Department programs, processing and releasing the 2000 decennial censusresults, the use of federal funds to support industrial technology, implementing the modernization of the NationalWeatherService, and the monitoring of foreign compliance with trade agreements and U.S. trade laws; improving embassysecuritythrough a doubling of funding as well as a request for an advance appropriation to cover the period FY2002 toFY2005;whether to lift a statutory ban on judges receiving honoraria; whether to increase funding to compensatecourt-appointeddefense attorneys in federal criminal cases; how to contain the growing costs of the Judiciary's Defender Servicesaccount;and the merits of providing a cost-of-living pay increase for federal judges. On June 26, 2000, the House passed H.R. 106-113 . P.L. 4690 . The Small Business Administration (SBA). The House passed bill approved the Committee's request. It recommended fundingtotaling $37.4 billion-$2.2 billion below the President's request and about $2.2 billion below the FY2000appropriation. On July 18, 2000, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved its version of the bill. On October 27, 2000, Congress approved total funding of $40.0 billion which was about $400 million abovebothPresident's request and the total enacted for FY2000. 106-553 ). This bill was signed into law by the President on December 21, 2000 ( P.L.106-554 ).
This report tracks action by the 106th Congress on FY2001 appropriations for the Departments of Commerce, Justice, andState, the Judiciary, and other related agencies (often referred to as CJS appropriations). P.L. 106-113 appropriated $39.6 billion for these agencies for FY2000. President Clinton's FY2001 budget requested $39.6billion forthese agencies. On June 14, 2000, the House Appropriations Committee approved its version of the CJSappropriations bill( H.R. 4690 ) It recommended funding totaling $37.4 billion-$2.2 billion below the President's request and$2.2 billion below the FY2000 appropriation. The House-passed bill on June 26, approved the same overall fundingtotalrecommended by the Committee. On July 18, 2000, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved total fundingof $36.7billion-about $700 million below the House version and $2.9 billion below both the President's request and theactualFY2000 appropriation. On October 27, 2000, Congress approved total funding of $40.0 billion-about $400 millionaboveboth President's request and the total enacted for FY2000 ( H.R. 5548 ). The measure was signed into law bythe President on December 21, 2000 ( P.L. 106-553 ).
The major CJS appropriations issues and concerns that received attention in both the Senate and the House include thefollowing. Department of Justice: building more prisons; extending the 1994 Crime Act fundingauthorization beyondSeptember 30, 2000; increasing funding for drug-related efforts among the Department of Justice (DOJ) agencies;increasing funding for community law enforcement; combating cybercrime; changing the focus and levels ofappropriationsfor DOJ's Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention; providing funding for programs that would reducegunand youth violence; funding of DOJ's legal action against the tobacco industry; reducing pending caseloads inimmigration-related claims, particularly green card and naturalization applications; meeting the statutory mandatethat theBorder Patrol be increased by 1,000 agents in FY2001, and accounting for the shortfall in hiring in FY1999;determiningthe level of detention capacity necessary to comply with the statutory mandate that certain criminal aliens bedetained untildeported; and restructuring INS internally as proposed by the Administration or dismantling or restructuring theagency bylegislation. Department of Commerce: the progress made in streamlining and downsizing Departmentprograms;implementation of the decennial census including followup operations; federal financial support of industrialtechnologydevelopment programs; monitoring foreign compliance with trade agreements and U.S. trade laws; andimplementing newWhite House environmental initiatives at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Departmentof State: improving embassy security through a doubling of funding as well as a request for an advance appropriationto cover theperiod FY2002 to FY2005. The Judiciary : whether the salaries of judges and justices should receivea cost-of-livingincrease and whether a statutory ban on judges receiving honoraria should be lifted. Other Related Agencies: adequacy offunding levels for the Legal Services Corporation, Small Business Administration, and the Equal EmploymentOpportunity Commission.
Key Policy Staff
Division abbreviations: A = American Law; G&F = Government and Finance; RSI = Resources; Science, and IndustryDivision, DSP = Domestic Social Policy Division; FTD = Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade.