	Most Recent Developments

On December 26, 2007, the President signed the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2008 ( H.R. 2764 ) into law ( P.L. This act includes the FY2008 Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (CJS) appropriations bill, as well as 10 other appropriations bills, in addition to emergency military funding for Iraq and Afghanistan. Congressional leaders opted to use the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Appropriations bill, 2008 ( H.R. In an exchange of amendments between the Senate and House, Congress completed action on H.R. 2764 during December 17-19, 2007. 110-161 ), Congress has provided $54.637 billion in CJS appropriations, a 3.4% increase over the FY2007 enacted level and a 2.2% increase over the Administration's request. FY2008 Request

By comparison, Table 2 shows that the Administration's FY2008 request included $53.45 billion for the Departments of Commerce and Justice, certain science agencies, and related agencies, or about a 1.1% increase over amounts appropriated by Congress for FY2007. The requested appropriation included $6.596 billion for the Department of Commerce (a 0.4% decrease compared to the FY2007 enacted level), $22.348 billion for the Department of Justice (a 3.7% decrease), $23.744 billion for science agencies (a 6.9% increase), and $762.5 million for related agencies (a 4.8% decrease). In addition to these amounts, in February 2008, the Administration has requested another $146.7 million for Justice as part of the FY2008 Global War on Terror Supplemental. House Action

The House Appropriations Committee ordered reported an FY2008 CJS appropriations bill ( H.R. 3093 (amended) on July 26, 2007. By comparison, the House bill would have provided a 5.9% increase over the FY2007 enacted level, and a 4.7% increase over the Administration's FY2008 request, but $1.1% less than the Senate mark. For the Department of Commerce, the House-passed bill would have provided $7.018 billion, or $393.7 million more than the FY2007 enacted level (an increase of 5.9%) and $422.6 million more than the FY2008 request (an increase of 6.4%). For the Department of Justice, the House-passed bill would have provided $23.974 billion, or $763.8 million more than the FY2007 enacted level (an increase of 3.3%) and $1.626 billion more than the FY2008 request (an increase of 7.3%). 3093 on October 16, 2007. 3093 would have provided $56.7 billion in FY2008 CJS appropriations. This amount included $1 billion in emergency funding for NASA's return to flight initiative. The Senate bill would have provided a 7.3% increase over the FY2007 enacted level and a 6.1% increase over the Administration's request. 2764 as the legislative vehicle for the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2008 ( P.L. 110-161 . A hearing on H.R. H.R. The Senate-passed bill would have provided $25.019 billion, or $2.812 billion more than the FY2007 amount (a 12.7% increase). NASA requested $17.309 billion for FY2008, a 6.3% increase over its FY2007 appropriation.
This report monitors actions taken by the 110th Congress for the FY2008 Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (CJS) appropriations bill. In the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2008 (P.L. 110-161), Congress has provided $54.637 billion in CJS appropriations, a 3.4% increase over the FY2007 enacted level and a 2.2% increase over the Administration's request. This amount includes $6.857 billion for the Department of Commerce (a 3.5% increase over the FY2007 enacted level), $23.592 billion for the Department of Justice (a 1.6% increase), $23.38 billion for science agencies (a 5.3% increase) and $808.8 million for related agencies (a 1.0% increase).
The Administration's FY2008 request included $53.450 billion for those departments and agencies funded through the CJS appropriation, or about a 1.1% increase over the FY2007 appropriation ($52.843 billion). The request included $6.596 billion for Commerce (a 0.4% decrease compared to the FY2007 enacted level), $22.348 billion for Justice (a 3.7% decrease), $23.744 billion for science agencies (a 6.9% increase), and $762.5 million for related agencies (a 4.8% decrease). In addition to these amounts, the Administration has requested another $146.7 million for Justice as part of the FY2008 Global War on Terror Supplemental.
The House passed an FY2008 CJS appropriations bill (H.R. 3093) on July 26, 2007. The House bill would have provided $55.965 billion for FY2008, or a 5.9% increase over the FY2007 appropriation and a 4.7% increase over the FY2008 request. The House amount would have provided Commerce with $7.018 billion (a 5.9% increase over the FY2007 enacted level), Justice with $23.974 billion (a 3.3% increase), science agencies with $24.127 billion (an 8.6% increase), and related agencies with $845.7 million (a 5.6% increase).
The Senate passed an FY2008 CJS appropriations bill (H.R. 3093, as amended) on October 16, 2007. The Senate bill would have provided $57.7 billion, or a 9.2% increase over the FY2007 appropriation and an 8.0% increase over the FY2008 request. The Senate amount would have provided Commerce with $7.289 billion (a 10.0% increase over the FY2007 enacted level), Justice with $24.493 billion (a 5.5% increase), science agencies with $25.019 billion (an increase of 12.7%), and related agencies with $899.7 million (a 12.4% increase). The Senate bill included $1 billion in emergency funding for NASA's return to flight initiative.
Conference negotiations on H.R. 3093 broke down, however. In lieu of further action on that bill, congressional leaders opted to use the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Appropriations bill, 2008 (H.R. 2764) as a vehicle for the CJS appropriations, as well as the other 10 remaining appropriations bills, in addition to emergency spending for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. On December 17-19, 2007, Congress completed action on H.R. 2764 through an exchange of amendments between the two chambers. The President signed H.R. 2764 into law on December 26, 2007 (P.L. 110-161). This report will not be updated.