The almost 800 undersigned organizations—representing the full range of stakeholders supporting the
Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education and Related Agencies appropriations bill
(Labor-HHS)—urge you to increase the fiscal year (FY) 2018 302(b) subcommittee allocation for these programs
and services. The activities administered by the departments and agencies under Labor-HHS’s jurisdiction serve
a broad range of constituencies and needs, but they all share a common, fundamental goal of strengthening this
nation by improving Americans’ lives. The federal government must invest sufficient funding to meet that goal.
Despite Labor-HHS’s profound impact on health and well-being, child development, educational and skills
attainment, and productivity, its programs and services continue to be short-changed in the annual
appropriations process. For example, with the much-needed sequestration relief provided through the
Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015, the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2016 provided nondefense discretionary
programs with a 6.9 percent increase overall, but programs in the Labor-HHS bill only received a 3.3 percent
increase over 2015 levels. As a result, funding for Americans’ health, education, workforce, and social services
programs—representing more than half of all nondefense discretionary spending—rose less than half as much
as the nondefense average. Today, funding for Labor-HHS programs is almost 12 percent below FY 2010 levels,
adjusted for inflation. Under President Trump’s budget request, the Labor-HHS allocation would be roughly 15.5
percent lower than current levels, and more than 25 percent below FY 2010 in inflation-adjusted terms.
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