House to start floor work on 2013 spending with Commerce, Justice, Science bill

The House will return next week to start the process of passing FY 2013 appropriations bills, and will begin by considering legislation funding the Departments of Commerce and Justice, as well as the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and other agencies.

The House Rules Committee will meet the evening of May 7 to approve a rule for the bill and could start floor consideration as early as May 8.

The bill, H.R. 5326, cuts $1.6 billion in spending compared to FY 2012, and would put total funding for the covered agencies at $51.1 billion, less than in fiscal 2008. The bill would spend $731 million less than President Obama requested.

Republicans for the last year have tried to push spending at or below 2008 levels, which reflected spending before Obama signed the nearly $800 billion stimulus bill into law. When the House Appropriations Committee approved the bill last week, Commerce, Justice, Science Subcommittee Chairman Frank Wolf (R-Va.) noted that Republicans have cut funding to this annual spending bill by 20 percent over the last three years.

"This year, we have focused limited resources on the most critical areas: fighting crime and terrorism, including a new focus preventing and investigating cyber-attacks; and boosting U.S. competitiveness and job creation by investing in science, exports and manufacturing," Wolf said.

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