Sheldon Whitehouse: “the Senate is considering H.R. 4366, the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2024. That legislation contains…”

“the Senate is considering H.R. 4366, the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2024. That legislation contains appropriations designated as emergency funding. Today, I am adjusting the allocation to the Committee on Appropriations, colloquially known as the 302(a), consistent with those appropriations. Section 251 of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985, as amended by the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023, establishes statutory limits on discretionary funding levels for fiscal years 2024 and 2025 and allows adjustments to those limits. Sections 302 and 314(a) of the Congressional Budget Act allow the chairman of the Budget Committee to revise the allocations, aggregates, and levels consistent with those adjustments. Division G of the bill contains several authorizing provisions, such as an extension of Federal funding for community health centers, that are paid for over 10 years. Section 121(c) of the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 contains a reserve fund that authorizes the Budget Committee chairman to revise budget aggregates and committee allocations for legislation that would not increase the deficit over the period of fiscal years 2024 to 2033. Division G meets the conditions of that reserve fund, and I am making those adjustments. Finally, I am adjusting for three additional bills that have been recently passed by the Senate. First, H.R.…”