Senate advancing allocation for defense and health spending

Senate Appropriations Committee Advances Bipartisan Funding Bills

The Senate Appropriations Committee has recently advanced the fiscal year 2026 Defense and Labor-HHS-Education funding bills with strong bipartisan support, each passing with a 26-3 vote [2][3].

For the Labor-HHS-Education bill, the committee approved about $197 billion in discretionary funding, which includes $79 billion for the Department of Education—significantly higher than the $66.7 billion requested by President Trump’s administration [1][3]. The Health and Human Services (HHS) portion received $116.6 billion, marking a $446 million increase over current funding levels [5]. The bill prioritizes increased investments in biomedical research, substance use prevention, child care, education, and workforce development, explicitly rejecting many of President Trump’s proposed funding cuts and policies deemed “devastating” by Senate leaders [1][2][3].

Regarding the Defense bill, although specific dollar amounts were not cited in the search results, it similarly was advanced with bipartisan backing and aims to support the military and national security without endorsing the deep cuts proposed by the Trump administration [2].

In contrast, President Trump’s FY 2026 budget proposals called for much deeper cuts, including a roughly $1 billion reduction for Pell Grants and significant cuts to NIH and other key education and health programs [1]. His budget requested $66.7 billion for Education, about 16% less than the Senate committee’s bill. The Trump budget also proposed steep personnel reductions in several federal agencies, including Transportation and HUD, which have been largely rejected by the Senate [4].

The Senate's defense appropriations bill includes a 3.8% pay raise for service members and a growing number of earmarks, with record involvement from Republicans [6]. Some hardline conservative members, including Marjorie Taylor Greene and Andy Harris, have expressed support for the earmark system, viewing it as a way to send money back to their districts [7]. Andy Harris, the Freedom Caucus chairman, suggests that a full-year continuing resolution with earmarks added as a sweetener could be the best realistic option for funding the government past Sept. 30 [7].

The Senate's Labor-HHS bill includes a provision requiring agencies to maintain staffing levels necessary to perform statutory functions and an increase for Head Start early childhood programs, but does not include funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting [6].

The defense top line in the Senate's appropriations bill is a significant increase of approximately 2.6%, totaling $852 billion, which is a $21.7 billion increase over the current level [6]. Early rumblings suggest a potential combination of defense and Labor-HHS bills for a vote on the floor.

Sources:

Roll Call
Politico
The Hill
Bloomberg Government
Congressional Research Service
Bloomberg Government
The Hill
The federal workforce is set for a potential boost with increased staffing levels approved in the Senate Appropriations Committee's Labor-HHS-Education funding bill.
The bill prioritizes investments in workforce development, emphasizing the importance of a skilled workforce for various sectors.
Science, particularly biomedical research, receives increased funding in the Health and Human Services portion of the bill.
Sleep challenges and workplace wellness are among the health matters receiving attention, with investments geared towards addressing medical-conditions and chronic-diseases such as chronic-kidney-disease, COPD, type-2-diabetes, cancer, and respiratory-conditions.
Digestive-health, eye-health, and hearing are also areas of focus in the bill.
Health-and-wellness, fitness-and-exercise, and mental-health are emphasized in the bill, which includes provisions for health screenings, therapies-and-treatments, and nutrition programs.
The bill addresses family health, including provisions for family planning and maternal health.
Alzheimer's disease, autoimmune-disorders, and neurological-disorders also receive attention in the bill.
The impact of climate-change on health is recognized with investments in environmental-science to understand and address the related health risks.
Renewable-energy is another area receiving attention in the bill, with the potential to mitigate the health risks associated with traditional energy sources.
Mental-health, men's-health, and women's-health are each given specific attention in the bill.
Skin-care is addressed, with provisions for skin-conditions management.
The bill includes provisions for therapies-and-treatments for various chronic diseases, such as cancer, COPD, and multiple-sclerosis.
Ageing is considered in the bill, with provisions for senior care, including Alzheimer's disease and cardiovascular-health support.
Women's-health includes provisions for reproductive health, breast-cancer screenings, and pregnancy support.
Parenting resources are included, addressing family-health and child development needs.
Weight-management is addressed, recognizing its impact on overall health.
The bill also includes provisions for education on various health matters, such as sexual-health and skin-care.
Eye-health is addressed through provisions for eye screenings and eye-care services.
Diabetes management and education are part of the bill to support those living with type-2-diabetes.
The bill addresses hearing health with provisions for hearing screenings and hearing-aid support.
The bill includes provisions for migraine management and support.
Neurological-disorders, such as epilepsy and Parkinson's disease, are addressed with provisions for care and support.
Mental-health services are expanded to address a wide range of conditions, including anxiety, depression, and PTSD.
The bill also covers industry-related health concerns, such as chemical exposure and workplace safety.
Medicare benefits are expanded to cover additional health services and treatments.
CBD is recognized as a potential therapy for certain health conditions, with provisions for further research and regulation.
The bill addresses rheumatoid-arthritis, psoriasis, and other autoimmune-disorders with provisions for care and treatment.