The Senate has approved $1.5 billion to implement the new election reform law, the Help America Vote Act.
While the funding level is less than the $2.16 billion authorized for FY03, NACo Executive Director Larry Naake said, “We are very pleased that the Senate is funding the new act at a much higher level than we had expected. Only a few days earlier, it was rumored that the Senate appropriations bill would only provide $50 million.”
Sen.Ted Stevens (R - Alaska.), the new chairman of the Appropriations Committee, worked with the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to have an across-the-board cut in other appropriations to offset the increased cost of election reform, drought assistance and education programs.
Earlier, President George W. Bush agreed at a Congressional leadership meeting that funding had to be found for the new law and told OMB to work it out. The issue had been strongly pushed at the meeting by the new Senate Majority Whip Mitch McConnell (R - Ky.) and the new House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D - Md.). Both had played major roles in getting the election reform legislation authorized.
The funding legislation combines 11 appropriation bills for FY03 (current year) into one omnibus bill (H.J. Res. 2). The bill now goes to a House-Senate conference, which is expected to meet during the week of Jan. 27. The $1.5 billion for election reform has strong support from the House Republican and Democrat leadership in addition to the Administration and is expected to survive.
