mr. chairman , today we are considering the largest -- and arguably most complex -- of the domestic appropriations bills -- the measure for labor , health and human services , and education , h.r. 3010 . 
i am pleased to say , as it addresses many of congress 's most sensitive domestic priorities , it also meets our fiscal responsibilities : it complies with the budget act , with our agreed spending levels , and with specific provisions of the budget resolution for fiscal year 2006 . 
h.r. 3010 provides $ 142.5 billion in discretionary budget authority and $ 143.7 billion in new outlays for programs within the departments of labor , health and human services , education , and related agencies . 
this level represents a slight reduction from 2005 : $ 329 million in budget authority . 
this reflects the need to restrain the rate of increase for non-defense , non-homeland security domestic discretionary programs , which provided the overall policy framework for this year 's budget resolution . 
the $ 329-million reduction from 2005 -- which is just two-tenths of 1 percent -- may feel more like $ 1 billion to the agencies funded by the bill . 
that is because the appropriations committee , in response to a white house request , included about $ 890 million for the 2003 medicare prescription drug law 's startup costs . 
other programs in this bill had to make up the difference . 
but such trade-offs are intrinsic to budgeting . 
as a result , as noted , the bill complies with the fy 2006 budget resolution . 
its spending levels are within the subcommittee 's 302 ( b ) suballocation of new budget authority . 
to meet the cap , the bill includes a few rescissions . 
the bill does not contain emergency funds . 
it complies with the budget resolution provisions on advance appropriations . 
regarding this last point , the fy 2006 budget resolution places a total limit for advance appropriations in fy 2006 at $ 23.158 billion . 
the bill before us today will consume most of those funds , by providing $ 18.885 billion in advance appropriations for fy 2007 . 
all of the accounts for which advances are made in the bill are listed as eligible within the budget resolution . 
because no advance appropriations have yet been enacted this year , the bill does not cause a breach of this limit . 
still , the house should be aware only $ 4.273 billion will remain available for advance appropriations . 
under this bill , education would enjoy a slight ( $ 120 million ) increase , to $ 56.7 billion -- which is $ 478 million over the president 's request . 
in addition to that figure , the bill includes $ 4.3 billion to make up the pell grant backlog . 
this amount does no count against budget limits because it is scored as mandatory . 
additionally , the bill continues the commitment the house has made to the national institutes of health , providing $ 230 million more than last year . 
this brings total nih funding to $ 28.5 billion . 
worker retraining and dislocated worker assistance programs are also restored and augmented , which should help us continue to expand employment and ensure that americans who want to work will be able to find good jobs . 
dislocated worker assistance is funded at $ 1.4 billion , $ 62 million above the request . 
i commend the committee on appropriations for bringing us a bill that funds many priority programs members care about while living within our means in an era requiring tougher fiscal discipline . 
this is a responsible bill that fulfills our commitments to the public while living within the constraints of difficult fiscal times . 
