The Senate Committee on Appropriations kicked off its FY 2024 funding process by approving the allocations for its 12 subcommittees in accordance with the $1.59 trillion statutory caps set in the Fiscal Responsibility Act (FRA). Under the spending total, the FRA also set statutory caps of $886.3 billion in new budget authority for defense programs and $703.7 billion in new budget authority for nondefense programs. 

For the Labor-HHS-Education Subcommittee, which funds the federal student aid programs, the Senate allocates $195.23 billion, which is $48 billion more than the House subcommittee, but is $31.7 billion less than FY 2023 funding levels. 

Chair Patty Murray (D-WA) indicated that the allocations take into consideration the adjustments allowed for in the FRA, including emergency funding, rescissions, unobligated COVID funds, changes in mandatory programs, and other mechanisms to provide as much funding as possible across the board.  

This is in stark contrast to the spending levels set by the House, which will force all subcommittees except Defense and Military-Construction-VA to write bills below FY 2023 spending levels. 

Both Murray and Vice Chair Susan Collins (R-ME) indicated their support for bipartisan bills that go through the regular order process to avoid a year-end omnibus package or a continuing resolution that could result in a 1% cut to current funding. 

The House and Senate may be able to write their individual bills before the October 1 start of the fiscal year, but reconciling the different approaches will prove difficult this fall.