Tomorrow the Senate will be voting on a very important amendment sponsored by Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Arlen Specter (R-PA). The amendment will increase the appropriations ceiling by $7 billion, restoring that funding to the committees that have jurisdiction over education, nutrition, social services, energy assistance, Head Start, child care, Meals on Wheels, and many other vital services. These services will otherwise experience significant cuts.

PART is still pretty unfamiliar to most followers of federal policy at the national level, so it is interesting to note this story in the Winchester Star newspaper: When kids and families struggle with substance abuse or other issues, it is a total community issue. The Safe and Drug Free Schools Program helps school systems provide support for troubled students and families through services such as violence and drug prevention. But the federal program, which provides for state grants and national programs, has been targeted for elimination in President Bush’s 2007 budget.

The budget resolution approved by the Senate Budget Committee includes a provision opening the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) to oil exploration, promising to set up a showdown on the floor next week. The provision is contentious because it would protect the provision from filibuster. A letter of objection was signed by prominent Republican Senators including Sens. Lincoln Chafee (R-RI) Norm Coleman (R-MN), Susan Collins (R-ME), John McCain (R-AZ), and Olympia J. Snowe (R-ME), saying:

Late Wednesday night, the House Appropriations Committee approved a $91 billion supplemental spending bill, which allocated $72.4 billion for the wars and $19.8 billion for hurricane relief. The new funding for the wars will push the total cost over $400 billion since the wars began.