Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy, under heavy pressure from the more conservative flank of the Republican caucus, announced that spending levels approved under the recently passed debt ceiling package represent a spending ceiling Congress cannot surpass.

House Appropriations Committee Chair Rep. Kay Granger (R-TX) announced her intention to markup FY 2024 spending bills at FY 2022 funding levels, which would yield an estimated $120 billion reduction in federal spending.

While the proposed cuts appear to be a non-starter with Senate Democrats, bipartisan support will be necessary to pass the appropriations bills into law and prevent a partial government shutdown on October 1.

Additionally, the recent debt ceiling agreement requires that all 12 appropriations bills be completed before the end of the fiscal year. Failure to do so will result in a 1 percent rescission in funding for both defense and non-defense spending.

More specifically, the House and Senate Appropriations Committees have set their respective “302(b) allocations,” or funding caps, at $25.4 billion and $37.9 billion for the FY24 Interior & Environment bill.

The 302(b) allocations are voted on by the full Appropriations Committees, but they are not subject to review or vote by the full House or Senate.

The $12.5 billion gap between House and Senate funding levels sets up a battle between the two chambers.

If the House funding level prevails, the Interior, Environment and Related Agencies Appropriations bill, which includes the Historic Preservation Fund (HPF), would face a nearly 35 percent cut below the current year’s enacted levels.

The HPF is currently funded at $204.5 million and in FY22 was funded at $173.072 million.

The Historic Preservation Fund Reauthorization Act would significantly enhance protection of our nation’s historic resources, ensuring that they remain vibrant for communities throughout the country well into the future. Ask members of the House of Representatives to support the Historic Preservation Fund Reauthorization Act (H.R. 3350).