Earmarks Not Returning for FY 2020 Appropriations Cycle; House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittee Deadlines Set for FY20 Requests

House Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Nita Lowey (D-NY) announced yesterday in a letter sent to her House colleagues that “there is currently not the necessary bipartisan, bicameral agreement to allow the Appropriations Committee to earmark. For that reason, I do not expect Fiscal Year 2020 House spending bills to include Congressionally-directed spending.” So, unfortunately, earmarks will not be returning this year for the FY 2020 Appropriations cycle. However, Chairwoman Lowey goes on to state in her letter that “Over the coming months, Democrats and Republicans in the House and Senate must discuss the issue of earmarks in our respective caucuses and conferences to determine member preferences, solicit ideas to ensure that taxpayer dollars are spent wisely, and when applicable, change rules to permit members to request earmarks.” Senate Appropriators also announced that they do not plan on reviving earmarks for the FY 2020 appropriations cycle, following the lead of the House.

Additionally, the House Appropriations Committee announced subcommittee deadlines for House members to submit FY 2020 Appropriations/Programmatic requests to the Committee . The announced deadlines for the 12 House Appropriations Subcommittees all fall between March 28—April 4, 2019. The announced deadlines for the 12 Senate Appropriations Subcommittees all fall between April 5--26, 2019.

Here are the 12 House Appropriations Subcommittee deadlines:

• Agriculture-FDA: April 4
• Commerce-Justice-Science: April 1
• Defense: April 1
• Energy and Water Development: April 1
• Financial Services-General Government: April 4
• Homeland Security: April 4
• Interior-Environment: April 1
• Labor-Health and Human Services-Education: March 28
• Legislative Branch: March 28
• Military Construction-Veterans Affairs: March 28
• State-Foreign Operations: March 28
• Transportation-Housing and Urban Development: April 4

Here are the 12 Senate Appropriations Subcommittee deadlines:

• Agriculture-FDA: April 18
• Commerce-Justice-Science: April 9
• Defense: April 12
• Energy-Water Development: April 5
• Financial Services-General Government: April 17
• Homeland Security: April 16
• Interior-Environment: April 22
• Labor-Health and Human Services-Education: April 15
• Legislative Branch: April 26
• Military Construction-Veterans Affairs: April 19
• State-Foreign Operations: April 26
• Transportation-Housing and Urban Development: April 9