House panel OKs cuts to education, boosts medical research

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republicans controlling the powerful House Appropriations panel Wednesday adopted a sweeping spending bill that seeks to protect popular programs like health research, drug treatment and AIDS prevention but slashes education grants and funding for family planning centers and community service programs.

The sprawling $153 billion measure, approved by a party-line vote, is at the center of a battle in Washington over how to respond to the return of automatic spending cuts known as sequestration.

Cole called the measure "a responsible bill that provides for increases in funding to advance biomedical research, protect public health and ensure quality education services for those most in need."

Senate Democrats filibustered a massive Pentagon funding bill earlier this month in hopes of drawing Republicans to the bargaining table, but any talks seem to be months away.

At Wednesday's session, the GOP-led panel rejected Democratic amendments to add funding for various programs, eliminate the requirement for abstinence-only teen pregnancy programs, and remove a longstanding provision that has been interpreted to block the Centers for Disease Control from conducting research into studying the causes of gun violence.