Appropriations Committee Approves Fiscal Year 2020 Commerce-Justice-Science Funding Bill

Statement

The House Appropriations Committee today approved the fiscal year 2020 Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies bill on a vote of 30 to 22. The bill funds the Departments of Commerce and Justice, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the National Science Foundation (NSF), and other related agencies.

The legislation contains $73.895 billion in discretionary budget authority, an increase of $9.78 billion above the fiscal year 2019 level. The bill provides a critical funding increase for the Census Bureau to conduct the 2020 Decennial Census, and includes language that prevents funding from being used for a citizenship question on the 2020 Census form. The bill additionally provides strong funding increases to help create jobs; fix the country's infrastructure; support U.S. manufacturing; research and prepare for climate change; promote civil rights; reduce gun violence, other violent crime, and cybercrime; address the opioid crisis; and help keep schools safe. Furthermore, the bill provides strong funding increases for science research, science education, and legal services for underserved communities.

"The budget proposed by the Trump Administration left a series of budgetary holes throughout the agencies that this subcommittee had to fill. They proposed eliminating programs that members on both sides of the aisle support. Thankfully, we have been able to do this job with an adequate allocation of $73.895 billion in funding for fiscal year 2020, an increase of $9.8 billion over fiscal year 2019," said House Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Chair José E. Serrano. "This amount includes a budget adjustment for the 2020 Census, which is an extremely high priority in this bill. Within this allocation, this bill makes significant investments in justice reform, economic development, and the science agencies. We also increased funding for programs and research focused on climate change, and for efforts to address gun violence. This is a good bill that invests in the people and priorities of this nation."

"With the investments in this bill, we can promote economic development, research and mitigate against climate change, address gun violence, and promote criminal justice reform," said House Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Nita Lowey. "From funding for climate research activities to Violence Against Women Act initiatives to the 2020 Census, this bill invests in a future that supports science, improves safety, fulfills our constitutional duties, and promotes justice and fairness."

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