Kaptur Announces Wins for Northern Ohio in Bipartisan Appropriations Agreement
Statement
The 2020 Appropriations bills include provisions to protect our Great Lakes, create jobs, ensure a fair and accurate 2020 Census, fund gun violence research, secure our elections, advance clean energy research & development, protect the health and well-being of our families, and much more.
Today, Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09), Chairwoman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development, released the following statement after the House passed two legislative packages that together comprise all 12 fiscal year 2020 funding bills -- H.R. 1865, domestic priorities and international assistance appropriations minibus, and H.R. 1158, national security appropriations minibus. Included among the 12 was Chairwoman Kaptur's Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies funding bill, legislation which funds the Department of Energy, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Department of the Interior programs, and other related agencies.
These bills are the product of bipartisan, bicameral compromise. Together, they raise funding for critical Northern Ohio priorities, including:
Historic investments in clean energy research and development and projects to protect the Great Lakes -- secured by Chairwoman Kaptur
A fully funded, fair, and accurate 2020 Census
Money for states to secure their elections
$25 million for gun violence research
Much more
"Working families across Northern Ohio understand the importance of making investments in our families and in our communities," said Rep. Kaptur. "Through bipartisan negotiations and months of work, Democrats have turned back the Trump Administration's proposed dramatic and short-sighted cuts to programs that empower people and improve the lives of hardworking Americans in Northern Ohio and in communities across the United States. I'm pleased to vote in favor of these bipartisan bills that will grow our economy, create jobs, protect our environment, repair our infrastructure, strengthen healthcare, and set Northern Ohio communities up for success."
A summary of district specific wins is below. The full text of the bill is here.
Protecting Our Great Lakes and Their Cultural Heritage
Great Lakes Restoration Initiative -- $320 million, rejecting President Trump's elimination request
Combating Harmful Algal Blooms in Lake Erie -- $19 million for National Centers for Coastal Oceans Science for harmful algal bloom research
Nearly $30 million for Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial seawall investments at Middle Bass Island
Great Lakes Fishery -- $47,060,000, including $1 million for grass carp
Great Lakes Icebreaking Capacity -- $2 million for the Coast Guard to establish a major acquisition program office to enhance icebreaking capacity on the Great Lakes and an additional $2 million for recurring program support
Secures strong funding for environmental protection -- including the highest funding level for the Land and Water Conservation Fund in 15 years
Investing in Space Exploration Efforts in Northern Ohio
$22.63 billion is provided for NASA, an increase of $1.13 billion above the FY 2019 enacted level which supports jobs in Northern Ohio, including at the NASA Glenn Facility and NASA Plum Brook
In addition, the bill provides key investments in Solar Electric Propulsion, the Regional Economic Development Program and Electric Air Flight research. These include human space flight and key research priorities at Glenn
Rejects the Senate proposal to eliminate the Communications Service Program, a key priority for Northern Ohio space communications companies. Rep. Kaptur recently announced $33.8 million in federal funding to build a new Aerospace Communications facility at NASA Glenn
$20 million to redevelop the Hypersonic Test Facility at NASA Plum Brook Station to advance Department of Defense hypersonic weapons capabilities
Protecting Our Elections
Secured $425 million for election security grants to protect our elections from foreign attack, which Republicans refused to fund last year
Guaranteeing a Fully Funded, Fair, and Accurate 2020 Census
$7.6 billion for the Census Bureau, including a strong increase to enable the Bureau to conduct a thorough and accurate 2020 Decennial Census
Strengthening the Health and Well-Being of Our Families
Permanently repeals health care taxes including the so-called "Cadillac Tax"
Blocks Trump's ACA sabotage nuclear options, by preventing him from ending "silver loading" and auto re-enrollment
Secures record funding for life-saving medical research at the NIH
Ensures strong support for initiatives to lower the price of prescription drugs by increasing competition for generics
Continues the historic $1.5 billion in funding for state grants to combat the opioid epidemic
Lays the groundwork for progress in the spring to end the financially catastrophic practice of surprise billing, lower prescription drug costs and extend robust funding for key health initiatives
Strengthening Americans' Economic & Financial Security
Gives federal civilian employees and military a 3.1 percent pay raise
Protects the pensions of 100,000 coal miners
Invests billions in smart job training initiatives
Extends the National Flood Insurance Program
Secures a long-term reauthorization of the Terrorism Risk Insurance Program
Extends key tax provisions through 2020: encouraging investments in clean energy priorities like wind and energy efficiency, providing relief for families recovering from recent disasters, supporting investments in low-income communities, and protecting families facing high medical costs or the loss of a home to foreclosure
Investing in Ohio Transportation
$43.885 million for highways and transit in Ohio
$225 million for a maritime infrastructure grant program
$38 million for the Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation, including $2 million to promote the Midwest exports
Investing in Our Children
Strengthens the Families First Prevention Services Act
Achieves record funding levels for Head Start, Child Care and Development Block Grants, and Title I schools
Extends funding for essential services in thousands of schools serving millions of children in rural communities across 41 states
Creating Jobs & Supporting Economic Growth in Northern Ohio
Infrastructure -- $61 billion for infrastructure projects included in Transportation-HUD bill
Rural Broadband -- investing $680 million in expansion of rural broadband service to provide economic development opportunities and improved education and healthcare services
National Science Foundation -- $8.27 billion ($203 million above FY19) for innovation & research on advanced manufacturing, mathematics, cybersecurity, neuroscience, and STEM education
Economic Development Administration -- $333,000,000, including $15 million to assist communities with nuclear power plants to diversify their economic base, and empower these communities to take advantage of the specialized infrastructure surrounding civilian nuclear power plants
Fighting Hunger
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) -- $67 billion in required mandatory spending for SNAP
Historic funding for the Office of Urban Agriculture -- $5 million
Gun Violence Research
For the first time in more than 20 years, a total of $25 million provided at CDC and NIH for firearm injury & mortality prevention research
Combating the Opioid Crisis
Provides $1.5 billion for State Opioid Response Grants
Caring for Our Veterans
Veterans Affairs -- $216.5 billion in both discretionary and mandatory funding, which is $19.4 billion more than the FY2019 level
VA Medical Care -- $80.2 billion providing for approximately seven million patients to be treated in fiscal year 2020
Mental Health Programs -- $9.4 billion for mental health programs, a $20 million increase above the budget request
Suicide Prevention -- $221.7 million to combat the growing challenges of PTSD and other veteran mental health challenges, including suicide prevention outreach
Opioid Abuse Prevention -- $402 million for opioid abuse prevention, an increase of $15 million
PTSD Research -- $40 million for the National Center on PTSD
Medical and Prosthetic Research -- $800 million for VA medical and prosthetic research
Disability Claims Processing Backlog -- provides $125 million above the budget request to reduce the disability claims backlog to ensure adequate compensation & care for the more than 450,000 veterans still wading through VA bureaucracy
Expanding Access to Housing
Community Development Block Grants -- $3,425,000,000 -- up $100 million from FY19
Housing for the Elderly -- $793,000,000, $115 million above FY19, including $90 million for new construction
Section 8 tenant-based housing -- $23,847,050,000, $1.6b more than President's budget
$40 million for HUD/VA Supportive Housing for Homeless Veterans. The President's budget request proposed eliminating this program
Weatherization -- $5 million to establish pilot projects to boost HUD and DOE weatherization coordination
Lead Hazard Control -- $290 million for lead hazard control and healthy homes programs
Public Housing Capital Fund: $2.9 billion, $94.9 million above FY19
Supporting Research at the University of Toledo and Case Western Reserve University
$7 million for the University of Toledo to research and develop thin film photovoltaic solar energy cells materials for the Air Force
$5 million for Case Western University to research and develop multi-layer dynamically responsive macromolecular composites for the Army
Investing in Civilian-Military Programs
$200 million to support the National Guard Youth Challenge Program
$35 million for the STARBASE STEM Education Program
$30 million for the Reserve and National Guard Innovative Readiness Program
Supporting Our Ohio National Guard and Reserve Forces
$590.2 million for C-130 procurement and modernization
$281.5 million for Air National Guard F-16 Fighter plane active electronically scanned array (AESA) upgrades
$100 million for Army National Guard High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV) modernization
Protecting Our Pets
$500,000 to prohibit deadly pentobarbital in pet food
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