Rep. Kirkpatrick Secures AZ Key Wins in Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Funding Bill

Press Release

(Tucson, AZ) -- Today, Rep. Kirkpatrick announces several funding victories approved in the fiscal year 2022 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related funding bill on a 33-25 vote. For 2022, the bill provides $253.8 billion, an increase of $55.2 billion -- 28 percent -- above 2021.

Rep. Kirkpatrick successfully advocated for her priorities of bolstering public health infrastructure and advancing women's health. The legislation:

Supports women's health by providing $50 million for the Office of Research on Women's Health, and another $25 million for the Women's Bureau. This amount will provide critical funding to women's health research
Provides $96.7 million for Migrant and Seasonal Farmworkers which will especially support farmworkers in Southern Arizona.
Introduces critical immigration reform by requiring that unaccompanied children migrants be treated in facilities that are subject to Congressional oversight. This will ensure that unaccompanied minors at the border are treated with the care and respect they deserve.
Invests in the health and long-term stability of houseless veterans in Southern Arizona by stipulating $68 million for the Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program.
Focuses on the health impact of COVID-19 on children by providing $40 million in targeted research to study and eventually treat the lasting mental health consequences of the Coronavirus.
"This last year proved to us that investing in our public health infrastructure is not only a wise thing to do, it's a necessary thing to do," said Rep. Kirkpatrick. "I'm proud that this bill invests in bolstering vaccine infrastructure, preventing disease, and advancing our public health data and analytic systems. Also, it was personally important to me that this bill focused on women's health. Women in my community are often unable to get the health treatment they need. This legislation is a step in the right direction to ensure that no woman is denied critical care."

In addition to directly funding Rep. Kirkpatrick's priorities stipulated above, the legislation:

Creates and sustains good-paying American jobs through investments in job training, apprenticeship programs, and worker protection
Grows opportunity with transformative investments in education, including record funding for high-poverty schools and students with disabilities, and strong increases for programs that expand access to post-secondary education
Supports middle class and working families with increased funding for child care and development programs, Head Start, and preschool development grants
Strengthens lifesaving biomedical research with increased funding for the National Institutes of Health, including funding to establish the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health
Bolsters our public health infrastructure with more resources for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and for states and local governments to strengthen infrastructure and capacity
Addresses our nation's most urgent health crises, including maternal health, mental health, gun violence, and opioid abuse, while making strides to reduce persistent and unacceptable health disparities
Advances equal treatment for women by increasing funding for the range of health services, including family planning, covered by Title X and repealing the discriminatory Hyde Amendment
"Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, hardworking middle class families and people struggling to make it into the middle class were already having a hard time getting the support they needed to lead healthy, happy, and productive lives. Child care is widely inaccessible. Students face considerable barriers to an affordable, high-quality education. Women are all too often unable to obtain the life-saving medical treatment they need. And our public health infrastructure is in dire need of an update. The COVID-19 pandemic further exacerbated these already existing challenges," Appropriations Committee Chair Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) said. "I am proud that the funding in the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education bill will lift up struggling families, support the vulnerable, and help prepare our nation for future challenges. This bill touches people at every stage of their lives, and the massive funding increase will create a society that provides people with the help they so desperately need. With this funding, House Democrats are ensuring the American people and our public health system is equipped with the resources needed to allow our communities to thrive."

The following amendments to the bill were adopted by the full Committee:

Rep. DeLauro -- The manager's amendment makes technical and noncontroversial changes to the bill and report. The amendment was adopted by voice vote.

Rep. Harris -- This amendment strikes sections 116-118 of the underlying bill. The amendment was adopted by voice vote.

Source