Legislation invests in the American people: creating jobs, growing opportunity, and providing a lifeline to the vulnerable

Press Release

The House today passed, on a 219 to 208 vote, a package of seven 2022 appropriations bills. The legislation funds the Departments of Agriculture, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, Interior, Labor, Transportation, Treasury, and Veterans Affairs, as well as The Judiciary, Army Corps of Engineers, Environmental Protection Agency, Food and Drug Administration, Small Business Administration, Social Security Administration, the Executive Office of the President and general government functions of the Executive Branch, military construction activities at the Department of Defense, and other independent agencies.

"After the devastation of the pandemic and decades of disinvestment, the American economy caters increasingly to the wealthy and leaves the middle class, hard-working families, small businesses, and the vulnerable behind. With these bills, we are reversing these trends and investing in the American people. Together, our transformative and historic funding increases will create good-paying jobs, grow opportunity for the middle class and small businesses and provide a lifeline for working families and the vulnerable. I am particularly proud that the funding increases in the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education bill will help create a society that provides people with the help they so desperately need," Appropriations Committee and Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Chair Rosa DeLauro (D-CT-03) said. "I am deeply appreciative of our Subcommittee Chairs and all of our Appropriators for the leadership they have shown in advancing this vital legislation. I look forward to continuing to work as the process moves forward to enact these essential priorities."

"This bill reminds us of the many ways in which agriculture and our rural communities impact the lives of every American," Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Chairman Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (D-GA-02) said. "This bill is a commitment to maintaining our country's leadership not only to grow the best and most nutritious food in the world, but make sure that it is available to those who need it as we fight food insecurity. It ensures equitable participation in USDA programs and makes them more accessible by reinvesting in staff and leadership at USDA offices. Through the FDA, it will combat the opioid crisis and rare cancers as well as make sure that our medicine and food are safe. It also addresses the existential threat posed by climate change to our communities and farmlands."

"Northern Ohio workers, students, seniors, and families simply want an opportunity to pursue their own version of the American Dream, but are increasingly finding it further out of reach. To ensure that dream is not just aspirational, but obtainable, we must invest in our communities and expand the horizon of opportunities," Energy and Water Development, and Related Agencies Chairwoman Marcy Kaptur (D-OH-09) said. Heeding the resounding call to Build Back Better, these bills will deliver substantial new resources to cities like Toledo, Sandusky, Lorain, and Cleveland -- revitalizing our neighborhoods, and creating the good-paying, Middle Class jobs our region deserves."

"The past year has had a devastating impact on American families and small businesses. The funding approved by the House today will help our country continue on the path to recovery," Financial Services and General Government Chairman Mike Quigley (D-IL-5) said. "House Democrats are dedicated to securing opportunities for underserved businesses, safeguarding the future of our democracy, and protecting families and consumers. This year's FSGG bill will strengthen IRS enforcement to make certain that even the biggest corporations and the wealthiest Americans pay their fair share. For too long, our tax system has left billions of dollars on the table. By finally funding the IRS at a much-needed level, we can recoup that loss and invest it in the future of our country."

"I'm proud that this year's Interior-Environment funding bill delivers on our promises to the American people, particularly in fighting the climate emergency, which is driving extreme weather conditions and threatening communities across the country," Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Chair Chellie Pingree (D-ME-01) said. "The bill also makes long-overdue investments to care for our planet, return science as the foundation for decision making, stabilize the arts and humanities, and meet our trust obligations to tribal nations."

"The historic investments we make with these bills boldly confronts the challenges America faces right now. It reinforces small businesses and safe communities and carefully rethreads safety nets for marginalized communities and the most vulnerable among us. These bills also build a sturdy ladder into the middle class for all the hard-working families struggling from this pandemic upheaval, yet squarely confront a climate crisis that cannot be ignored -- and we do so with both eyes focused on environmental justice," Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL-23) said. "The Military Construction and Veterans Affairs funding bill reinforces our national security infrastructure and invests in new child development centers and housing for military families. It also ensures veterans will receive the healthcare they deserve and invests seriously in PFAS contamination cleanup. Even more, the bill includes substantial investments in women's and mental health, suicide prevention, homelessness assistance, rural health, opioid abuse prevention, and much more. This legislation meets this challenging historic moment and promises families across America that the help they so urgently need is on its way."

"This year's T-HUD bill provides vital investments to expand opportunity and promote equity by improving our infrastructure and expanding our affordable housing stock," Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Chairman David E. Price (D-NC-04) said. "It promotes housing stability by providing increased funding for rental assistance, expanding housing vouchers, and prioritizing safety in public housing. The bill nearly doubles passenger and freight rail investment, solidifying our commitment to more sustainable travel while focusing on climate resilience and mitigation. It will benefit communities across America, both rural and urban, and lays the foundation for economic growth and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic."

The seven-bill package, H.R. 4502, consists of the 2022 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies; Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies; Energy and Water Development, and Related Agencies; Financial Services and General Government; Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies; Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies; and Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies bills.

The 2022 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies funding bill provides $253.8 billion, an increase of $55.2 billion -- 28 percent -- above 2021. With this historic increase, 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 substance misuse, 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
The 2022 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies funding bill provides discretionary funding of $26.55 billion -- a critical increase of $2.851 billion, 12 percent -- above 2021. In total, the bill includes $196.7 billion for both discretionary programs funded on an annual basis and mandatory programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. The legislation:

Tackles hunger and nutrition insecurity by expanding access to fruits and vegetables to 6.4 million people through WIC and ensuring 45 million people in SNAP-eligible families get the benefits they need. The bill also invests in the health of America's kids through Child Nutrition programs, like school meals - which are now the healthiest source of food consumed in the United States.
Grows opportunity and lifts up rural communities by increasing funding for rural broadband, connecting more communities to the internet through a program that last year got more than 100,000 people connected to the 21st century economy.
Rebuilds our public health and consumer safety infrastructure with increased funding to address maternal and infant nutrition, including resources for the "Closer to Zero' initiative to reduce exposure to toxic elements in babies' and young children's food, emerging food-related chemical and toxicological issues, drug safety oversight, as well as providing additional resources for in-person inspections of the two largest international drug manufacturing countries, and drug and device supply chain monitoring and surveillance. The bill also invests in our public health infrastructure by modernizing FDA's data infrastructure to better ensure the safety and security of the food and medical supply chain.
Confronts the climate crisis with $347.4 million across USDA to address the impacts of climate change. These investments are aimed to tackle the climate crisis in farming and rural communities and include research to monitor, measure, and mitigate climate change, accelerate climate smart agriculture practices, reduce greenhouse gases, and advance clean energy technologies.
Provides important investments to ensure equitable participation in USDA programs. In total, the bill provides more funding than the request to advance racial justice, including increases for extension, research, and capacity grants at our 1890 land grants, 1994 land grants, and Hispanic serving institutions to help strengthen the pipeline for the future of agriculture. It also provides funding to improve outreach and program access to historically underserved communities and provides a healthy increase for USDA's Office of Civil Rights above the request.
The 2022 Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies funding bill provides $53.226 billion, an increase of $1.474 billion above 2021. The legislation:

Creates tens of thousands of good-paying jobs with a focus on deploying clean energy technologies and the green jobs of tomorrow in communities across the country
Confronts the climate crisis with more than $14 billion of transformative investments in clean energy and science, which will help develop clean, affordable, and secure American energy
Rebuilds our nation's water infrastructure, critical to protecting communities from more frequent and severe storms and addressing the worsening drought
The 2022 Financial Services and General Government funding bill includes $29.1 billion, an increase of $4.8 billion over 2021. The legislation:

Assists small businesses and entrepreneurs through the Small Business Administration and Community Development Financial Institutions
Protects our democracy with Election Security Grants to ensure the integrity and safety of our elections
Rebuilds the Internal Revenue Service to finally crack down on big corporations and the wealthy who aren't paying their fair share and to provide better customer service to working families navigating the tax system
Supports working and middle-class families by increasing funding for consumer protection activities at the Consumer Product Safety Commission and the Federal Trade Commission
Confronts the climate crisis by providing funding to start the transition of the Federal vehicle fleet to electric and zero emission vehicles
The 2022 Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies funding bill includes $43.4 billion in regular appropriations, an increase of $7.3 billion -- 20.2 percent -- above 2021. There is also an additional $2.45 billion of funding for fire suppression. The legislation:

Creates good-paying American jobs through investments in renewable energy development, including offshore wind, and a national initiative to reclaim abandoned mines and cap orphan oil and gas wells
Confronts the climate crisis by expanding environmental enforcement efforts, creating a Civilian Climate Corps, and launching a renewed focus on land and water conservation
Supports Native American families by investing in a strong and resilient Indian Country, including through education and health care programs
Dramatically expands environmental justice efforts to address unacceptable pollution in communities of color
Honors the federal government's responsibilities to Native Americans
The 2022 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies funding bill provides $279.9 billion, an increase of $28.1 billion -- more than 10 percent -- above 2021. Of this amount, discretionary funding for programs such as veterans' health care and Military Construction totals $124.5 billion, an increase of $11.4 billion above 2021. The legislation:

Supports our veterans with investments in health care, including targeted investments that advance women's health, mental health, and homelessness assistance
Rebuilds our infrastructure with strong investments to construct critical facilities on military installations including family housing and child development centers, and build, repair, and retrofit Veterans Affairs facilities
Protects our national security with investments to respond to the challenges posed by Russian and Chinese aggression
Confronts the climate crisis with increased climate change and resiliency funding to help military installations adapt to rising sea levels and worsening natural disasters
The 2022 Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies funding bill provides funding of $84.1 billion, an increase of $8.7 billion -- more than 11 percent -- above 2021. This includes an increase of $6.8 billion is for the Department of Housing and Urban Development and $1.9 billion for the Department of Transportation. In total, the bill provides $162.6 billion in budgetary resources, an increase of $25.9 billion above 2021. The legislation:

Creates tens of thousands of good-paying American jobs by rebuilding our crumbling infrastructure with significant investments in airports, highways, transit, passenger rail, and port systems
Grows opportunity through homeownership and rental assistance, including more than 125,000 new housing vouchers targeted to individuals and families experiencing or at risk of homelessness and over 4,000 new units for seniors and persons with disabilities
Supports the vulnerable with public housing safety, maintenance and improvement investments, such as the remediation of lead paint and radon and installation of energy and water efficient systems
Promotes safe transportation and housing with a skilled and growing workforce to conduct inspections, mitigate hazards, and study emerging threats and innovative solutions
Reduces emissions, increases resiliency, and addresses historical inequities in transportation and housing programs through targeted grants and investments

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