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Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee Secures Substantial Funding in FY 2018 Omnibus Spending Bill

June 15, 2018

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PRESS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Robin K. Chand

March 26, 2018 202-225-3816

Press Statement

Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee Secures Substantial Funding in FY 2018 Omnibus Spending Bill that Benefits Houston and Harris County

Jackson Lee: The Trump budget was dead on arrival because it was out of touch and had no basis in reality. Thereafter, I worked with colleagues in the House and the Senate and reached across the aisle and lifted the mandatory budget caps to nondefense discretionary spending programs, benefitting seniors, transportation and infrastructure, and other important priorities. I am pleased for the provisions of this budget which I believe will strengthen the lives of people in the 18th Congressional District of Texas.

WASHINGTON, DC – Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, senior Member of the House Committees on Budget, Judiciary and Homeland Security, and Ranking Member of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security and Investigations, released the following statement regarding the Consolidated Appropriations Act for FY 2018 passed Thursday by the House:

"I am pleased that the omnibus spending bill passed by the House of Representatives and Senate, and signed into law on Friday by the President, includes significant investments for the programs and priorities for which I advocated on behalf of the residents of the 18th Congressional District of Texas.

"The Trump budget was dead on arrival because it was out of touch and had no basis in reality. Thereafter, I worked with colleagues in the House and the Senate and reached across the aisle and lifted the mandatory budget caps by $117 billion to fund nondefense discretionary investments benefitting seniors, transportation and infrastructure, and other important priorities. The FY18 Omnibus spending bill includes 21 Jackson Lee amendments that together increase investments in such critical areas as public health, education, flood control, transportation, child nutrition, criminal justice reform, and women's rights.

"Some of the major items included in the Omnibus spending bill of critical importance to my constituents, the people of Texas, and the nation are the following:

  1. Transportation and Housing and Urban Development
  • $1.5 billion for National Investments Infrastructure Investments (TIGER) grants program, which is $1 billion more than the FY2017 enacted level
  • $2.25 billion in new funding for highway grants and $800 million in new funding for transit formula grants.
  • $2.64 billion for Capital Investment Grants used to build or expand subway, light rail, and commuter rail transit systems, which is $232 million more than was enacted last year.
  • $14.64 billion for the federal aviation administration, which is $1.59 billion more than was enacted for FY 2017.
  • $200.58 million for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Housing and Urban Development

  • $3.365 billion for Community Development Block Grants which is $305 million more than the FY2017 enacted level.
  • $19.6 billion for tenant-based rental assistance.
  • $230 Million for Lead Hazard control and healthy homes, which is more than a 50% increase from the FY2017 enacted level.
  • $678 million for housing for the elderly
  • $229 million for Housing for the disabled
  • $375 million for housing opportunities for people with AIDS
  • $2.513 billion for homeless assistance grants.
  1. Labor & Health and Human Services

Labor

  • $1.2 billion for 21st Century Community Learning Centers
  • $1.1 billion for Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grants
  • $1.7 billion for Job Corps in the total FY 2018 funding
  • Funding to increase maximum Pell Grant award by $175 to $6,095
  • $1 billion for TRIO, up more than $60 million
  • $350 million for GEAR UP, which is $10 million more than FY 2017
  • $680 million for AID for Institutional Development and Minority Serving Institutions, more than the FY 2017 level.
  • $350 million relief fund for borrowers to receive public service loan forgiveness
  • $145 million for Apprenticeship Grants, an increase of $50 million.
  • $2.8 billion for Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Grants to State, which is an $80 million increase from FY 2017
  • $1 billion for the Corporation for National and Community Services
  • $240 million for the institutes of Library services

Health & Human Services

  • $37.1 billion for the National Institutes of Health, an increase of almost 10% from FY2017 enacted level.
  • $8.0 billion for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which is more than a 10% increase from FY 2017.
  • $1.6 billion in discretionary funding for community health centers, which is significantly higher than the FY 2017 level. Combined with $3.8 billion fin mandatory funding, Community Health Centers received $5.4 billion for FY 2018.
  • $20 million for nursing education and training programs, and $15 million for Children's Hospital Graduate Medical Education
  • $3.7 billion for programs to respond to the opioid crisis, including prevention, treatment, surveillance and research to develop non-opioid pain medication, behavioral health workforce training, and support for children and families, which is $2.7 billion more than FY 2017 enacted levels.
  • $2.3 billion for the Ryan White Aids program
  • $5.2 for the Childcare and Development Grant, which is $2.37 billion more than the FY 2017 enacted level
  • $9.9 billion for Head Start
  • $897 million for Senior Nutrition programs
  • $3.6 billion for Low-income Home Energy Assistance Program, an increase of $250 million more than the FY 2017 enacted level
  1. Commerce, Justice and Science
  • The 2018 omnibus provides for $59.6 billion for the commerce, science and justice division.
  • $2.4 billion overall for state and local law enforcement
  • $275 million overall for COPS office, $54 million more than the FY2017 level.
  • $149.5 million is for the core COPS hiring Program, an increase of $12.5 million above FY 2017
  • $32 million is provided for anti-heroin task forces.
  • $75 million for comprehensive School Safety Initiative grants, $25 million above the FY 2017 enacted level
  • $447 million for grant programs to address the opioid crisis, an increase of $300 million above the FY 2017 level for activities such as: heroin enforcement task forces, drug courts, prescription drug monitoring, treatment, and, overdose reversal medication
  • $5.9 billion for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which is $233.9 million higher than FY 2017 enacted level.
  • $1.01 billion is provided for operating expenses for National Weather Service, $34.3 million higher than the FY2017 level.
  • $2.8 billion for Census Bureau, which is $1.3 billion higher than the FY2017 enacted level, to fund urgent preparations for the 2020 Decennial Census.
  • $410 million for the Legal Services Corporation, which is $25 million higher than the FY2017 level.
  • Office of Justice Programs
  • $416 million for the Byrne-JAG program an increase of $10.5 million above the FY2017 level.
  • $492 million for Violence Against Women Prevention and Prosecution grant programs, as increase of $10.5 million above the FY2017 level.
  • $1.29 billion for Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), which is $35.2 million higher than FY2017 level.
  • $7.8 billion for the National Science Foundation (NSF), which is $295 million more than
  1. Interior & Environment

Interior

  • $97 million for the Historic Preservation fund, $16 million more than the 2017 enacted.
    • $13 million for Civil Rights Initiative grants
    • $5 million for grants to HBCUs
  • $630 million for the Urban Areas Security Initiative, which is $25 million more than the FY2017 enacted level, including:
    • $50 million for the UASI Nonprofit Security Grants Program, which is $25 million more than the FY2017 enacted level.
  • $700 million for firefighter equipment and staffing grants, which is $10 million more than the FY2017 enacted level.
  • $249.2 million for Pre-disaster Mitigation grants, which is $149.2 million more than the FY2017 enacted level.
  • $262.5 million for Flood Mapping, which is $85 million more than the FY2017 enacted level.
  • $120 million for the Emergency Food and Shelter Program, which is equal to the FY2017 enacted level.

Environment

  • $425 million for the land and Water Conservation fund, which is $25 million more than the FY2017 enacted level.
  • $1.043 billion for the Smithsonian Institution, $180 million more than 2017 enacted.
    • $2 million to support the Women's Initiative.
  • $152.8 million each for the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for Humanities, which is $3 million more than the 2017 enacted levels.
  • $8.821 billion for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which is $763 million more than the 2017 enacted level.
    • $1.693 billion for the Clean Water Fund, which is $300 million above the 2017 enacted level.
    • $1.163 billion for the Safe Drinking Water Fund, $300 million above the 2017 enacted level.
    • $50 million for three new grant programs authorized by the WIIN Act to address lead in drinking water, including $20 million for a Voluntary School Lead Testing grant program.
  1. Energy & Water Development
  • $2.3 billion for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, which is $231 million more than the FY2017 enacted level, $1.2 billion above the House bill, and $1.68 billion above the budget request.
  • $248 million for activities to modernize the electric grid and defend the U.S. energy sector against cyber and other attacks, which is $18 million more than the 2017 enacted level and $128 million above the budget request.
  • $6.8 billion for the Army Corps of Engineers, which is $789 million that the FY2017 enacted level and $1.8 billion above the budget request.
  • $35 million for continued implementation and expansion of the Sexual Assault Special Victim's Counsel Program.
  • $200 million in OCO for Ukraine, which is $50 million more than the 2017 enacted level.
  1. Homeland Security
  • $7.7 million to hire 328 additional CBP customs officers.
  • $7.9 billion for the Transportation Security Administration, which is $114.6 million more than the FY2017 enacted level.
  • $10.4 billion for the Coast Guard, which is $1.6 billion more than the FY2017 enacted level.
  • $507 million for the State Homeland Security Program (SHSGP), which is $40 million more than the FY2017 enacted level, including:
  • $10 million for a new SHSGP Nonprofit Security Grant Program.
  • $12.3 billion for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, including $7.4 billion for major disasters under the BCA cap adjustment. The total is $899.5 million more than the FY2017 enacted level.
  1. Financial Services & Government
  • $142 million for terrorism and Financial Intelligence, which is $19 million more than the FY2017 enacted level.
  • $7.6 billion in discretionary and mandatory funding for the Judiciary, which is $194 million more than the FY2017 enacted level.
  • $721 million for the District of Columbia, which is $35 million less than the FY2017 enacted level and $17 million more than the President's request.
  • $701 million for the Small Business Administration, which is $186 million less than the FY2017 enacted level.
  • Entrepreneurial Development Programs are funded at $247 million, $2 million more than FY2017 enacted level.
  • $10.1 million in base funding for the Election Assistance Commission, which is $0.5 million more the FY2017 enacted level; and an additional $380 million for new election security state grants.
  1. Military Construction/Defense

Defense

  • $14.135 million above the request for Historically Black Colleges and Universities/Minority Serving Institutions Basic Research Programs
  • $34.4 billion for Defense Health Requirements.
  • $359 million for cancer research; $125 million for traumatic brain injury and psychological health research.
  • $130 million for breast cancer research (an increase of $10 million from FY 2017).
  • $100 million for prostate cancer (an increase of $10 million from FY 2017)
  1. Agriculture
  • $1.716 billion for Food for Peace, a program that has helped feed over 3 billion people worldwide since its inception.
  • $28 million for the Summer EBT program, which helps underprivileged children eat during summer vacation.
  • As much as 1.8 billion more in additional water and wastewater infrastructure funding through loans and grants.
  • $6.175 billion in discretionary funding in for Special Supplemental Nutrition for Women, Infants, and Children, which is sufficient to meet expected need based on current estimates.
  • No cuts to Supplemental Nut rition Assistance Programs mandatory appropriations.
  1. State and Foreign Operations
  • $54 billion in total funding, which includes: $8.7 billion for global health
  • $6.1 billion for foreign military financing, including $3.1 billion for military to aid to Israel, which would fully fund the request in the Memorandum of Understanding.
  • $7.645 for Humanitarian and disaster relief.
  • $1.35 billion in total funding for the operating expenses of the U.S. Agency for International Development which is $9 million more than the FY2017 enacted level.
  • $6 billion for Embassy Security and Diplomatic Security, which is the same as the FY 2017 enacted level.
  • The omnibus bill provides the full budget request for all mental services and programs of $8.4 billion for the Veterans Administration, including an additional $10 million provided for the Veterans Crisis Line, an additional $22 million above the request provided for the National Centers for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and $196 million for suicide prevention outreach.

I am pleased to note that the omnibus spending bill takes measures to respect women's health. It does not include any policy riders which would have blocked funding for Planned Parenthood clinics and funding for Title X family planning clinics.

Provisions in the House bill that would have codified ICE's current abortion services policies for detainees are also not included. The omnibus also does not include any policy riders attacking the Affordable Care Act or a rider prohibiting the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission from moving forward with a policy change aimed at collecting employee gender and race information from employers.

Lastly, the Omnibus does not include a provision that prohibits the use of funds to carry out the District's Reproductive Health or include the global gag rule, which prohibits organizations that provide abortion services or refer or counsel patients on the topic from receiving federal funding.

This spending bill includes report language clarifying that Section 210, the dickey amendment does not prohibit the CDC from awarding grants to study gun violence.

Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee is a Democrat from Texas's 18th Congressional District. She is a senior member of the House Committees on Judiciary and Homeland Security and is a Ranking Member of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security and Investigations.