DeLauro Leads Passage of Bipartisan Government Funding Legislation

House Appropriations Committee Chair Rosa DeLauro (CT-03) today celebrated passage of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023, legislation consisting of all 12 fiscal year 2023 appropriations bills, along with supplemental funding to support Ukraine and aid states in their disaster recovery efforts. The investments provided by this legislation will help working and middle-class families in Connecticut and across the nation with the rising cost of living, support small businesses, and protect workers.

“People are living paycheck to paycheck,” said Chair DeLauro. “By providing a 9.3 percent increase in non-defense funding for domestic programs, we make critical strides in our work to invest in the American people and help them get ahead and stay ahead for generations to come. The package makes needed investments in programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), and other life sustaining programs that improve food safety, strengthen our supply chains, and protect older and younger Americans by funding resources they depend on. I am proud to have led the bipartisan negotiations for the House that produced government funding legislation that will support working people and look forward to President Biden signing this legislation into law.”

Among the investments Chair DeLauro secured for Connecticut, this funding bill:

• Invests a total of $5 billion into the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), including the Connecticut Energy Assistance Program to help families keep their heat on this winter season;

• Protects workers by boosting National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) funding to $299 million, $25 million over the 2022 enacted level (and the first funding increase for the NLRB since fiscal year 2010); funding the Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) at $632 million, an increase of $20 million over the 2022 enacted level; and investing $260 million in the Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division, an increase of $9 million over the 2022 enacted level;

• Provides $45 billion in emergency funding to support the Ukrainian peopleand defend global democracy in the wake of Russia’s unprovoked attack on Ukraine;

• Includes $27 billion in emergency funding to respond to the devastation that natural disasters and extreme weather events have left behind and help American families, small businesses, and entire communities recover;

• Creates high-paying jobs, with $1.8 billion for 12 CH-53K helicopters, restores the shortfall of all 19 F-35 Joint Strike Fighters, $991 million for 35 UH/HH–60M Blackhawk helicopters, and $75 million toward F135 Engine Core Upgrade (ECU) for the F-35 Lightning II;

• Supports key early childhood programs, investing $8 billion in the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) an increase of $1.9 billion over the 2022 enacted level, $12 billion for Head Start an increase of $960 million over the 2022 enacted level, and $315 million for Preschool Development Grants, an increase of $25 million over the 2022 enacted level;

• Strengthens K-12 Education with vital investments in Title I, Education for the Disadvantaged at $18.4 billion, an increase of $850 million over the 2022 enacted level, $14.2 billion for IDEA Grants to States, Part B, an increase of $850 million over the 2022 enacted level, continued robust increases in Social Emotional Learning Initiatives, including $150 million for Full Service Community Schools, an increase of $75 million over the 2022 enacted level and nearly increasing this investment tenfold since DeLauro became Chair of the subcommittee, and quadruples existing funding for the National American History and Civics National Activities Program;

• Helps students and young Americans get ahead with critical funding for Higher Education,including an increase to the maximum Pell Grant award by $500 and $1 billion for the Aid for Institutional Development, including:
  • $396 million for Historically Black Colleges and Universities,
  • $228 million for Hispanic Serving Institutions,
  • and $50 million for a new program to provide HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs with Research and Development infrastructure grants;

• Keeps American workers competitive, with needed investments in job training, including $2.9 billion for Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act State Grants, and $285 million for Registered Apprenticeships;

• Strengthens community college training grants, investing $65 million in this program. DeLauro created this program in fiscal year 2020 appropriations;

• Helps Americans find a job, with $375 million for reemployment services;

• Propels health research forward, with $47.5 billion for the National Institutes of Health, $1.5 billion for Advanced Research Project Agency for Health (ARPA-H) and $950 million for Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) for cutting edge research that will save lives and cure disease;

• Improves mental health services and save the lives of veterans and young Americans by investing $502 million in the 9-8-8 lifeline and behavioral health services,$987 million for the Mental Health Block Grant, $1.9 billion for the Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant, $385 million for Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics, and $94 million for the National Child Traumatic Stress Initiative;

• Invests $350 million, an increase of $150 million above the 2022 enacted level, for public health infrastructure and capacity nationwide;

• Enhances tracking of public health data, with $175 million for Public Health Data Modernization and $293 million for Global Public Health Protection;

• Addresses our maternal health crisis by providing historic investments, including:
  • $823 million in HRSA's Maternal and Child Health Block Grant which funds—
    • Maternal Mental Health Hotline;
    • State Maternal Health Innovation Grants;
  • and Grants to Minority-Serving Institutions;$145 million for HRSA's Healthy Start
  • $10 million for HRSA Screening and Treatment for Maternal Depression;
  • $108 million for CDC Safe Motherhood/Infant Health; and
  • $7 million for the Office of Minority Health – Achieving Equitable Maternal Health Outcomes – for a new initiative;

• Improves American health by investing $1.9 billion in Community Health Centersand $2.6 billion for the Ryan White HIV/AIDS;

• Supports our seniors by boosting operating expenses at the Social Security Administration to $14 billion and providing $1.1 billion for Senior Nutrition programs;

• Supports American community service and public and civics education with needed investments in National and Community Service and Public Services, including $557 million for AmeriCorps, $535 million for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and $295 million for the Institute for Museum and Library Services;

In addition to this funding, the bill also includes:

• The creation of a nationwide permanent Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) Program so that 29 million kids can get healthy, nutritious meals throughout the summer. The program would grant providers the flexibility to serve food in non-congregate settings in certain rural areas, allowing programs to meet kids where they are.  

Last year, nearly 100,000 children in Connecticut, including more than 20,000 in CT-3, experienced food insecurity. These provisions would significantly decrease food insecurity among children during the critical months when school is out, and when many lose access to the reliable, nutritious meals they receive each day at school.
 

• A plan to combat EBT skimming to help families who have had their SNAP benefits stolen, a problem experienced by Connecticut families.

• The Anti-Money Laundering Whistleblower Improvement Act, which enhances protections for whistleblowers who report illegal money laundering.

• The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, legislation that would provide reasonable accommodation for pregnant workers and strengthen the economic security of pregnant and parenting workers and their families.