Rep. Ruben Gallego Celebrates More Wins for Arizona in FY 2020 Appropriations Bills
WASHINGTON, DC – Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) issued the following statement following passage of five key FY 2020 Appropriations bills – Commerce-Justice-Science, Agriculture-Related Agencies, Interior-Environment, Military Construction-VA, and Transportation-HUD:
"For years, a Republican Congress neglected the health, well-being and financial security of the American people. With Democrats in the majority, we're now back on the right track," said Rep. Gallego. "These investments in our communities will help feed hungry children, protect our environment for future generations, make good on our promises to veterans and their families, and make investments to combat the affordable housing crisis."
The appropriations bills contained the following measures to benefit Arizonans:
Food and Nutrition Programs
- Fully funds the SNAP program through 2020
- Invests in free and reduced school breakfast and lunch programs and summer food service for low income children to receive meal assistance when school is out for the summer
Veterans Affairs
- Provides funding for VA mental health care services, homelessness assistance initiatives, health care for women veterans, opioid abuse recovery and prevention, and suicide prevention outreach
- Includes $25 million above the budget request for hiring additional staff and making other improvements to reduce the disability claims backlog
- Ensures that the VA effectively spends its suicide prevention outreach funding and addresses veteran suicide and mental health issues
Commerce-Justice-Science
- Bolsters funding for anti-opioid initiatives and assists state and local governments in addressing the opioid epidemic
- Increases resources to help reduce violent and gun crime, including full funding for the FBI's National Instant Criminal Background Check System
- Provides funds to hire additional immigration judge teams to address the immigration case backlog
- Expands climate change research and expands economic growth with strong investments in STEM education and training initiatives
Interior and Environment
- Funds efforts to preserve civil rights and state and tribal historic sites and includes funds for HBCUs
- Ensures access to safe drinking water and clean air through vigorous investment in the Environmental Protection Agency's clean and safe water funds and superfund site cleanups.
- Increases funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund to protect conservation and recreation land in every state
- Strengthens funding for tribal programs, including the Bureau of Indian Affairs and Bureau of Indian Education and the Indian Health Service
Transportation-HUD
- Provides much-needed funding for roads, bridges, transit, rail, and aviation
- Ensures that the Department of Transportation continues to fund local transportation improvement projects, including light rail in Phoenix
- Includes a 20% increase in funding for aviation security and to allow for hiring of more FAA inspectors, engineers and technicians to oversee critical safety functions at Phoenix Sky Harbor and airports nationwide
- Includes an amendment cosponsored by Rep. Gallego directing the Federal Aviation Administration to prioritize funds for efforts to combat airplane and helicopter noise
- Funds new affordable housing units and provides other housing assistance for veterans, seniors, Native Americans, and people with disabilities
- Blocks the Trump administration's proposed rule change on undocumented immigrants in affordable housing, which would threaten the housing tenure of 55,000 children who are U.S. citizens or legal residents
- Prohibits HUD from repealing a rule that protects LGBTQ individuals using housing services