28.07.22
WASHINGTON (Thursday, July 28, 2022) — Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) released the chairman’s mark of 12 Senate appropriations bills on Thursday. The nearly $1.7 trillion appropriation package for fiscal year 2023 includes $653 billion in non-military discretionary spending, a 10.1 percent increase from fiscal year 2022; $850 billion in discretionary defense spending, an 8.7% increase from fiscal year 2022 and consistent with the bipartisan National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) passed by the House; and $118.7 billion for VA medical care, a 22% increase from fiscal year 2022. The package also includes $21 billion in additional emergency funding to provide the resources needed to prepare for the next phase of the COVID-19 pandemic and to combat other emerging diseases that pose a significant threat to public health.
Leahy said, “These bills are an investment in the American people that promotes affordable housing, helps families put food on the table, supports the education and care of our children and youth, fights climate change, improving access to healthcare and investing in our communities. I hope that by releasing these bills and making it clear what the Senate Democrats’ priorities are, we can move one step closer to a bipartisan compromise after months of stalled negotiations. The stakes of inaction are too high not to complete our work. The burden of inflation would make continued long-term resolution untenable, with serious consequences for communities and families across the country and for our national security. My goal is to complete our work before the end of the 117e Congress to avoid these consequences. I look forward to continuing to work with my dear friend, Vice President Shelby, and encourage good faith bipartisan negotiations on the main lines to be resumed with the urgency this moment demands.
Package highlights include:
- Take action to fix the ugly and flawed Supreme Court Dobbs decision by providing resources to help women where abortion is restricted access care in states where abortion remains legal and protected, eliminates the Hyde and Weldon Amendments, and provides significant increases for reproductive health care programs .
- Delivering billions of dollars to address the climate crisis, including $2 billion to support FEMA’s efforts to mainstream climate adaptation, $1.6 billion for the Green Climate Fund and nearly 4 billion dollars invested in energy efficiency and renewable energies.
- Expands access to affordable housing by investing billions of dollars in building new homes, lowering the cost of rent, reducing heating and cooling costs, and providing the resources needed to help house hundreds of thousands of homeless people in our country.
- Supports efforts to address the current opioid and substance abuse crisis, which has worsened dramatically during the pandemic and claimed the lives of 108,000 people last year.
- Drives innovation by investing in science, research and development, including $10.3 billion for the National Science Foundation and $48 billion for the National Institutes of Health.
- Invests in the education and care of our children and youth by providing $20.137 billion for IA Title Grants, $12.036 billion for Head Start and $7.165 for Child Care Development Block Grants children, among other investments.
- Expands access to health care and mental health care, including $10.5 billion for the Centers for Disease Control and $1.42 billion for the Mental Health Block Grant.
- Tackles food insecurity by fully funding benefits for the 43.5 million Americans who access the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) each month.
- Provides billions of dollars to respond to natural disasters.
These and other investments advance important policy priorities and help American families cope with the rising cost of living due to inflation. It helps families feed themselves, pay rent and mortgage, and reduces the cost of childcare and higher education.
It is imperative to enact bills for the full year as soon as possible. A continued long-term resolution, which maintains prior year funding levels, during the record inflationary pressures the country is currently experiencing, would result in devastating cuts to the programs the American people rely on and to our national security. For example, cost increases have reduced LIHEAP’s purchasing power and increased the financial burden on low-income families for heating and cooling their homes. Food price increases have strained senior nutrition programs, which were already struggling with increased demand in the wake of the pandemic. And the rising cost of labor and building materials has reduced the purchasing power of HOME funds by about 2,500 homes. Passing a continuing resolution does nothing to address these and other critical shortcomings. The 12 bills released today respond to these needs.
A summary of the 12 bills prepared by President Leahy’s office is available HERE.
A summary of the Emergency COVID Supplement is available HERE.
Below are links to the legislative text, the explanatory memorandum and a summary for each of the finance bills for the financial year 2023:
Agriculture:
Invoice text
Explanatory statement
Invoice Summary
Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies:
Invoice text
Explanatory statement
Invoice Summary
Defense:
Invoice text
Explanatory statement
Invoice Summary
Energy and water development:
Invoice text
Explanatory statement
Invoice Summary
Financial services and public administration:
Invoice text
Explanatory statement
Invoice Summary
homeland security:
Invoice text
Explanatory statement
Invoice Summary
Interior, environment and related agencies:
Invoice text
Explanatory statement
Invoice Summary
Labour, health and social services, education and related agencies:
Invoice text
Explanatory statement
Invoice Summary
Legislative power:
Invoice text
Explanatory statement
Invoice Summary
Military construction, veterans and related organizations:
Invoice text
Explanatory statement
Invoice Summary
State, overseas operations and related programs:
Invoice text
Explanatory statement
Invoice Summary
Transport, housing and urban development and related agencies:
Invoice text
Explanatory statement
Invoice Summary
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