WASHINGTON – Today, Congressman Dave Joyce (OH-14) issued the following statement regarding his support for the FY2020 Appropriations agreement:

 

“While it’s not the legislation I would have written, and there are some things in here that I may not necessarily agree with, there is much more in this agreement that unites us than divides us. This legislation takes critical steps towards securing our nation, ensuring the health of our national parks and other public lands, addressing the backlog of untested sexual assault kits, promoting economic prosperity, and investing in our nation’s infrastructure. 

 

“Importantly, there were several wins for Ohio included in this legislation, like increased funding for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI), extensive resources for programs that help us fight the opioid crisis and increased funding for rural broadband programs. As a member of the House Appropriations Committee, I look forward to continuing to fight for Ohio’s priorities as we begin work on the funding bills for the next fiscal year.”

 

The agreement also includes, but is not limited to, the following:
 

Protecting the Great Lakes and Other Natural Resources

• $320 million for the GLRI, a $20 million increase from previously enacted levels
• Prioritizes funding for Harmful Algal Bloom research
• Provides more than $35 million for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and USGS to prevent and control the spread of Asian carp
• $1.8 billion for maintenance and construction at our national parks and other public lands

Taking Care of Our Veterans

• $1.5 billion for the implementation of an electronic health records system for veterans that is fully interoperable with Department of Defense records
• Increases funding for programs aimed at mental health, suicide prevention, ending homelessness, assisting rural veterans and expanding female veteran health programs
• $16 million for adaptive sports programs for disabled veteran athletes

Combatting the Opioid Epidemic

• Increases funding for the Office of National Drug Control Policy programs such as High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas and Drug Free Communities 
• $5.7 billion for substance abuse disorder prevention, treatment, and recovery, as well as research into alternative therapies for pain management
• $40.3 million for drug inspection technologies specifically targeted at opioid detection as well as safeguards for Customs and Border Protection employees

Addressing Our Broken Immigration System

• Funds additional judges to address the backlog of immigration cases
• $1.3 billion for physical infrastructure along the southern border

Growing the Economy

• $37.5 billion for Small Business Administration loan programs 

Investing in Infrastructure

• $2.2 billion to rebuild, improve, and modernize America’s highways
• $3.4 billion for Community Development Block Grants 
• $60 million for the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act program

Reducing Gun Violence

• $25 million to research gun violence prevention (first time funding has been provided for this purpose since 1996)
• $125 million for STOP School Violence grants  
• $78 million in grants to states to improve records used in background checks

Supporting Agricultural Communities

• $1.2 billion to support farmers and ranchers around the country severely impacted by hurricanes, floods, droughts and other natural disasters in 2018 and 2019

Closing the Skills Gap

• $175 million to support registered apprenticeships

 

*Also of note is the continuation of the Member pay freeze.

 

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