WASHINGTON –Today, Rep. Marcia L. Fudge (OH-11) applauded passage of H.R. 7608, the first “minibus” of fiscal year (FY) 2021 appropriations bills. The package totals $259.5 billion in discretionary funding and consists of four FY 2021 appropriations bills: State-Foreign Operations, Agriculture-Rural Development-FDA, Interior-Environment, and Military Construction and Veterans Affairs.
“I was proud to vote for this spending package that strengthens food security, prioritizes public health, invests in infrastructure, supports our veterans, and enhances our ability to respond to and recover from the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Rep. Fudge. “The bill rejects the President’s harmful cuts to critical programs, and instead upholds our values and invests in communities in Ohio’s 11th Congressional District and across the country. I am particularly proud to see the Agriculture funding bill includes several provisions in line with my priorities for the coming year such as: providing robust funding to nutrition assistance programs, blocking the Administration’s cruel SNAP rules, and protecting worker safety at meat processing plants during the COVID-19 pandemic. This minibus acknowledges that Congress must do more, not less, to help families and communities as this public health and economic crisis continues.”
Below are notable provisions included in H.R. 7608:
CORONAVIRUS
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Gives FDA legal authority to require the recall of unsafe prescription and over-the-counter drugs
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Restores funding for the World Health Organization, a vital U.S. partner in the fight against COVID-19, which President Trump has threatened to cut off
AGRICULTURE
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Provides full funding for SNAP ($68.277 billion), child nutrition programs ($25.131 billion), and WIC ($5.75 billion)
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Blocks two unconscionable SNAP rules by the Trump administration designed to restrict program eligibility
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Provides $20.3 million for education grants and scholarships for 1890 Land-Grant Universities
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Includes language revoking any line speed waivers issued to meat processing plants by USDA during the COVID-19 emergency declaration and strips USDA of its authority to issue new waivers to increase line speeds unless determined by OSHA that any such increase would not have an adverse impact on worker safety
INFRASTRUCTURE
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Provides $15.17 billion in water infrastructure and other infrastructure programs, including $12.97 billion for the Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds, and $546 million to get lead out of drinking water
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Provides $1.45 billion for rural water and waste program loans, and more than $610 million in water and waste grants for clean and reliable drinking water systems and sanitary waste disposal systems
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Provides $990 million for the Rural Broadband ReConnect Program, $435 million above fiscal year 2020
ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE CHANGE
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Provides $13.83 billion for the Department of the Interior (non-LWCF), $304 million above fiscal year 2020
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Provides $9.38 billion for the Environmental Protection Agency, $318 million above fiscal year 2020
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Provides $521.6 million for EPA’s Clean Air programs and research, $37.9 million above fiscal year 2020
VETERANS AND MILITARY FAMILIES
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Provides $12.5 billion in emergency appropriations for VA to address sharply rising health care costs
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Provides $90 billion for Veterans Medical Care
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Provides $1.9 billion for Homeless Assistance Programs
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Provides $1.49 billion for Military Family Housing
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