WASHINGTON –Today, Rep. Marcia L. Fudge (OH-11) applauded passage of H.R. 7617, the second “minibus” of fiscal year (FY) 2021 appropriations bills.  The package totals $1.3 trillion in discretionary funding and consists of six FY 2021 appropriations bills: Defense, Commerce-Justice-Science, Energy and Water Development, Financial Service and General Government, Labor-HHS-Education, and Transportation-Housing and Urban Development.

“I was proud to vote for this spending package that invests in education and job training, addresses police reform, expands access to safe and affordable housing, improves our infrastructure and supports our service members and their families,” said Rep. Fudge.  “The bill rejects the President’s proposals to slash and even eliminate critical programs that serve marginalized communities, instead making investments that will help Ohio’s 11^th Congressional District recover from the pandemic and succeed in the years to come.  The bill funds the implementation of key police reforms included in the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, increases funding for Title I grants that support students in underserved communities, and strengthens our commitment to health programs that address racial disparities and the ongoing maternal and infant mortality crisis.”

Below are notable provisions included in H.R. 7617:

EDUCATION

• Provides $73.5 billion for the Department of Education, $6.9 billion above President’s request
• Provides $24.6 billion for federal student aid programs, an increase of $45 million above the FY20.  This includes $6,495 for the maximum Pell Grant, $150 above FY20
• Provides $16.6 billion for Title I Grants to Local Educational Agencies, $254 million above FY20
• Provides $2.2 billion for Supporting Effective Instruction State Grants (Title II-A), $23 million above FY20
• Eliminates a provision that prohibits funds from being used to address school segregation

JOB TRAINING

• Provides $10.2 billion for the Employment and Training Administration, $1.5 billion above President’s request
• Provides $1.76 billion for the Job Corps program to assist opportunity or at-risk youth gain necessary employment and work skills

HEALTH CARE AND MEDICAL RESEARCH

• Provides $47 billion for the National Institutes of Health, an increase of $5.5 billion above FY20
• Provides $50 million, an increase of $25 million above FY20, for firearm injury and mortality prevention research at CDC and NIH
• Provides $1.65 billion for Community Health Centers, $25 million above FY 20, including $10 million to support school-based health centers
• Provides $67 million for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH) Program, to address racial health disparities
• Provides $981 million for programs to improve maternal and child health, $37 million above FY20
• Provides $343.7 million for the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, $7.8 million above FY20
• Blocks the Administration’s reproductive health gag order and restores grant eligibility to Planned Parenthood and other clinics offering abortion services

POLICE REFORM

• Implements key components of the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, with strong funding for police reform
• Conditions federal grant funding for state and local law enforcement on significant improvements to police practices
• Provides $103 million for the Reintegration of Ex-Offenders, $5 million above FY 20, to support workforce development activities for formerly incarcerated individuals

INFRASTRUCTURE

• Includes $107.2 billion in total budgetary resources for the Department of Transportation
• Provides $7.6 billion for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, including studies, construction, and operation & maintenance
• Provides $75 billion in emergency funding to rebuild our nation’s transportation and housing infrastructure
• Provides $61 billion in emergency funding to expand the availability of broadband to unserved and underserved areas
• Provides $43.5 billion in emergency spending modernize water and energy infrastructure
• Provides $24.4 billion in emergency spending to support state and local public health agencies and global health activities

HOUSING

• Provides $50.6 billion for Housing and Urban Development, $13.3 billion above Trump’s request
• Blocks Trump administration rules targeting undocumented immigrants and LGBT people

STRONG COMMUNITIES

• Provides $3.5 billion for Community Development Block Grants, rejecting the President’s proposal to eliminate the program
• Provides $356 million for the Economic Development Administration, helping boost struggling communities
• Provides $273.5 million for Community Development Financial Institutions, rejecting the President’s proposal to eliminate the program

SERVICE MEMBERS AND MILITARY FAMILIES

• Provides full funding necessary to support the 3 percent military pay raise
• Provides More than $33.3 billion for Defense Health Programs, including $512.5 million for cancer research

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