Appropriations: Directing Funding to Fundamental Needs

Last year, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and the Democratic Steering and Policy Committee selected me to serve on the powerful U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations in the 110th Congress.

I am proud to serve on the following subcommittees:

• Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education
• Commerce, Justice, and Science
• Legislative Branch

After the Congress adopts an annual Budget Resolution for the fiscal year, the Appropriations committee determines the amount of funding that will be appropriated for federal programs and executive branch agencies. You can see the current status of appropriations bills or view the appropriations I included in this year’s appropriations bills.

• Earmarks and Limitations in Appropriations Bills
• The Congressional Appropriations Process
• Overview of the Authorization-Appropriations Process

I believe my life experiences have prepared me well to serve on the committee. I came to Congress with more than a decade of experience in local and state government, and more than thirty years of service as an educator and administrator. This experience has shown me how the appropriations priorities set by Congress impact what state and local officials and public servants are able to do for their communities. As a member of the Appropriations Committee, I will fight to make sure that we address the needs of states, communities and families.

As Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, I am also honored to bring the only Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) voice to the Committee. AAPIs are a growing portion of our nation’s population, and they have gone for too long without representation on the committee that sets our nation’s funding priorities.

Fundamental Needs

Twelve years of Republican control of the House of Representatives have left our nation with many unmet needs, with working families struggling to make ends meet. As a member of the Appropriations Committee, I have worked to direct funding to address such fundamental needs as:

• access to affordable healthcare
• worker training
• port and border security
• adequate law enforcement to keep our streets and neighborhoods safe
• health care for our veterans
• recovery from natural disasters, particularly Hurricane Katrina
• education, particularly fully funding No Child Left Behind and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act