COSTA VOTES TO KEEP GOVERNMENT OPEN, FUND CRITICAL VALLEY PROGRAMS

(WASHINGTON) - Congressman Jim Costa (CA-16) joined House leadership and other California  members of Congress, including valley Representatives Josh Harder (CA-10) and TJ Cox (CA-21), in passing two spending bills, HR 1158: National Security Programs and HR 1865: Domestic Programs, that will fully fund the government through fiscal year 2020:

“I’m proud of the work we’ve done to reach a bipartisan agreement to fully fund the government for 2020,” said Costa. “This deal provides money for critical programs and improvements that have a huge impact on communities and residents here in the San Joaquin Valley. While no spending package is perfect, today’s vote ensures we can avoid a government shutdown, protect our national security, and continue to pay our hardworking government employees.”
 

The Domestic Program bill makes strong investments in giving working families a chance at a better life, securing our nation, and upholding American values by providing:

• $1.99 billion for rural drinking water systems including $1.45 billion for rural water and waste program loans.
• $640 million for rural broadband expansion.
• $6 billion in discretionary funding for WIC.
• $23.16 billion for child nutrition programs.
• $67 billion for SNAP.
• $3.2 billion for agriculture research.
• $6 million for Specialty Crop Pests for the eradication of the navel orangeworm.
  • $134 million for Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation (WIIN) Act storage projects.
  • Del Puerto Canyon Storage Project
  • Los Vaqueros Reservoir Expansion Project
  • Sites Reservoir Project
  • Friant-Kern Canal Capacity Correction Project
• $20 million for additional Friant-Kern Canal repair.
• $10 million for aquifer storage and recovery projects for sustainable water supplies.
• $2.79 billion for renewable energy.
• $5.5 billion for Wildfire Management and wildfire suppression funding.
• $3.8 billion for the National Park Service.
• $3.38 billion for EPA’s science and environmental program.
• $2.77 billion for clean drinking water.
• $1.7 billion Food for Peace program.
• $1 billion in BUILD Grants.
• $49.3 for the Federal Highway Administration.
• $2.8 billion for the Federal Railroad Administration.
• $2 billion for Amtrak.
• $80 billion for VA medical care, including funding to provide for homelessness assistance, suicide prevention, and outreach.

• $15.5 billion for new transportation and housing infrastructure projects with an additional $116 million allocated for California.
• $2.7 billion for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Technologies.
• $45 million for Rural Housing Assistance Grants.
   

The National Security Programs bill provides money to enhance the safety of all Americans, as well as strengthens protections for migrants and improves conditions for border detainees:

Other key benefits include:

• Providing a 3.1% raise to federal civilian employees and members of the military.
• $35 million in STEM training for students.
• $360 million for medical research programs, including research on ALS, Alzheimer’s, Breast Cancer and Melanoma.
• $3 million for a sexual trauma treatment program.
• $2.04 billion to combat human trafficking.
• $378 million to address the Opioid crisis.
• $502.5 million for Violence Against Women’s Act (VAWA), which funds Marjaree Mason Center and rape crisis centers.
• $27 million for children’s advocacy programs through the Victims of Child Abuse Act (VOCAA).
• $2.6 billion for Crime Victim’s Fund and Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) Programs.
• $78 million for firearms background checks system.
• $3.2 billion in grants for state and local law enforcement to fund such programs as
  • $547 million for Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grants (JAG)
  • $25 million for gun safety research.
  • $78 million to improve the NICS firearms background checks system.
  • $180 million to address sexual assault kit and other DNA evidence backlogs.
  • $125 million for the STOP School Violence Act.
  • $1.8 billion for disaster relief programs in states susceptible to natural disasters including California.