CLARK SECURES $4 BILLION INCREASE TO CHILD CARE PROGRAMS, FUNDING FOR GUN VIOLENCE RESEARCH, REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH

House passed first FY2020 spending package that makes historic investments on behalf of American families

 

June 20, 2019- Washington, D.C. Yesterday, Vice Chair of the Democratic Caucus Congresswoman Katherine Clark celebrated the passage of the first package of Fiscal Year 2020 Appropriations bills. As a member of the House Appropriations Committee, Congresswoman Clark secured a number of legislative priorities to support the success of Massachusetts’ families, including a $4 billion increase to child care funding and $50 million toward gun violence prevention research, which is the first time in two decades that the House has allocated resources for this purpose. The bill also blocks the President’s global and domestic gag rules protecting access to comprehensive reproductive health internationally. 

“House Democrats are working every day to advance policies that put the needs of the American people first, and today, the Appropriations Committee set a roadmap of how we will use federal funding to support these goals”, said Congresswoman Clark. “We are increasing Head Start and the Child Care and Development Block Grant, two programs that will take thousands of kids off waitlists and put them into classrooms. These programs are as central to the economy’s success as investments in our roads and bridges.

“Additionally, we designated $25 million for students who will join the substance use disorder treatment workforce. Currently, a shortage of treatment professionals is a significant roadblock on the road to recovery for far too many Americans struggling with opioid addiction. These resources will help us save lives. 

“Finally, after nearly two decades of inaction, we are investing $50 million in gun violence research, dollars that will help us to understand where and why gun violence occurs. Unlike our Republican colleagues, we refuse to allow special interests to control Congress and prevent action to reduce gun violence.”

The Congresswoman secured the following resources to support American families:

 

Children and Families:

  • $7.7 billion included for the Child Care and Development Block Grant, which is $2.4 billion over FY19 enacted.
  • $11.6 billion included for the Head Start Program, which is $1.5 billion over FY19 enacted.
  • $5 million included to fully fund the Maternal Depression Grant Program.
    • This fully funds Congresswoman Clark’s 2016 Bringing Postpartum Depression Out of the Shadows Act.

Gun Violence Prevention:

  • $50 million for the NIH and CDC to support firearm injury & mortality prevention research.

Women’s Health and Rights:

  • $805.5 million for international family planning and reproductive health, including $750 million for the Global Health Programs and Economic Support Funds accounts and $55.5 million for the United Nations Population Fund.
  • Blocks the global and domestic gag rules.
  • Requires the State Department to report on reproductive health access and rights in the annual Human Rights Report.
    • This enacts provisions of Congresswoman Clark’s Reproductive Rights Are Human Rights Act.

Substance Use Disorder:

  • $25 million included to fund the program created by the Substance Use Disorder Workforce Loan Repayment Act.
    • This fully funds Congresswoman Clark’s 2018 SUPPORT Communities and Patients Act.

Environmental Protections:

  • $1.3 billion for the Safe Drinking Water State Revolving Fund.
  • $1.8 billion for the Clean Water State Revolving Fund.
  • $1.21 billion for the EPA Superfund, an increase of $55 million above the 2019 enacted level.
  • $3.2 million for the Partnership Wild and Scenic Rivers Program, which is an increase of $1,093,000.

2020 Census:

  • Included $8.45 billion for the Bureau of the Census, which is $4.6 billion above FY19 enacted.
  • Included language to block the “citizenship question.”

NIH:

  • 41.1 billion for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), an increase of $2 billion above 2019 and $6.9 billion above the President’s request, including:
    • $2.4 billion for Alzheimer’s research.
    • $3.2 billion for HIV/AIDS research.
    • $195 million for the Cancer Moonshot research initiative.

The House passed the bill on June 19, 2019, on a 226 to 203 vote, a package of fiscal year 2020 appropriations bills. The package consists of four bills that fund federal departments including Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, Defense, State, and Energy from October 1, 2019 to September 30, 2020.

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