08/08/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 08/08/2024 23:26
Washington, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley, as a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced he secured critical investments for Oregon families and rural, coastal, and underserved communities in the third set of fiscal year 2025 (FY25) government spending bills to pass the committee-a key first step on the road to becoming law.
Merkley helped to make sure the investments-including over $39 million for 29 critical community-initiated projects across Oregon-were incorporated across three separate spending bills: the FY25 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (LHHS) bill that expands access to affordable, quality health care, mental health resources, and education options; the Financial Services and General Government (FSGG) bill that supports economic development and manufacturing in Oregon; and the Energy and Water Development (E&W) bill that bolsters water infrastructure, small ports, and fisheries, while strengthening Oregon's commitment to combatting climate chaos with renewable energy. All three bills cleared the committee with bipartisan support.
"As I hold a town hall in each of Oregon's 36 counties every year, I hear firsthand from folks about what matters most to them, including building on the foundations working families need to thrive: housing, health care, education, and good-paying jobs-and these latest funding bills deliver on these essentials," Merkley said. "From making significant investments in our education and health care systems, to supporting small businesses and innovation, and strengthening our water infrastructure and building drought resilience, the funding included in these bills for programs and critical community-initiated projects will benefit Oregonians in every corner of the state for years to come."
Merkley is the only Oregon member of Congress from either chamber since Senator Mark Hatfield to serve on the Appropriations Committee, which is one of the most powerful on Capitol Hill. He joined the committee in 2013 so that Oregon would have a strong voice in decisions about the investments our nation should be making.
Health Care and Education
Merkley, along with Senator Ron Wyden, secured the following 20 Oregon community-initiated projects in the Senate's draft FY25 LHHS funding bill to expand affordable health care and mental health resources, as well as increase childcare, early education, and career and technical training options throughout the state:
Click HERE for quotes from community-initiated project recipients included in the draft Senate LHHS bill.
Other key highlights in the LHHS bill include:
Rural Health: The LHHS bill includes critical investments in health care access and delivery in rural areas, including $155 million for the Rural Communities Opioid Response Program and $14.5 million for State Offices of Rural Health, including the Oregon Office of Rural Health. The bill also includes $5 million to further elevate the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Office of Rural Health, which was created by Senator Merkley's Rural Health Equity Act and bipartisan work in in the FY23 funding bill.
Nursing: The LHHS bill includes $310.5 million to support current nurses in Oregon and across the country and address the nursing workforce shortage, an increase of $5 million in funding will be used for nursing workforce development programs, which support nurses at all levels of education, training, and retention.
Reproductive Health Care: The LHHS bill includes funding for reproductive health care programs, including more than $286.5 million for the Title X Family Planning Program.
Maternal and Child Health: The bill includes over $1.18 billion for programs to improve maternal and child health, including $8 million to expand support for a maternal mental health hotline.
Mental and Behavioral Health Care: The LHHS bill includes over $1 billion for the Community Mental Health Services Block Grant to improve mental health services in all 50 states. Oregon benefited from nearly$15.3 million in Fiscal Year 2023. The bill also includes over $539.6 million in funding for 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
Medical Research: The LHHS bill includes a $2.05 billion increase in base funding for the National Institutes of Health, totaling $48.8 billion in the fight against cancer, Alzheimer's disease, ALS, and other devastating conditions.
Community Health Centers: The LHHS bill includes over $1.85 billion in funding to support ongoing efforts to increase accessibility of medical services through community and school-based health centers. These centers serve a vital role in ensuring access to primary care for rural and underserved communities.
Childcare and Early Education: The LHHS bill includes over $10.3 billion for the Child Care and Development Block Grant, a $1.6 billion increase, over $12.9 billion for Head Start and Early Head Start, a more than $600 million increase, and $315 million for preschool development grants to build or enhance preschool program infrastructure.
Migrant and Seasonal Farmworker Education: The LHHS bill includes over $97.3 million for programs for migrant students and seasonal farmworkers. Through this program, higher education and non-profit organizations can receive funding to give migrant and seasonal farmworkers and their children the opportunity to attend higher education or earn their GED. Oregon State University, Chemeketa Community College, Portland Community College, Treasure Valley Community College, and community-based organizations in Oregon receive funds through this program.
Accessible Education: The LHHS bill includes over $15.7 billion, an increase of over $300 million, for special education programs. This includes funding to assist Oregon in providing a free, appropriate education for children with disabilities and provide support services for 7.8 million students nationwide, including those participating in early intervention and preschool programs.
Student Support: The LHHS bill includes $1.21 billion for TRIO, a suite of eight educational programs that supports students from first-generation college students and individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds. The LHHS bill also includes $910 million for the Supplemental Education Opportunity Grant program and $1.23 billion for the Federal Work Study program. As the first person in his family to graduate from college, Merkley knows firsthand the value of this type of support and has been a fierce advocate for these programs. The bill also continues to support a total maximum Pell Grant award, the cornerstone of student financial aid, of $7,495 for the 2025 - 2026 school year.
Career Training: The LHHS bill includes nearly $1.5 billion for career, technical and adult education programs, which supports the workforce and economy by training young people to fill in-demand, twenty-first century jobs.
Community Services Block Grants: The bill includes $770 million for the program, which provides critical support for rural Oregon communities.
Community Service: The bill funds AmeriCorps VISTA volunteers at $103.2 million; Senior Volunteer Corps programs at $236.9 million; and National and State AmeriCorps grants at $592 million.
Job Creation and Innovation
Merkley and Wyden secured the following 5 community-initiated projects in the Senate's draft FY25 FSGG funding bill to support economic development in Oregon:
Click HERE for quotes from community-initiated project recipients included in the draft Senate FSGG bill.
Other key highlights in the FSGG bill include:
Small Business Development: The FSGG bill includes $385.6 million to support entrepreneurial and small business development.
Mass Timber Expansion: The FSGG bill includes language encouraging the General Services Administration to partner with the innovative wood products industry to expand the use of mass timber and other innovative wood products in federal buildings and for future construction projects.
Wine Labeling: The FSGG bill secured $159.7 million for the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, including to accelerate label applications, helping Oregon businesses get their new products to customers sooner.
Water Infrastructure. Renewable Energy, and Coastal Priorities
Merkley and Wyden secured the following 4 community-initiated projects in the Senate's draft FY25 E&W funding bill to enhance water infrastructure and conservation and supercharge renewable energy projects in Oregon:
Click HERE for quotes from community-initiated project recipients included in the draft Senate E&W bill.
Other key funding in the E&W bill includes:
Army Corp Navigation Maintenance: The USACE navigation maintenance programs will receive additional funding of over $681 million for deep-draft harbor and channel improvements, $65 million for inland waterways, $20 million for navigation maintenance, and $329 million for small, remote, and subsistence navigation.
Water Conservation and Habitat Restoration: The WaterSMART program would receive $65 million to fund projects that will help irrigation districts comply with the Endangered Species Act. The WaterSmart program has supported the collaborative process in Central Oregon launched by legislation written by Merkley and former Congressman Greg Walden to conserve water, improve habitat for endangered steelhead and the spotted frog, and keep Central Oregon family farms in business.
Expanding Renewable Energy: This bill includes $300 million for solar energy technologies, $165 million for wind energy, and $15 million for distributed wind, which is the use of smaller wind turbines that help offset emissions from homes, public buildings, and businesses. The bill also includes $190 million for waterpower, which will support ongoing research at Oregon State University.
Electric Vehicle Deployment: This bill provides $450 million for vehicle technologies, including $250 million for battery and electrification technologies.
Energy Storage: The E&W bill includes $94 million for energy storage research and development. This important funding ensures stability, reliability, and resilience of the U.S. electricity grid as the country deploys and uses more renewable energy.
Now that the bills have cleared the Senate Appropriations Committee, they next head to the Senate floor for a vote before the bills can be conferenced with counterpart bills in the U.S. House of Representatives. The final, merged legislation must then be passed by both chambers before it is signed into law.
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