Warner and Kaine Announce Significant Funding for Virginia Priorities in Draft Government Spending Bills

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) announced the inclusion of key Virginia priorities in the Senate's Fiscal Year 2025 draft funding bills. So far, 11 of 12 appropriations bills have been passed out of the Senate Appropriations Committee on a broad bipartisan basis. Senate appropriators continue to work to negotiate the 12th and final bill, which would provide funding for homeland security priorities.

"We're thrilled to see the Senate move forward on government funding legislation that includes essential funding to support our servicemembers and military families, implement our seismic investments in infrastructure and manufacturing, promote public safety, invest in affordable housing, curb fentanyl trafficking, improve customer service at the IRS, and much more. We're also very glad this draft legislation includes $125 millionfor communities in every corner of the Commonwealth to carry out community-based, high-impact projects that grow our economy and benefit Virginians. We are looking forward to advocating for these priorities and working with the House of Representatives to provide robust funding bills that address the needs of Virginia and the country," said Warner and Kaine.

As part of the Fiscal Year 2025 appropriations process, members of Congress worked with their constituents to request funding for local community projects, otherwise known as earmarks, in a manner that promotes transparency and accountability. The Senators worked to secure more than $125 million for community projects across the Commonwealth in the eleven bills that have been released by the Senate so far. In addition to battling for these priorities, the Senators will work to ensure funds obtained by Virginia House members also remain in the final spending bills.

More information on Virginia-based projects that could receive Congressionally Directed Spending is available below:

• For projects in Northern Virginia, click here.
• For projects in Central Virginia, click here.
• For projects in the Shenandoah Valley, click here.
• For projects in Southwest Virginia and Southside, click here.
• For projects in Hampton Roads, click here.
• For projects that impact communities in multiple regions across the Commonwealth, click here.

Additionally, many other provisions championed by Sens. Warner and Kaine were included in the 11 government funding bills, including but not limited to:

Boosting Local Economies: Includes $200 million for the Appalachian Regional Commission and $21 million for the Southeast Crescent Regional Commission to support their work to build economic partnerships, create opportunity, and foster economic development.

Fighting the Flow of Fentanyl: Includes $1.4 billion to strengthen law enforcement cooperation between governments and to counter drug trafficking. This includes $170 million - $45 million more than fiscal year 2024 - to support efforts to stop global flows of fentanyl and other synthetic drugs, as well as their precursor materials, including through implementation of the FENTANYL Results Act. Sen. Kaine also secured $88 million for the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative, which fosters joint government efforts on counternarcotics, migration and law enforcement. Sen. Kaine recently traveled to Brownsville and McAllen, Texas to discuss fentanyl interdiction at the southern border with various law enforcement agencies and international partners from Mexico. Last year, significant portions of Sen. Kaine's bipartisan Disrupt Fentanyl Trafficking Act were signed into law to direct increased federal attention to fentanyl trafficking and strengthen U.S.-Mexico cooperation on drug trafficking. The senators also helped pass a supplemental national security funding package that included the FEND Off Fentanyl Act, bipartisan legislation cosponsored by Sens. Warner and Kaine, to strengthen the Treasury Department's ability to sanction transnational criminal organizations and others that launder money to facilitate opioid trafficking.

Implementing the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022: Includes $11.2 billion to implement the bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act of 2022, championed by Sens. Warner and Kaine. Funding will allow the U.S. to keep pace with China and other competitors in scientific fields that power the economy, such as artificial intelligence, quantum computing, microelectronics, clean energy, and advanced communications. Sen. Warner first introduced the Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors (CHIPS) for America Act in June 2020 along with Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX).

Implementing the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA): Provides $17 billion for the Federal Transit Administration, including $2.262 billion for Capital Investment Grants, a $57 million increase over fiscal year 2024. When combined with the $1.6 billion in IIJA advanced appropriations, a total of $3.862 billion is available for Capital Investment Grants, which fund heavy, commuter, and light rail; streetcars; and bus rapid transit projects. The bill also provides $550 million for the RAISE Grant program, which - when combined with the $1.5 billion in IIJA advanced appropriations - will see $2.05 billion in total funding. As the only multimodal DOT program available to local governments, the program allows communities to make transformative investments in their transportation infrastructure to help improve mobility and safety. The IIJA was negotiated and strongly supported by Sens. Warner and Kaine.

Maintaining Our Highways and Bridges: Includes $63.171 billion for federal-aid highways, which includes $61.314 billion in funding for the Highway Trust Fund and an additional $1.118 billion for Highway Infrastructure Programs, as well as $400 million for the competitive bridge bundling grant program.

Strengthening Transportation and Recreation Infrastructure: Provides $150 million for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) and $25 million for the Active Transportation Infrastructure Investment Program, which supports multi-purpose trails.

Making Our Communities Safer: Provides $739.5 million - the highest funding level ever - for Violence Against Women Prevention and Prosecution programs to prevent violence and better support survivors. This legislation also provides $251 million for State and Local Law Enforcement Assistance and Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Office grant programs related to police-community relations. The bill also includes $10 million to train law enforcement on appropriately responding to situations involving mentally ill or disabled individuals, $45 million for Community Policing Development, and $55 million for the Community Violence Intervention and Prevention Initiative.

Support for Missing Persons Program: Includes $1 million to help with the nationwide implementation of the Ashanti Alert system. In 2018, Sen. Warner secured unanimous Senate passage of the Ashanti Alert Act, legislation that created a new federal alert system for missing or endangered adults between the ages of 18-64. The bill was signed into law on December 31, 2018.

Investing in Child Care and Early Learning: Includes $10.35 billion for the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG), a $1.6 billion increase over fiscal year 2024, which will help families in Virginia and across the country find and afford child care. Also provides $12.97 billion for Head Start, a $700 million increase over fiscal year 2024, which will support Head Start teachers and staff throughout the country. Sen. Kaine has championed efforts in Congress to increase funding for the CCDBG program and is leading a bipartisan proposal to address the child care crisis.

Supporting Essential Health Care Programs: Includes significant resources to improve health care access and affordability and strengthen the health care workforce by maintaining investments in core programs, including $1.86 billion for Community Health Centers and $1.4 billion for Health Professions Workforce Development. The bill also includes a $21.3 million increase for rural health programs to boost recruitment of health care providers to practice in rural areas and support rural hospitals.

Investing in Higher Education: Provides a $100 increase to the maximum Pell Grant award for a maximum award of $7,495 for the 2025-2026 award year. Pell Grants are expected to help over seven million students pursue postsecondary education and further their careers. The bill also includes an additional $100 million for the administration of student aid programs, which will support a wide range of activities including: implementing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), disbursing student aid, ensuring services are available to student loan borrowers, and fixing longstanding issues in student loan forgiveness programs.

Investing in Affordable Housing: Includes $1.425 billion for the HOME Investment Partnerships Program, which provides funding to state and local governments for housing construction, and $4.6 billion in Community Development Block Grants (CDBG), which can be used to support affordable housing, community development, and economic development. Also includes $4.32 billion (a $268 million increase over fiscal year 2024) for Homeless Assistance Grants (HAG) to help families and individuals experiencing or at risk of homelessness. Sens. Warner and Kaine, a former fair housing attorney, are strong advocates for affordable housing funding each year.

Supporting Economic Development: Provides $483 million for community economic development through the Economic Development Administration, an increase of $15 million from fiscal year 2024. This includes $100 million for the Regional Technology and Innovation Hubs Program - more than double the fiscal year 2024 funding level and enough for EDA to fund two to five additional implementation grants. In October 2023, the Advanced Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Tech Hub located in the Richmond-Petersburg region received a federal Tech Hub designation, and the Virginia Additive Manufacturing and Applied Materials Strategy Development Consortium located in the New River Valley received $500,000 in funding.

Delivering Nutrition Assistance: Provides full funding for several critical nutrition programs, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), and Child Nutrition Programs - like the School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program, and Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) program.

Fighting Global Hunger: Provides $1.721 billion for the Food for Peace program and $250 million for the McGovern-Dole Food for Education program, while the State and Foreign Operations bill provides $8.9 billion for humanitarian assistance programs, including increased investments in addressing global hunger and enhancing food security.

Preventing and Treating Substance Use: Provides $610.5 million in dedicated grant program funding to respond to substance use disorder, including opioids, and to crack down on drug trafficking.

Economic Support for Underserved Communities: Provides $354 million - a $30 million increase over fiscal year 2024 - for the U.S. Department of the Treasury Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) Fund. Sens. Warner and Kaine requested this funding. Sen. Warner has led efforts in Congress to support CDFIs through legislation including the Jobs and Neighborhood Investment Act and the creation of the bipartisan Senate Community Development Finance Caucus.

Small Businesses: Provides $1.6 billion - a $61 million increase over fiscal year 2024 - to the Small Business Administration (SBA) to help small businesses thrive. This funding will support SBA's lending programs, which increase access to capital for small businesses, as well as their entrepreneurial development programs, which include services that help entrepreneurs start and grow their businesses, such as the Small Business Development Center and Women's Business Centers networks.

Addressing Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Delays and Customer Service Issues: Includes $12.3 billion for the IRS, which will enable the agency to continue to update ancient computer systems, improve customer service, and reduce wait times for refunds and other services. Sens. Warner and Kaine have consistently pushed the IRS to address poor customer service and severe delays within the department.

Chesapeake Bay Restoration: Includes $92.5 million for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA's) Chesapeake Bay program, which is the primary federal program that coordinates Chesapeake Bay restoration and protection efforts throughout the Bay watershed.

Supporting Our National Parks: Includes $2.99 billion for the operation of the National Park System, an increase of more than $100 million from Fiscal Year 2024.

Shenandoah National Park Improvements: Provides $20 million from the Great American Outdoors Act, which was crafted and strongly supported by Sens. Warner and Kaine, to rehabilitate the water system that serves the Shenandoah National Park headquarters, which includes a visitor contact station, fire operations, communication center, maintenance facility, and staff housing.

Strengthening Our Ports: Provides $1.14 billion for the Maritime Administration (MARAD), including $200 million for the Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP), which -- when combined with the $450 million in IIJA advanced appropriations - makes a total of $650 million available to support the buildout and modernization of our nation's ports including the Port of Virginia.

Investing in Scientific Discovery: Includes $8.6 billion for the Department of Energy's Office of Science, which is an increase of $360 million over fiscal year 2024. This funding will help continue implementation of the CHIPS and Science Act. The Office of Science is the largest federal sponsor of basic research in the physical sciences, including at Jefferson Lab in Newport News, Virginia.

Tangier Island: Includes $10.3 million to protect Tangier Island from erosion and sea level rise. Specifically, the funding will be used for design, environmental authorizations, plans and specifications, and award and administration of a contract to use dredged material to stabilize the shoreline. Sens. Warner and Kaine advocated for the funding and previously secured $800,000 to study and permit the use of dredged material. Sen. Kaine most recently visited Tangier in August 2022.

Northern Virginia Emergency Response System (NVERS): Includes funding to reimburse NVERS-a non-profit partnership of Northern Virginia local governments, hospitals, and the Commonwealth of Virginia-for medical services it provided to evacuees fleeing Afghanistan to the U.S. in August 2021. Sens. Warner and Kaine wrote to the State Department urging it to reimburse NVERS.

Addressing Pediatric Cancer: Provides $12.6 million to fund childhood cancer research through the Gabriella Miller Kids First Research Act, named after a child from Loudoun County who died from brain cancer in 2013.

Support for Long COVID: Provides $13.5 million to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) to continue its work to support multidisciplinary Long COVID clinics and expand access to comprehensive, coordinated, person-centered care for people living with Long COVID. This funding stems from Sen. Kaine's bipartisan Long COVID Support Act.

Modernizing Public Health Infrastructure: Provides $175 million to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to modernize America's public health data systems.

###

Public link

Please use the above public link if you want to share this noodl on another website.