WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), a leader on the Senate Appropriations Committee, today participated in a markup of several FY2020 government funding measures, all of which include resources she helped secure for numerous West Virginia programs and priorities. The committee approved the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development bill; the Agriculture bill; and the Financial Services and General Government bill by votes of 31 to 0.
 
“As we continue moving forward with the appropriations process, I’ve remained committed to advocating for the best interests of West Virginians and making sure funding is included to address our most pressing needs and priorities,” Senator Capito said. “I was proud to help advance the next round of funding bills, which will help improve our roads, bridges, and airports; encourage rural development; support broadband deployment; and continue our fight against the opioid epidemic. We saw real commonsense and compromise in committee today, and that’s the way this is supposed to work. I hope that moving forward we can continue to adhere to the same spirit of bipartisanship that helped us reach a budget agreement in the first place and put policy above politics to finish this process.”
 
Earlier this summer, with Senator Capito’s support, Congress passed and President Trump signed into law the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2019. That legislation enabled Congress to set appropriations funding levels over the next two years and made it possible for the Senate Appropriations Committee to consider the bills marked up today.
 
The FY2020 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act includes:
  

  • $100 million for the Appalachian Development Highway System, which Senator Capito brought to the attention of the subcommittee, most recently leading a letter to the chairmen and ranking members requesting dedicated funding for incomplete corridors, such as Corridor H.
  • $3.3 billion for the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), an integral resource for the success of many West Virginia cities. Senator Capito was a leader in enabling CDBG funds to be used for broadband deployment.
  • $1 billion for the Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) Grants, competitive awards West Virginia has received on multiple occasions.
  • Language encouraging the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) to continue working with local leaders to find solutions important to commuters such as the MARC train in the Eastern Panhandle.
  • $25 million authorized under the SUPPORT ACT for grants to help communities assist individuals recovering from substance abuse.

 
The FY2020 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act includes:
 

  • Support for rural development, particularly for broadband through $64 million for Distance Learning /Telemedicine and Broadband grants.
  • $75 million for the Food and Drug Administration, as authorized in the 21st Century Cures Act, to help stem the opioid crisis.
  • Full funding for food and nutrition programs such as Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

 
The FY2020 Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act includes:
 

  • $280 million for the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) Program, qualifying designated areas for additional funding to combat the opioid crisis, along with $100 million for the Drug Free Communities Program.
  • Funding for the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program.

 
Additional information on the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development bill is available here.
 
Additional information on the Agriculture bill is available here.
 
Additional information on the Financial Services and General Government bill is available here.

 

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