Strickland Secures Key Investments for the South Sound in Historic Funding Package Passed by the House

A press release from Office of Rep. Marilyn Strickland.

Congresswoman Marilyn Strickland (WA-10) released the following statement on H.R. 4502, the seven-bill minibus appropriations package. The government funding package invests in the American people by creating good-paying jobs, growing opportunity, and providing a lifeline to the middle class, working families, small businesses, and our nation’s most vulnerable.  

“We should invest in what we value as a nation, and this package does just that by funding priorities crucial to South Sound workers, families and children, small businesses, veterans, traditionally underserved populations, and many other community members,” said Congresswoman Strickland. “I was especially grateful to Chair DeLauro and the Appropriations Committee for working with me to secure over $12 million for eight vital projects to benefit our district, along with funding to create jobs, conserve wildlife and restore Puget Sound, assist Tribal nations, better prepare for earthquakes, improve mental health services, and make child care more accessible. I look forward to seeing this funding in action, and encourage the Senate to pass this bill without delay. Finally, I thank the community partners who worked with me to make this possible.”

The minibus appropriations package includes several wins Strickland secured for the South Sound:

• $12.5 million for eight community projects throughout Washington’s 10th Congressional District. These eight Community Project Funding requests were advanced through a transparent and accountable process with the help of community leaders, and are poised to bring immediate benefits to our community in the South Sound. Learn more at this link.
• Secured $50,00,000 for the Puget Sound Geographic Program (PSGP) by leading a letter to Appropriators; earned support of all Washington Democrats, Transportation and Infrastructure Chair DeFazio, and Natural Resources Chair Grijalva. The highest amount ever appropriated for this program, PSGP provides grants to local, state, and tribal governments to implement projects to help recover and restore Puget Sound, like improving water quality, rebuilding salmon habitat, and protecting our shorelines.
• Secured $28,600,000 for the ShakeAlert West Coast Earthquake Early Warning System. This smart infrastructure investment provides critical additional minutes of warning to people who may be affected by an earthquake, saving lives and giving systems time to prepare.
• Secured a $10,000,000 increase for State and Tribal Wildlife Grants. These grants provide funds to state and tribal wildlife agencies to implement programs to protect wildlife, including through habitat restoration and climate change mitigation.
• Led 22 of her colleagues in urging the Appropriations Committee to substantially increase funding for mental health crisis response, and secured $158,257,100 for states to provide crisis care programming for individuals struggling with substance use disorders or mental health crises. State and local governments can use funds from this program for high-tech crisis call centers, 24/7 mobile crisis units, and crisis stabilization programs. This program was funded at $35 million in FY21.
• Co-led a letter signed by 156 Members requesting a substantial increase in funding for the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG), and secured $7,377,000,000 for CCDBG. This funding helps families cover the high cost of child care and supports states in improving the quality of care, and is an increase from the $5.9 billion appropriated in FY21.
• Led a letter to the Appropriations Committee with 16 colleagues supporting robust funding for the Agriculture Research Service (ARS) within the USDA, and secured an increase of $145,262,000 for the ARS. The ARS is the USDA’s principal scientific research arm within the agency, providing nourishing food, supporting agricultural and natural resources, and maintaining our economic competitiveness in agriculture. The Appropriations Committee funded the ARS at $1.64 B for FY22.

Real-Life Impact in Washington’s 10th

• Boosts Job Training: House Democrats’ appropriations bill provides $3.1 billion in WIOA funds for job training for disadvantaged youth and adults, and for assistance to dislocated workers, an 8.8 percent increase over 2021. This increase would provide $330,000 in additional WIOA funds for job training in the district. The additional funds support middle class and working families by helping youth and adults obtain good-paying jobs. 
• Supports Public Education: House Democrats’ appropriations bill provides $36 billion in Title I funds, a 118 percent increase over 2021. This increase would provide $35.3 million in additional funding for schools in the district to support children at risk of failing out of school. 
• Improves Veterans’ Health Care: House Democrats’ appropriations bill provides $98.5 billion for veterans’ healthcare, an 8 percent increase over 2021. This increase would provide an additional $61.0 million in funding for veterans’ healthcare in the district. These additional funds will enable the VHA to improve access to health care in key areas like women’s health, mental health, and opioid treatment; provide more veterans with home and community-based services; recruit and retain nurses and physicians; and support crucial medical research that improves veterans’ health and quality of life.

This package includes the following seven appropriations bills: Labor-HHS-Education; Agriculture, Rural Development, FDA; Energy and Water Development; Financial Services and General Government; Interior-Environment; Military Construction and Veterans Affairs and Transportation-HUD.  Investments include:

• Makes historic increases in funding for South Sound priorities such as growing jobs, education and health care, worker protections and environmental justice; 
• Creates good-paying American jobs rebuilding our nation’s crumbling infrastructure; 
• Expands access to safe and affordable housing; 
• Bolsters the nation’s public health infrastructure and capacity; and
• Makes critical investments in clean energy and science initiatives to combat the climate crisis.