US House Passes “major appropriations bill, halfway through FY24”; “Democrats provided the votes – from the minority – to prevent a shutdown, again”

The vote on this crucial appropriations legislation was 339-85, with Democrats nearly unanimous (207-2) in support, while Republicans were more split (132-83) – with extremist Congressmen Bob Good (R-VA05), Ben Cline (R-VA06) and Morgan Griffith (R-VA09) all voting NO. Of course, if voters aren’t aware of these votes or don’t care, it’s pretty hard to make an informed choice at the voting booth, so…

Wexton Votes to Pass Government Funding Package, Including Support for Key Local Priorities

Washington, DC – Today, Congresswoman Jennifer Wexton (D-VA) voted to pass the 2024 Consolidated Appropriations Act, a package of six domestic spending bills focused on providing crucial support to families and communities across the country. The bill includes $14,996,550 in Community Project Funding (CPF) for Virginia’s 10th District that will go to directly support a variety of local projects, including enhanced domestic violence support services, affordable housing for veterans, transportation improvement initiatives to reduce congestion and increase safety, and new expanded resources to help those who are experiencing mental health crises.

“I’m pleased that after months of delay and dysfunction caused by extreme Congressional Republicans, we’ve finally come together on a bipartisan funding package that rejects cuts to essential programs and meets the needs of all Americans,” said Congresswoman Wexton. “Through my role on the Appropriations Committee, I’ve worked hard along with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support families, boost our economy, and deliver for Virginia’s 10th District. I’m particularly proud to have successfully secured nearly $15 million for key local priorities, and look forward to working with our community leaders to help those investments have as great an impact as possible for all Virginians.”

Congresswoman Wexton championed funding for a variety of community projects that will directly benefit Virginia’s 10th District residents. These include:

• $4,116,279 for the Loudoun County Crisis Receiving Center
• $1,334,757 for the Town of Lovettsville for Transite Drinking Water and Sewer Line Replacement
• $1,050,000 for the City of Manassas for Mathis Corridor Revitalization Project
• $1,000,000 for the LAWS Domestic Violence Shelter
• $1,000,000 for the Hero’s Bridge Village veteran affordable housing in Fauquier County
• $1,000,000 for the Route 50 and Loudoun County Parkway Interchange
• $963,000 for the Prince William County Public Safety Communications 911 Call Handling System
• $963,000 for the George Mason University Interstellar Dreams Space Center
• $959,757 for the City of Manassas Stream Restoration Project
• $959,757 for the Fauquier County Opal Water System Project
• $650,000 for the Educating the NASA STEM Workforce Pipeline
• $500,000 for the Fairfax County Compton Road Shared-Use Path
• $500,000 for the Washington & Old Dominion Trail Lighting in Leesburg

This funding package is the product of bipartisan work and compromise, after Democrats rejected extreme Republican policies and cuts to essential programs that Americns rely on. This first government package invests in America’s future and delivers for the American people by:

• Helping with the high cost of living
  • Creating and sustaining tens of thousands of good paying jobs through initiatives such as the Manufacturing Extension Partnership Program
  • Fighting inflation, and providing full funding for key lifelines such as food assistance like WIC and more affordable housing and homeownership.

• Protecting women’s rights by blocking attempts to limit women’s access to reproductive health care, including abortion, and by increasing funding for gender-based violence prevention and prosecution programs.

• Confronting the climate crisis, fighting climate change, and ensuring America’s energy independence with robust, transformative investments in deploying clean energy technologies in communities across the country, and providing funding for cutting-edge scientific and climate-related research.

• Honoring our commitments to our veterans by ensuring they receive the care and benefits that they have earned and investing in veterans’ health care, including targeted investments that advance women’s health, mental health, and homelessness assistance.

• Delivering on key priorities Wexton has championed as a member of the House Appropriations Committee, including: $150 million for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) to support critical capital and safety improvements, continuing the federal government’s commitment to Metro via the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law; and up to $15 million to continue important work to secure GPS capabilities that are essential to our critical infrastructure.

This package includes the following funding bills: Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies; Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies; Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies; Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies; Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies; and Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies.

A detailed summary of the legislation is available here.

The remaining six appropriations bills for fiscal year 2024 are expected to be released in the coming days and be voted on ahead of their expiration on March 22.