Shelby Releases Substitute Text for FY20 Minibus, Urges Bipartisanship in Moving Domestic & Defense Packages

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Senate Committee on Appropriations today released the text of the Senate substitute to H.R.3055, a package of Fiscal Year 2020 (FY2020) domestic spending bills passed by the House of Representatives, which includes measures for the Appropriations Subcommittees on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies; Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies; Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies; and Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies. Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) urged his Senate colleagues to work together to move the package of domestic appropriations bills and immediately turn to another House-passed package that contains the defense appropriations bill. The full Senate will vote this week on whether to proceed to the domestic package. A similar vote on the defense package will follow disposition of the domestic package.

“These bills provide funding for domestic priorities across the nation that play a significant role in maintaining our economic prosperity, and each received unanimous support in committee. We need to consider and pass this package expeditiously so we can take up the defense package. Our national security is undermined by the failure of Congress to pass the military’s budget on time, and it is already day 21 of the new fiscal year. In light of troubling, ongoing events around the world, it is my hope that will work together in a bipartisan manner to provide our men and women in uniform the resources they need to keep America safe,” said Chairman Shelby.

The package provides support for various national priorities within the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Housing and Urban Development, Interior, Justice, and Transportation, as well as the Environmental Protection Agency and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). All four of the appropriations bills included in the package were passed by the full Senate Appropriations Committee with unanimous support. Information on each of the bills is below:

The FY2020 Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (CJS) funding bill includes $70.833 billion for investments to support law enforcement, economic prosperity, scientific research, space exploration, and other national priorities. The measure funds the U.S. Departments of Commerce and Justice, NASA, the National Science Foundation, and related agencies. In addition to fully funding the 2020 Decennial Census, the Senate CJS bill invests in federal law enforcement agencies, state and local law enforcement grants, space exploration, basic science research, economic development programs, trade enforcement, ocean observations, and weather forecasting. Click here for the full summary.

The FY2020 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies funding bill, which will support federal agriculture and nutrition programs, includes $151.7 billion – $23.1 billion in discretionary funding and $128.6 billion in mandatory funding. The spending bill supports U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) agriculture, rural development, conservation programs, and food and drug safety. It also provides essential nutrition assistance for children, families, and seniors, creates incentives for military veterans to enter careers in agriculture, and supports significant resources to combat the opioid epidemic. Click here for the full summary.

The FY2020 Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies funding bill includes $35.8 billion for the U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Forest Service, Environmental Protection Agency, Indian Health Service, and other agencies. The measure includes an additional $2.25 billion for wildfire suppression activities made available by the wildfire cap adjustment and provides funding to address National Park maintenance backlogs and environmental and conservation programs. The committee recommendation also includes $20 million in additional funding to help states address per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contamination and remediation. Click here for the full summary.

The FY2020 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies funding bill provides $74.3 billion to improve transportation infrastructure development, housing assistance, and community development. The measure targets funding toward improving our nation’s transportation and housing infrastructure, continuing to improve our air traffic control system and aircraft certification processes, and maintaining rental assistance and community development programs. Click here for the full summary.

###