Today, Congresswoman Leger Fernández voted for H.Res. 1061, the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2024 to prevent a government shutdown. This bill funds several government agencies through September 30, 2024, helps New Mexicans with the high cost of living, invests in affordable housing, protects women’s rights, combats the climate crisis, and honors our commitment to our veterans. It also includes numerous provisions and funding for community projects that Congresswoman Leger Fernández secured.
“This bipartisan compromise is a continued investment in New Mexico’s future. It keeps our families strong with a $1 billion increase in funding WIC as well as millions for affordable housing and counseling programs. The bill funds rural water projects projects I championed for from the Jicarilla Apache Nation to Eastern New Mexico to acequias. The bill supports the Rural Partners Network, helps small meat and poultry producers, and other resources for our rural communities to thrive. Importantly, the bill continues advanced appropriations for the Indian Health Service to ensure healthcare for Native Americans will not be disrupted if Congress fails to pass funding bills on time.” said Congresswoman Leger Fernández.
“We also finally funded the $11.8 million for small community projects I championed across every corner of my district. The 15 community projects we secured will repair roads in Sandoval County, help victims of domestic violence and sexual assault in Chaves County, and much more,” she continued.
“While Congress should have done this months ago, I am glad Speaker Johnson finally let us vote on this bipartisan funding bill which does not contain the deep spending cuts and poison pill policy riders that extreme Republicans sought to pass over the last 6 months,” she concluded.
Background:
H.Res. 1061 includes funding for Fiscal Year 2024 for the following 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. The funding amounts for these bills are in line with the levels agreed upon in the bipartisan Fiscal Responsibility Act.
This legislation includes numerous provisions that Congresswoman Leger Fernández championed:
- Creates a $2 million Tribal Nutrition Demonstration project to allow 10 Indian tribes; tribal education agencies; consortiums of Indian tribes; or partnerships between an Indian tribe and a State educational agency, a local educational agency, a tribal educational agency, or the Bureau of Indian Education, to directly administer child nutrition programs.
- Provides $2 million for the Rural Partners Network to help rural communities access government resources and funding to build long-term economic stability.
- Provides funding for water projects including $51,000 for the Eastern New Mexico Rural Water System, $10,000 for the Jicarilla Municipal Water System, and $20,000 for the Tucumcari Project.
- Encourages the Department of Energy to promote technology transfer activities to support the commercialization of technologies within the local communities of Los Alamos National Laboratory and other national labs.
- Makes improvements to the Department of Energy’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs to use research and development standards that encourage commercialization of DOE technology and innovation by small businesses.
- Directs the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to reduce negative impacts to acequia infrastructure ahead of dam releases.
- Directs the Department of Energy to complete a report on direct methane removal technologies and approaches.
- Requires the Bureau of Indian Affairs to report on the status of the implementation of the STOP Act. Rep. Leger Fernández introduced the STOP Act alongside Senator Heinrich to protect tribal cultural heritage and return illegally trafficked items in the 117th Congress.
- Provides advance appropriations for Indian Health Service for Fiscal Year 2025 to provide reliable funding for health care services for Native Americans.
- Directs the Office on Violence Against Women to work with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, to establish best practices to prevent suicide by survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking.
In addition, the H.Res. 1061 includes $11,807,183 for 15 community projects that Rep. Leger Fernández secured. These projects include:
- $963,000 for Chaves County CASA Crime Victim Trauma Intervention Project
- $959,752 for City of Lovington for Wastewater Treatment Plant Improvements Project
- $500,000 for City of Portales/Eastern New Mexico University Street Improvement
- $1,666,279 for Village of Questa Convention Facility
- $562,500 for El Valle Community Center in Villanueva
- $84,150 for New Mexico Food Bank Expansion with Casita de Comida in Española
- $335,750 for Los Alamos YMCA Rehabilitation
- $850,000 for Red Rock Park Improvements in McKinley County
- $963,000 for San Juan County Sheriff’s Office Mobile Command Unit
- $1,000,000 for Navajo Nation Animal Shelter
- $959,752 for Pueblo of Tesuque for Wastewater Treatment Plant
- $963,000 for Rio Arriba County Sheriff’s Office Equipment
- $500,000 for Sandoval County for Repair of Navajo Road 474
- $500,000 for Sante Fe County Public Housing Units Electrical System Upgrades
- $1,000,000 for Town of Taos’ Filemon Sanchez Park Revitalization
Click HERE to learn more about these FY24 Community Project Funding Requests.
H.Res. 1061 includes funding for additional programs that benefit New Mexico:
Supports Rural Communities:
- $223 million, $15 million below the 2023 level, to facilitate the movement of agriculture products and open market opportunities, including a $2.5 million increase for the enforcement of the Packers and Stockyards Act, $12 million to support dairy business innovation initiatives, and $5 million for the Micro-Grants for Food Security Program.
- Maintains funding for rural electric co-ops.
Invests in Tribal Communities:
- Provides $4 billion for the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Bureau of Indian Education, and Bureau of Trust Fund Administration.
- Provides $70 million for Indian Energy Policy and Programs to provide technical assistance, direct and remote education, policy research and analysis, and financial assistance to Indian tribes, Alaska Native Village and Regional corporations, and Tribal Energy Resource Development Organizations.
Strengthens Families:
- Protects women’s access to mifepristone.
- Fully funds the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) at the administration’s requested level of $7.03 billion, an increase of more than $1 billion.
- Provides $4.5 billion in grants to state and local law enforcement, including $713 million for Violence Against Women Act grants, an increase of $13 million above fiscal year 2023.
Expands Housing:
- Creates a pilot program to de-couple rental assistance from section 515 loans, meaning that even if a property moves out of the 515 program the tenants would still have access to USDA rental assistance.
- Funding to support the construction or rehabilitation of tens of thousands of affordable homes through the HOME Investment Partnerships Program, which has already helped preserve approximately 1.35 million affordable homes nationally.
- $158 million for NeighborWorks to support unique solutions to expand affordable housing options, increase housing counseling assistance, and strengthen economic development.
Safeguards Natural Resources:
- Provides $3.5 billion for the Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Office.
- Provides additional funding to continue the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act pay supplement for wildland firefighters.
- $2.8 billion for Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds.
- $1.72 million for acequias.
Honors Military and Veterans:
- Supports military construction including $336 million for Child Development Centers and $2 billion for family housing.
- Provides a total of $134.8 billion in discretionary appropriations for VA for fiscal year 2024, an increase of $48 million above the fiscal year 2023 enacted level. Includes $121 billion for Veterans Medical Care to cover things like mental health care and substance use disorder programs.
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