Today, Congresswoman Leger Fernández announced she secured key wins in the (FY) 2022 omnibus appropriations bill for New Mexico, especially for rural parts of her district.
“This historic bill grows the economy, invests in America’s families and children, creates opportunity, supports our veterans, addresses the climate crisis, and unlocks America’s potential in so many ways. From supporting water projects across my district and clean energy apprenticeships, to diversifying our economy and upholding our tribal trust responsibilities, this bill is teeming with life-changing investments for New Mexicans. With strong support from our communities, we obtained more than $74 million in funding that will go directly to health care, education, water, housing, and infrastructure projects throughout my district. This legislation helps my beautiful and beautifully diverse district thrive.” said Leger Fernández.
Rep. Leger Fernández secured funding for New Mexico that includes:
Clean Energy Apprenticeships:
- Provisions to expand clean energy apprenticeships that contribute to higher wages and fewer injuries for workers in the energy industry.
Chaco Canyon Cultural Resource Study:
- $600,000 to ongoing Tribal cultural resources studies in the Chaco Canyon area.
Water Projects:
- Eastern New Mexico Water Supply-Ute Reservoir – $17,400,000
- Tucumcari Project – $20,000
- Middle Rio Grande Project – $30,630,000
- Rio Grande Pueblos – $1,050,000
Suicide Prevention:
- Provisions to prevent suicides and encourage SAMHSA to focus on suicide prevention policies that limit access to firearms and other lethal means when an individual is in crisis.
Additional provisions Rep. Leger Fernández secured in the Omnibus Appropriations Bill:
Tribal Communities:
- Bureau of Indian Affairs public safety and justice programs and construction, including for MMIW cold cases, background checks to hire more law enforcement officers, opioid addiction assistance, and law enforcement to implement the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) – $600 million ($546,280,000 for operations + $47,811,000 for construction)
- Institute of American Indian and Alaska Native Culture and Arts Development - $11,741,000
- For a qualified national Native American organization to provide technical assistance for rural water systems for tribal communities – $800,000
- Violence Against Women – $1 million for analysis and research on violence against Indian women. $500,000 is for a national clearinghouse that provides training and technical assistance on issues relating to sexual assault of American Indian and Alaska Native women. $5.5 million for grants to assist Tribal Governments in exercising special domestic violence criminal jurisdiction. $10 million for culturally specific services for victims. $3 million for an initiative to support cross-designation of tribal prosecutors as Tribal Special Assistant United States Attorneys.
- $1,002,086,000 for Native American programs at HUD, including Native American housing block grants and Indian community development block grants.
Water Projects: Indian Water Rights Settlement & Acequias:
- Indian Water Rights Settlement
- Aamodt Litigation - $10 million
- Navajo Gallup Water Supply Project – $67.3 million
- Acequias Environmental Infrastructure to N.M. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers $1,500,000
- Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds – $2.77 billion
- Combined Sewer Overflow grants – $43 million
- Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Program to provide $500 million in loans for non-federal water infrastructure
Defense Environmental Cleanup:
- NNSA, Defense Environmental Cleanup – $292.119 million for LANL cleanup and facilities decommissioning and demolition
Rural Communities:
- Water infrastructure - $1.45 billion for rural water and waste program loans, and over $653 million in water and waste grants for clean and reliable drinking water systems and sanitary waste disposal systems.
- Rural housing - $1.25 billion in direct single family housing loans for homeownership loan assistance to low-income rural families.
- Economic development - $50 million for direct loans promoting rural economic development and job creation projects.
- Tele-health and distance learning - $62.5 million for grants for telemedicine and distance learning services in rural areas.
- Violence Against Women - $48 million for rural domestic violence and child abuse enforcement assistance grants.
Broadband ReConnect Program:
- Expansion of broadband service – $550 million, including an additional $450 million for the ReConnect program
New Mexico Families:
- Maternal and child health – $1 billion
- Family Violence and Prevention Services Act (FVPSA) programs – $200 million
Ukraine
- Provides $13.6 billion in assistance for the people of Ukraine.
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