Bonamici Statement for the Record on Fiscal Year 2023 (FY23) Omnibus Appropriations Bill 

I rise today in support of the Fiscal Year 2023 omnibus appropriations bill.  

One of the most basic and important responsibilities of Congress is to keep the government funded and operating, and it is our obligation to spend taxpayer money wisely. A budget is a statement of values and priorities, and this budget focuses on helping hardworking families get ahead, supporting vulnerable populations at home and abroad, and growing the economy.   

This bipartisan bill invests in affordable child care, helps to address the climate crisis, increases the maximum Pell Grant award by $500, provides $47 billion for the National Institutes of Health to help develop treatments and cures for chronic diseases, secures funding for manufacturing jobs created by the historic bipartisan Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors (CHIPS) and Science Act, serves veterans exposed to harmful chemicals by providing $5 billion in mandatory funding under the Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act, and includes nearly $45 billion in emergency and humanitarian aid for Ukraine. The FY23 omnibus bill also includes the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, which requires employers to give pregnant workers basic accommodations like an extra bathroom break and stool to sit on, preventing pregnant workers from being discriminated against in the workplace.

This legislation includes several bills and investments I have fought for this Congress. The bill establishes a permanent, nationwide Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) program to address food insecurity among children when school is out. As the Chair of Education and Labor Committee’s Civil Rights and Human Services Subcommittee, I have been working on needed updates to our federal child nutrition programs. This is an important victory that builds on the successes of the Pandemic-EBT program and it will help prevent summer hunger. I have also been fighting for increases in funding to nutrition programs for seniors through the Older Americans Act, and I am grateful that this year’s bill responds to increasing need amid growing demand and rising costs by including more funding for OAA Title III nutrition programs.   

My Retirement Savings Lost and Found Act is enacted under this omnibus funding bill. These provisions will create an Office of the Retirement Savings Lost and Found to provide workers with tools to locate and manage accounts after leaving an employer. Tracking retirement savings accounts after leaving an employer can be extremely difficult, and many people lose access completely. The Retirement Savings Lost and Found Act will give workers tools to access and preserve their hard-earned savings.

Economic inflation caused by increased consumer demand, global supply chain disruptions, and the unprovoked invasion of Ukraine by Russia have shifted global markets and affected everyday costs. Higher prices are straining household budgets and depriving workers of the full benefits of our growing economy. I am pleased that this legislation includes a nearly $2 billion increase for the Child Care and Development Block Grant program and an almost $1 billion increase for Head Start. These long overdue investments follow my continued calls to improve the care economy for families and care workers, including in two letters I led that were signed by more than half of the Democratic Caucus. Additionally, this legislation will help families with rising energy costs by providing $5 billion for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program and expanding who can access the services of Community Action Agencies. Although these are needed investments to address housing affordability and child care access, there is still much more we need to do, including extending the powerful, enhanced Child Tax Credit that House Democrats included in the American Rescue Plan and updating the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit to remove barriers to housing development.  

  
Ocean acidification, harmful algal blooms (HABs), and are hypoxia are significant threats to coastal communities, industries, and Tribes across the United States. The ocean is resilient, but we cannot afford to wait to take action. I am pleased that this legislation invests in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Integrated Ocean Acidification Program to expand scientific research and monitoring of ocean acidification to identify risks and inform vulnerable communities, industries, and coastal and ocean managers of ways to prepare. The bill also includes harmful algal bloom and hypoxia research and monitoring investments through NOAA to strengthen research about environmental stressors on our ocean and coastal resources and expand competitive research grants to study threats to ocean health. Although the bill does not include specific investments in blue carbon ecosystems , I will continue to advocate for natural climate solutions and appreciate the investments in improving the resilience of such ecosystems included in the Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure law.    

The Pacific Northwest must also be ready for a potential Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake and related tsunami, so I appreciate that this legislation contains funding for NOAA’s Tsunami Warning Centers and for the National Tsunami Hazard Mitigation Program (NTHMP) to help prepare vulnerable communities in the event of a tsunami. Additionally, harnessing energy from waves, currents, and tides is an exciting frontier in the clean power sector, and I am pleased that this legislation includes funding for the Department of Energy's Water Power Technologies Office, which supports investments in hydropower, marine, and hydrokinetic energy technologies, including research at the Pacific Marine Energy Center in Oregon.  

Education is one of the best investments our country can make. Every student in our country deserves access to a high-quality, well-rounded education, and this legislation makes investments in many important programs. I’m pleased that the omnibus legislation includes a more than $70 million for the Institute of Education Sciences and encourages the pursuit of quick turnaround, high-reward projects to improve student achievement and advance education equity — language based on bipartisan legislation I introduced this year. Additionally, the legislation’s $1.38 billion investment in Title IV-A of the Every Student Succeeds Act will provide students with greater opportunities to receive an engaging, well-rounded education and support the development of safe, healthy, welcoming learning environments. I am also grateful that this year’s federal budget continues the long, bipartisan recognition of the importance of the arts and humanities by providing $207 million each for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). The NEA was instrumental in supporting local arts organizations during the height of the pandemic, and this additional funding will allow it to foster greater creativity and promote equity in the arts around the country.   

Additionally, I secured more than $35 million in Community Project Funding for 15 projects in NW Oregon that will make our communities stronger and create new opportunities for families and workers. Addressingthe climate crisis and expanding access to affordable housing are top priorities in my work, and these projects reflect my commitment to putting forward real solutions to address the challenges we face. These projects will bolster the economy in Oregon by building more affordable housing, making our roads safer and more sustainable, supporting small businesses, enhancing workforce development to provide people the skills needed for advanced manufacturing and a good job, and promoting equity in foster care.   

Notably missing from this end-of-year package is comprehensive immigration reform. Further inaction harms our communities and economy. Dreamers, essential workers like farmworkers, educators, and nurses, and many more are stuck in our antiquated immigration system. Next year, I will continue fighting to secure the dignity of immigrants in our communities.  

I would like to thank Chair DeLauro and her staff for their tireless work to negotiate this important legislation, and I look forward to voting in favor.