Case's Appropriations Committee Gains House Approval of Second Major Funding Package

Statement

U.S. Congressman Ed Case (Hawai"i -- District 1) announced that today the U.S. House of Representatives has passed H.R. 3055, the second of four measures that the House Committee on Appropriations recommended to fund over $383 billion of discretionary federal government agencies, programs and services for Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 commencing October 1st of this year.

Case is a member of the Appropriations Committee and of its Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies and Subcommittee on Commerce, Science, Justice and Related Agencies.

These subcommittees are responsible for the programs covered by this latest appropriations bill, and Case said that he views this particular measure as a special opportunity to support Hawai"i-specific needs in this area.

"Hawai"i is a small state, so we in the Hawai"i delegation must do all we can to get our fair share of federal dollars," said Case. "We are also an island state in the middle of the Pacific, and far from the decision-makers in Washington, DC, so we who represent Hawai"i in Congress must work harder to assure our constituents that our state's needs and concerns are acknowledged and addressed," said Case.

Case highlighted a few of the items in this bill including:

"There is a longstanding need for facilities that provide critical services at various Hawai"i military installations, especially as our military's role in our Indo-Pacific region increases" said Case. "Among these are $60 million for Phase 5 of a new Command and Control Facility at Fort Shafter, which is currently housed in World War II era buildings." Case also provided $134 million for additional barracks housing at Marine Corps Base Hawai"i, $53.8 million to build safer ammunition magazines for the Navy, along with with a House commitment to a 10-year, $1 billion project to shore up the Army's Hawai"i infrastructure.

The House approved more than $1 billion for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) telehealth program. "The VA has made great strides in finding new ways to reach and serve veterans in rural and isolated populations," said Case. He added that "telehealth technologies have increased productivity, treatment options and access to healthcare for veterans across the nation, and especially here across our islands and in our Pacific where our veterans and their "ohana don't always have easy access to veterans' facilities."

The bill includes $5.5 billion for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). "Hawai"i is perfectly placed to do and is doing world-class research in all things relating to our oceans, and that just what this funding will support, to include maintenance of the oceangoing research formerly provided by NOAA Ship Hi'ialakai", said Case. "Additionally, as we find ourselves in the midst of hurricane season, we and other states across the country rely on NOAA for world-class atmospheric research to keep a watchful eye on potentially dangerous weather impacts."

The House agreed to fund the National Park Service (NPS) to the tune of more than $3 billion. Case said: "There are eight NPS sites in Hawai"i including two of Hawai"i's most popular visitor destinations - Pearl Harbor National Memorial Park and Hawai"i Volcanoes National Park. Providing funding for these eight parks is critical to their operations and critical to Hawai"i's tourism industry." Case also singled out over $3 million in funding of the Japanese American Confinement Sites to include Oahu's Honouliuli National Historic Site.

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