Delgado Successfully Includes Upstate Priorities in Federal Funding Legislation

Press Release

Today, U.S. Representative Antonio Delgado (NY-19) joined colleagues in voting to pass H.R. 7608 -- legislation providing annual funding for State, Foreign Operations, Agriculture, Rural Development, Interior, Environment, Military Construction, and Veterans Affairs. The bill passed today includes report language mirroring Rep. Delgado's Fairness for Local Veteran Cemeteries Act. The language directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to support county-run veterans' cemeteries.

"Today I was proud to vote for legislation that makes robust investments in the health and safety of our upstate community and nation as a whole. This bill makes critical investments to protect our public lands and the environment, supports our agricultural economy, and upholds our promise to honor our veterans. I was proud to push for the inclusion of provisions especially important to our District. Among them is report language that directs the VA Secretary to support county-run veteran cemeteries, which is something I've advocated for in my Fairness for Local Veteran Cemeteries Act. This brings us one step closer to ensuring the cemeteries where our upstate veterans lie in rest receive federal funding," said Rep. Delgado. "Additionally, the bill that passed today includes funding for rural broadband programs, affordable housing, rural water and waste programs as well as important protections for our small farmers and agriculture operations in upstate. I will continue to fight for upstate priorities in future legislation and encourage the Senate to take up this bill in short order to get these funds to our communities who need it most."

Rep. Delgado worked to include funding for upstate priorities in this legislation. Highlights include:

Rural Development and Infrastructure

This bill provides $4.214 billion for Rural Development initiatives to help create an environment for economic growth by providing business and housing opportunities and building sustainable rural infrastructure for the modern economy.

Rural Water and Waste: The Congressman led his colleagues in urging House colleagues to include robust funding for the USDA rural water and waste program loans. The House-passed bill included $1.45 billion in rural water and waste program loans and more than $610 million in water and waste grants for clean and reliable drinking water systems and sanitary waste disposal systems.

Broadband: Rep. Delgado successfully included over $1.025 billion for the expansion of broadband service to ensure rural communities have access to digital tools necessary to improve health, educational and economic outcomes. This funding includes $990 million for the USDA's Broadband ReConnect program.

Rural Housing Loans & Rental Assistance: $24 billion in loan authority for the Single Family Housing Guaranteed Loan Program, $1 billion in direct single family housing loans benefitting low-income rural families and $1.45 billion in rental assistance for affordable rental housing for low-income families and elderly Americans in rural communities.

Agricultural Research

The bill provides $3.3 billion in funding to support agricultural research, including the Agricultural Research Service and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, to help mitigate and stop devastating crop diseases, improve food safety and water quality, increase production and combat microbial resistance.

Farm & Conservation Initiatives

Rep. Delgado successfully included $1.835 billion for farm, conservation and emergency loan programs that benefit farmers and rural communities.

Environmental Protection Agency

Provides $9.38 billion for the Environmental Protection Agency, which is $318 million above the FY 2020 enacted level and more than $2.67 billion above the President's budget request.

Clean Water and Safe Drinking State Revolving Funds are funded at $2.76 billion -- equal to the current enacted level and $782 million above the President's request.

More than $189 million is set aside for targeted grants for drinking water contaminants like lead, nitrates and other health hazards -- an increase of $36 million above the FY 2020 enacted level and $86 million more than the request.

Supports scientific and regulatory work on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) with $12.9 million in additional funding to establish drinking water and cleanup standards.

Superfund site cleanups are funded at $1.22 billion -- an increase of $37 million over the current level and $143 million more than the request.

Provides $15 million for Environmental Justice activities, an increase of $4.8 million, or 47 percent, above the 2020 enacted level more than five times above the President's budget request.

Provides $13 billion in additional emergency funds for EPA infrastructure grants including an additional $10.2 billion for Clean Water and Safe Drinking State Revolving Funds; $1 billion for Superfund site remediation;

$950 million for led pipe replacement, sewer overflow control, and other water infrastructure investments for small and disadvantaged communities; $350 million for Brownfields grants; and $450 million for Diesel Emissions Reduction (DERA) grants.

Veterans Affairs

This bill provides $104.8 billion in discretionary funding for VA programs -- $12.3 billion more than the current enacted level.

Continues to advance appropriations for VA medical programs by including $94.2 billion in discretionary funding for FY 2022.

VA Medical Services

This division provides $90 billion for VA medical care -- an increase of $9.8 billion above the current enacted levels. Within this total:

$10.3 billion for mental health care services

$1.9 billion for homelessness assistance initiatives

$661 million for gender-specific care services for women

$504 million for opioid abuse recovery and prevention

$300 million for rural VA health initiatives

$313 million for suicide prevention outreach

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