Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mrs. SHAHEEN. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the fiscal year 2022 Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies, CJS, Appropriations Act. As chair of the CJS Appropriations Subcommittee, I developed this bill in partnership with my vice chairman, the Senator from Kansas, Jerry Moran. In order to draft this bill, the CJS Subcommittee held substantive hearings, considered 2,084 individual and group requests from 88 Senators, and worked in a bipartisan way to meet the needs of the Nation and our individual States.

The end result is legislation that provides $79.7 billion to invest in important priorities for New Hampshire and the Nation, including funding for key Federal programs that respond to the substance use disorder crisis, help domestic and sexual violence survivors, invest in law enforcement programs, and assist Granite Staters in recovering from the far-reaching consequences of the pandemic.

I am particularly pleased that the bill delivers the greatest funding ever to Violence Against Women Act programs, as well as substantial funding to help communities and first responders address substance misuse and the climate crisis. But we can't limit our action to the immediate problems of today; we also need an eye towards the future. That is why this bill also invests in American competitiveness on the global stage--ensuring our workforce is poised to lead in scientific innovation and space exploration in the years to come. These priorities are all essential to the success of families and communities across New Hampshire and our Nation, and I look forward to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle and the administration to see this bill signed into law.

I would like to highlight a few specific items included in this legislation.

Highest, funding level ever for Violence Against Women Act Programs. Once again, this subcommittee has provided increases to law enforcement and grant programs that fight gun violence and violent crime. For the fifth year in a row during my tenure on this subcommittee, the CJS bill provides the highest funding level ever for Violence Against Women Act programs, totaling $760 million for the Office on Violence Against Women, OVW. This is a 48-percent increase from last year's funding level and will support training officials to improve services for victims, rape prevention programs, college campus violence prevention programs, domestic violence hotlines and women's shelters, and transitional housing support services. Funding is provided for several new initiatives, including a restorative justice program, a National Deaf Services Line, and special assistant U.S. attorneys to address violence against women in Indian Country.

Critical funding for Department of Justice anti-opioid grants. To combat the substance use disorder epidemic, the bill provides $615 million to help communities and first responders respond to substance crises, including opioid addiction and drug trafficking. This is $73.5 million higher than the fiscal year 2021 funding level and includes $447 million for Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act, CARA, grants. These grants support programs like drug, mental health and veteran treatment courts and substance use disorder treatment programs administered by State and local correctional facilities.

Bolstered funding to support victims of violent crimes and bolstered legal services. This year, we have heard from Crime Victims Fund, CVF, State administrators and victim service providers about the impacts of lower CVF funding. That is why we provided $2.65 billion of spending from the fund this year--$635 million more than last year. This fund provides direct assistance and programs to survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse, human trafficking, and other violent crimes. But I remain concerned that receipts into the fund will not be able to sustain this needed level of spending. That is why the passage of the VOCA Fix to Sustain the Crime Victims Fund Act earlier this year was so important.

The bill also provides $515 million for the Legal Services Corporation, which is the largest funder of civil legal aid in the country with counsel on family law, domestic violence, housing and financial fraud.

Support for law enforcement and to enhance police-community relations. Department of Justice law enforcement agencies are funded in the bill $23.8 billion--$1.1 billion more than last year. This increased funding will allow the hiring of additional agents, deputy marshals, intelligence analysts, and other personnel to help keep our communities safe. There is also $640 million for the Byrne-JAG Program, which helps law enforcement agencies in New Hampshire and across the country, strengthens the criminal justice system, and bolsters services for victims of crime. Within Byrne-JAG, $416 million will go to support State and local criminal justice systems, an increase of $56 million more than last year. Additionally, $248 million is allocated for community oriented policing services, COPS, hiring, an increase of $11 million from the fiscal year 2021 level. This program supports State, local, and Tribal law enforcement agencies' ability to hire, preserve, and/or rehire law enforcement officers and increases community policing efforts.

The bill provides $283 million for State and local law enforcement assistance and COPS Office grant programs to support programs that improve police-community relations. This is an 84-percent increase from last year's funding levels and will support programs on deescalation, implicit bias, crisis intervention, and training to respond to situations where individuals are mentally ill or disabled.

Increased funding for the Economic Development Administration and trade. The bill provides $10.7 billion for the Department of Commerce, of which $395 million is for the Economic Development Administration, EDA, which awards infrastructure and planning grants to communities around the country. This level is an increase of $49 million above the prior year. It is estimated this funding will generate $3.5 billion in local and private investment and support more than 30,000 American jobs this year. EDA has recently awarded grants to Granite State communities for a wide variety of projects ranging from flood control infrastructure in Plymouth to economic development projects in the Monadnock region. The EDA funding also includes $5 million to assist communities recovering from biomass plant closures.

The bill includes $1.5 million for the Bureau of Economic Analysis to continue the annual assessment of the economic value of the outdoor recreation industry--a key sector supporting local economies across New Hampshire. This report, which was created as a result of the enactment of my bipartisan legislation, the Outdoor Recreation Jobs and Economic Impact Act, provides a comprehensive assessment of the role that outdoor recreation plays in supporting jobs and economic growth, allowing policymakers to craft legislation to further support the sector. The bill also provides $584 million for the International Trade Administration, ITA, which promotes American exports, supports small and medium-sized businesses, and ensures fair trade practices on the global stage. This marks a $43 million increase above fiscal year 2021.

Investments in science and to advance U.S. space exploration, The National Science Foundation, NSF, is funded at $9.49 billion--$1 billion higher than last year's level. This funding will support U.S. competitiveness in key areas like quantum computing, artificial intelligence, and climate science, as well as help build an innovative workforce fueled by a diverse pipeline of scientists and engineers. The bill supports the creation of a new technology directorate, similar to what the Senate endorsed in the U.S. Innovation and Competition Act, to ensure that research is translated into the technologies and products that will drive economic growth for the next several decades. There is also $1.49 billion for the National Institute of Standards and Technology, NIST, to invest in STEM programs that improve the competitiveness of U.S. manufacturers and strengthen domestic supply chains, which is a 35-percent increase above fiscal year 2021.

The bill also provides $3 million for NIST to continue research into the prevalence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, PFAS, n firefighter personal protective equipment--marking a $1 million increase from last year's funding. This research is a key component of my legislation, the Guaranteeing Equipment Safety for Firefighters Act, which was signed into law last year and will help to address concerns regarding firefighters' occupational exposure to PFAS chemicals.

To support America's continued leadership in space, NASA is funded at $24.8 billion. This is $1.5 billion higher than the fiscal year 2021 level and will support climate research, space missions, and the launch of the powerful James Webb Space Telescope. The bill also includes funding to support the International Space Station and returning humans to the Moon. Additionally, within the $7.9 billion for NASA Science, $825.7 million is for NASA Heliophysics, an increase of $74.7 million above the fiscal year 2021 level. The University of New Hampshire is a leading heliophysics research institution, with instruments on 16 of 22 operating heliophysics missions.

Support for ocean research and conservation efforts and weather satellites. The bill provides $730 million to support National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, NOAA, research, including critical research to combat the climate crisis, marking a 19-percent increase from 2021. This funding will help coastal communities in New Hampshire and across the Nation bolster their resilience to changing climate, as well as support ocean health and research. In addition, the bill invests in successful job-creating programs, sustainable economic development, and environmental restoration. The bill provides full funding to cover the full cost of at-sea monitoring in the New England groundfish fishery and an increase of $14 million for research and conservation efforts to protect the endangered North Atlantic right whale, including $10 million to help defray costs paid by the lobster fishing industry to protect right whales. The bill includes $6.5 million specifically targeted for research related to key New England seafood species, including to study the effects of climate change.

Finally, there is $405 million to continue construction of polar weather satellites, which help forecast weather to protect property and economic security for families in New Hampshire and across Nation. One- third of U.S. GDP is affected by climate and weather--from farmers in the North Country trying to protect livestock and crops to climate disasters costing billions of dollars of damage.

Mr. President, these are just a few of the highlights of the fiscal year 2022 CJS bill. While I wish we could consider this bill under regular order, have a conference with the House, and enact it into law, I know the reality is that to finish the work on all 12 appropriations bills by the time the continuing resolution runs out, we will likely be negotiating an omnibus. I urge my colleagues across the aisle to come to agreement with us soon on how to allocate funding among the bills so the Appropriations Committee can get to work. I look forward to working with Senator Moran and our House colleagues to craft a final CJS bill that will assist crime victims, invest in scientific research, and spur innovation in our communities--critical needs that we all support. ______

By Mr. DURBIN:

S. 3043. A bill to promote minimum State requirements for the prevention and treatment of concussions caused by participation in school sports, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source