House of Representatives Passes Bill to Fund the Government

(Washington, D.C.) – On February 14, 2019, the House of Representatives passed a bill, by a vote of 300-128, that would fund nine departments through the end of fiscal year 2019. The bill was the result of a conference between Democratic and Republican Representatives and Senators and had passed the Senate earlier in the day.

“Last night, I voted in favor of a compromise bill that prevented another government shutdown and returned longer term stability to millions of families across the country,” stated Rep. Sires. “Hardworking Americans should never have to work without pay or face missed paychecks due to policy negotiations.  Yesterday’s vote rejected President Trump’s wasteful border wall proposal, instead allocating money for key programs that impact daily life in our communities.  I am pleased that my colleagues were able to draft bipartisan, bicameral legislation that focused funding on priorities such as infrastructure, affordable housing, research and development, grants to address the opioid crisis, and community development.”

The conference report provided funding for the nine departments that were impacted by the 35-day shutdown that started on December 22, 2018.  Included in the bill is funding for vital law enforcement grants with:

• $648 million for grant program that seek to address the opioid crisis
• $153 million for COPS hiring grants
• $178 million to address sexual assault kit and DNA evidence backlogs

There is also funding for important community, nutrition, and infrastructure programs with:

• An additional $1 billion for the Census Bureau
• Full funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
• $583 million for Section 8 housing choice vouchers
• $123 million for grants to combat homelessness
• $7.7 billion for Community Planning and Development
• $17 billion is for new infrastructure investments
• $293 million for port infrastructure

Within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS):

• $755 million was allocated for construction and technology at ports of entry
• $415 million for Customs and Border Protection humanitarian relief
• $30.5 million for Alternatives to Detention family case management

Included in that section were policy points that would prevent DHS from placing pregnant women in restraints, destroying records related to potential sexual assault or abuse of individuals in custody, and increases oversight of ICE treatment of detainees.