WASHINGTON, D.C. – Representative Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA) issued the below statement after the House passed the bipartisan Consolidated Appropriations Act (FY23), which funds the Federal Government for one year. The bill passed 225-201-1.

“Ultimately, the federal budget is a reflection of our nation’s priorities,” said Houlahan. “And this year’s budget shows the American people that we are prioritizing our national security, job growth, health care expansion, disaster recovery, and more. While this bill is not perfect, I sincerely applaud the good-faith efforts made by all my colleagues to find bipartisan compromise so that we can deliver on one of our basic job functions—funding our government.”

Highlights include:

·       $5 billion in mandatory funding for the Cost of War Toxic Exposures Fund established in the Honoring Our PACT Act of 2022 to expand veterans’ health care

·       $27.9 billion as part of the fourth Ukraine supplemental

·       $11.2 billion in net discretionary funding for the Department of Commerce, which supports the Economic Development Administration and STEM Apprenticeships, the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) Program, and the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA)

·       $2.8 billion for mental health services, an increase of $707 million over the fiscal year 2022 enacted level, including an $150 million increase to the Mental Health Block Grant (MHBG)

·       $45 billion for K-12 Education, including the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act programs

A full summary of the bipartisan Consolidated Appropriations Act (FY23) can be found here.

Wednesday’s vote voided the need for another continuing resolution (CR), a temporary funding measure that the Department of Defense warned would be detrimental to U.S. national security. This would have been the third CR for this government funding package.

“The Department of Defense (DoD) once again faces the threat of an extended continuing resolution (CR) to fund our programs and operations into the new year,” said Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin in a November letter to Congressional leaders. “It is essential that Congress act now to complete a full-year, whole of government funding bill before the end of 2022. Failure to do so will result in significant harm to our people and our programs and would cause harm to our national security and our competitiveness."

The Pennsylvania congressional delegation voted 10-8. All but one Republican, Rep. Fitzpatrick, voted against, and all Democrats, including Houlahan, voted in support.

Houlahan is an Air Force veteran, an engineer, a serial entrepreneur, an educator, and a nonprofit leader. She represents Pennsylvania’s 6th Congressional District, which encompasses Chester County and southern Berks County. She serves on the House Armed Services Committee, the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the House Small Business Committee. She is the recipient of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Abraham Lincoln Leadership for America Award which “recognizes members who demonstrate the bipartisan leadership and constructive governing necessary to move our country forward” and the Congressional Management Foundation’s 2022 Democracy Award for best Constituent Services in Congress.

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