{"bills":[{"photos":{"featured":"https://assets.causes.com/bill/photo/placeholder-chamber-big.jpg","featured_large":"https://assets.causes.com/bill/photo/placeholder-chamber-big.jpg","shareable":"https://n.causes.com/share-images/bills/hr7608-116.png"},"introduced_on":"2020-07-13","title_override":"$260 Billion ‘Minibus’: FY2021 Funding for the EPA, National Parks, Veterans Affairs & More","summary_override":"

This bill would provide $259.5 billion in fiscal year 2021 discretionary appropriations for agencies funded under four of the 12 appropriations categories — state & foreign operations; agriculture, rural development, & FDA; interior & environment; and military construction & veterans affairs. A breakdown of its various provisions can be found below.

STATE & FOREIGN OPERATIONS

This section would provide $65.87 billion in FY2021 funding, an increase of $8.467 billion from the prior year that would include $47.85 billion in base funding, $8 billion in Overseas Contingency Operations/Global War on Terrorism (OCO/GWOT) funding, and $10.018 billion in coronavirus (COVID-19 preparedness, response, and relief efforts.

State Dept. Operations: This section would provide $16.4 billion in base & OCO funding for the operational costs of the State Dept. and related agencies, including $6.1 billion for embassy security. The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Operations would receive $1.68 billion in funding for FY2021.

Multilateral Assistance: This section would provide $3.55 billion for assistance to foreign countries through international organizations and banks, including assessed contributions to international organizations & institutions such as the World Bank. Organizations would be eligible to receive foreign aid funding if they promote or provide abortions, which would be a reversal of current law (known as the Mexico City policy).

Bilateral Economic & Global Health: This section would provide a total of $26.85 billion in base and OCO funding for bilateral economic assistance to foreign countries, which is an increase of $883.9 million from the prior year. It would include:

$7.83 billion for humanitarian assistance under the Migration & Refugee Assistance, Emergency Refugee & Migration Assistance, and International Disaster Assistance programs.
$6.3 billion to help fight HIV/AIDS globally.
$5.93 billion for the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), including the Global Fund.
$2.64 billion for programs to improve maternal and child health & fight infectious diseases, an increase of $4 million above the FY2020 level.
$410.5 million for the Peace Corps, an amount equal to the FY2020 level.
$225 million for humanitarian and development programs in the West Bank and Gaza in support of the Palestinian people, which may include support for UNRWA.

International Security Assistance: This section would provide $9 billion in base & OCO funding for international security assistance, such as international narcotics control & law enforcement activities, anti-terrorism programs, non-proliferation programs, peacekeeping operations, and other critical international security efforts.

It would fully fund the $3.3 billion in assistance to Israel and continue support via the Foreign Military Financing programs for Ukraine, Georgia, Egypt, Jordan, and Tunisia. It would also maintain funding for counter-narcotics and law enforcement efforts in Colombia, Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean.

Coronavirus Provisions: This section would provide a total of $10.018 billion in emergency funding for the COVID-19, including:

$2.5 billion for global health programs which includes $150 million to replenish the emergency reserve, $750 million for The GAVI Alliance, and $800 million for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB, and Malaria.
$1.5 billion for the Economic Support Fund.
$1.281 billion for international organizations and programs of the United Nations Global Humanitarian Response Plan.
$1.125 billion for Migration and Refugee Assistance.
$955 million for diplomatic programs.
$105 million for USAID operating expenses.

Miscellaneous:

This bill would provide $500 million in current & prior year funding to assist developing nations in reducing greenhouse gas emissions through adaptation & mitigation policies.
This bill would provide $50 million to support women’s leadership, $165 million to prevent & respond to gender-based violence, $15 million to address women at risk of violent extremism, and $130 million to support the Women, Peace, and Security Strategy.
The Afghan Special Immigrant Visa program would be extended for one year with an authorization of 4,000 additional SIVs.

AGRICULTURE, RURAL DEVELOPMENT, & FDA

This section would provide $23.98 billion in funding for FY2021, an increase of $487 million from the prior year, to support programs & services at the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture (USDA), the Food & Drug Administration (FDA), the Farm Credit Administration, and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), among others.

Food & Nutrition Programs: This section would provide discretionary and mandatory funding for USDA’s food and nutrition program, including:

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP): $68.277 billion in mandatory spending for SNAP through FY2021, including $3 billion for the SNAP reserve fund.
Child Nutrition Programs: $25.131 billion in mandatory funding for child nutrition programs, an increase of $1.516 billion above the FY2020 enacted level.
Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC): $5.75 billion in discretionary funding for WIC.

Rural Development: This section would provide $4.214 billion in FY2021 funding for rural development programs, including $1.025 billion for broadband service in rural areas, $1.45 billion in critical infrastructure for rural areas (such as drinking water & sanitary waste disposal systems or rural electric & telephone infrastructure).

Rural housing loan authority would be funded with $24 billion for FY2021, including $1 billion in direct single family housing loans, in addition to $1.45 billion in rental assistance & rental vouchers for affordable rental housing for low-income families and the elderly in rural communities for renewal of all existing rental assistance contracts.

Food & Drug Administration (FDA): The FDA would receive $3.212 billion in discretionary funding, while total funding (which includes revenue from user fees) would be $5.99 billion for FY2021. It would receive targeted increases for medical product & food safety activities, including new influenza vaccine manufacturing technologies, and funding a regulatory framework for CBD products.

International Programs: A total of $2 billion would be provided for international food aid and to promote U.S. agricultural exports overseas, including $1.775 billion in Food for Peace grants and $235 million for the McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition program.

Miscellaneous:

$1.088 billion for food safety & inspection programs.
$1.835 billion for farm programs.
$1.07 billion for the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
$3.3 billion for agricultural research.

INTERIOR & ENVIRONMENT

This section would provide a total of $36.76 billion in FY2021 funding, an increase of $771 million from the prior year, for the Dept. of the Interior, U.S. Forest Service, the Environmental Protection Agency, Bureau of Indian Affairs, and other agencies.

Dept. of the Interior (DOI): A total of $13.83 billion would be provided for the DOI and the agencies under its jurisdiction, including:

Bureau of Indian Affairs & Bureau of Indian Education (BIA/BIE): $3.5 billion, an increase of $188 million from the prior year, including $1.6 billion for BIA operations and $982 million for BIE operation.
Bureau of Land Management (BLM): $1.3 billion, a decrease of $28 million from FY2020, including $72 million for sage grouse conservation and $49 million for the National Landscape Conservation System.
National Park Service (NPS): $3.22 billion, an increase of $55 million, including $2.8 billion for NPS operations, $136 million for the historic preservation fund, and $74 million for national park recreation & preservation.
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS): $1.6 billion, an increase of $37 million from FY2020, including $278 million for ecological services, $511 million for the National Wildlife Refuge System, and $78 million for state & tribal wildlife grants.

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): This section would provide a total of $9.38 billion in funding for the EPA, an increase of $318 million from the prior year, including:

$3.58 billion for the EPA’s core science and environmental program work.
$4.36 billion for state & tribal assistance grants, including $2.76 billion for CLean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds.
$1.22 billion for Superfund cleanups.

U.S. Forest Service: A total of $3.13 billion (for non-fire or non-Land & Water Conservation Fund accounts) would be provided for FY2021, an increase of $134 million from the prior year.

Wildland Fire Management: A total of $5.73 billion would be provided, an increase of $174 million from the prior year, which includes $2.35 billion in cap adjusted fire suppression funding.

Indian Health Services: A total of $6.5 billion in funding would be provided, an increase of $445 million from the prior year, including $4.5 billion for health services and $935 million for health facilities.

Emergency Infrastructure Investments: This section would provide:

$13 billion in additional EPA infrastructure grants, including $10.2 billion for revolving funds and $1 billion for Superfund remediation plus $950 million for water infrastructure grants.
$1.5 billion in additional funding for the Indian Health Service to construct healthcare facilities.
$500 million in additional funding for the Bureau of Indian Education for school construction needs.

MILITARY CONSTRUCTION & VETERANS AFFAIRS

This section would provide $250.9 billion in discretionary and mandatory funding, including $115.5 billion in discretionary funding.

Dept. of Veterans Affairs (VA): This section would authorize FY2021 mandatory spending at the VA and would provide $115.5 billion in discretionary funding for FY2021, an increase of $5.1 billion from the prior year.

VA Medical Care: $90 billion would support medical treatment and healthcare for the VA, an increase of $9.8 billion from the prior year. Of the total, $10.3 billion would be allocated for mental healthcare, $1.9 billion for homeless assistance programs, $2.6 billion for implementation of electronic health records, $3.2 billion for the operating expenses of the Veterans Benefit Administration. Additionally, this section would provide:

$1.8 billion for major & minor VA construction.
$145.3 billion in advance mandatory funding for VA benefit programs.

Military Construction: Funding for military construction would total $10.1 billion excluding overseas contingency operations, a decrease of $1.2 billion from the prior year.

Specifically, this section would provide:

$1.49 billion for military family housing, with $135 million to address issues like mold, vermin, and lead.
$596 million for construction or alteration of Guard and Reserve facilities in states & territories.
$173 million for the NATO Security Investment Program to create infrastructure necessary for wartime, crisis, and peace support & deterrence operations.

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$260 Billion ‘Minibus’: FY2021 Funding for the EPA, National Parks, Veterans Affairs & More