Today, Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher (TX-07) voted for the FY 2023 Six-Bill Appropriations Minibus, H.R. 8294, a government spending bill that funds multiple departments and agencies, and invests in critical water and flooding infrastructure, makes key investments in clean energy technologies, provides funding for election security, and more. The bill passed the House by a vote of 220-207.
“One of the most important responsibilities of Congress is appropriating government funding, and this bill contains a number of provisions that are of critical importance to Houstonians,” said Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher. “These investments will make a real difference in the lives of so many in our community—from food and nutrition programs to improving our roads and bridges—and I was glad to vote for this legislation today.”
Specifically, H.R. 8294:
Supports water infrastructure projects around the country with nearly $9 billion for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, including nearly $2.5 billion for new construction to reduce the current project backlog, and more than $5 billion for the operation and maintenance of existing projects;
Secures our country’s energy infrastructure and reduces the risks of and impacts from cybersecurity attacks by providing $205 million to the Department of Energy;
Upholds the integrity of our elections with $400 million for election security grants to protect elections from cyberattacks and technical failures;
Provides $126 million to help regulate per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and establish drinking water and cleanup standards;
Improves taxpayer services at the Internal Revenue Service with a $3.4 billion investment to support low income taxpayer clinics; the Taxpayer Advocate, to help ensure all taxpayers are treated fairly and understand their rights; tax counseling for the elderly; and increased personnel to improve IRS customer service;
Invests $880 million to reduce carbon emissions with technologies and methods like carbon capture and storage, hydrogen, and direct air capture, while rebuilding our country’s critical minerals supply chain;
Fights hunger and provides $6 billion for the Special Supplemental Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) and $111.18 billion for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), serving an estimated 6.2 million women, infants, and children and 43.5 million people, respectively;
Makes Dreamers eligible for federal employment; and
Improves the safety and long-term viability of our country’s highway systems and expands and upgrades transit nationwide by allocating $61.3 billion for the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and $17.5 billion for the Federal Transit Administration (FTA).
