Today, Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher (TX-07) voted for the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024, H.R. 4366, a bipartisan government funding bill that funds essential programs, addresses many of the challenges our country faces, and provides nearly $16 million for fourteen local projects that Congresswoman Fletcher specifically requested through the Community Funded Projects process.  These projects will provide funding for the Harris County Flood Control District, METRO, Fort Bend County Transit, and the Cities of Houston and Sugar Land, among others.  Congress is expected to consider an additional funding bill in the coming weeks.

“I was pleased to vote today to continue to fund important programs in our government and to bring to our district nearly $16 million in federal funding,” said Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher.  “Each of the projects I worked to secure funding for will make a positive impact in our community – from protecting our community from flooding to supporting safety and transit improvements to enhancing community centers for seniors and people with disabilities.  These projects touch every corner of our district, and I look forward to working with local leaders and advocates on these projects once this legislation is signed into law and building on our partnerships to deliver for the people of Texas’ Seventh Congressional District.”

For TX-07, Congresswoman Fletcher secured $15,985,080 for the following fourteen Community Funded Projects: 

• $5,782,558 for the Southwest Houston Redevelopment Authority’s Southwest Community Campus for redevelopment for a community senior center;
• $1,000,000 for the Sugar Land Regional Public Safety Center to add improvements for additional first responder training;
• $1,000,000 for renovations to the City of Houston Metropolitan Multiservice Center for People with Disabilities on West Gray;
• $963,000 for the City of Houston Forensic Science Center’s Forensic Evidence Data System to improve the collection, tracking, management, and processing of forensic evidence through the criminal justice system;
• $963,000 for the Rice University / Houston ISD Planetary and Space Exploration Education Project to create a space and planetary science pilot program for students exploring planetary sciences and related careers through innovative programming at local schools;
• $959,752 for the Harris County Flood Control District project to construct a dry bottom detention basin with green stormwater infrastructure features to reduce flooding along Keegans Bayou near Old Richmond Road ;
• $850,000 for the Westchase District’s Meadowglen West Complete Streets Project for street and safety improvements;
• $850,000 for the Memorial Heights Safe Sidewalk and Path Connections for multimodal improvements in Harris County Precinct 1;
• $850,000 for METRO’s Gessner BOOST Bus Stop to improve the transit experience for METRO riders on one of the busiest transit corridors on the 46 Gessner route;
• $833,470 for the International District Beechnut and Cook Intersection Safety Program for street and safety improvements in Harris County Precinct 4;
• $573,300 for historic preservation of the City of Houston’s Rasmus Park Heritage Housein Alief;
• $500,000 for the University of Houston at Sugar Land Artificial Intelligence & Manufacturing Technology Center to drive collaboration and innovation in emerging technologies;
• $500,000 for improvments and reconstruction of facilities at Fort Bend ISD’s Mission Bend Elementary School ; and
• $360,000 for Fort Bend County Transit to fund a new scheduling and dispatch system for local transit users.

The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024, H.R. 4366, combines six out of the twelve annual appropriations bills to fund crucial programs and initiatives to boost the economy, protect the environment, honor our veterans, support the underserved, and advance our infrastructure, including:

Food and Nutrition Programs

• $7.03 billion for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC);
• $119 billion for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP); 
• $33 billion for child nutrition programs; 
• $389 million for the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP); and
• $80 million for The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP).

Support for Veterans

• $16.2 billion for veteran mental health care, including $559 million for suicide prevention outreach;
• $3.1 billion for veteran homeless assistance programs;
• $231 million for substance use disorder programs;
• $715 million for opioid misuse prevention and safety programs;
• $943 million for veterans medical and prosthetic research; and
• $1.3 billion to continue modernizing VA electronic health records.

Commerce and Justice

• $4.5 billion in grants for state and local law enforcement; 
• $713 million for Violence Against Women Act prevention and prosecution programs to prevent domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking while improving access to essential support services such as health care and safe housing for all survivors; 
• $560 million for the Legal Services Corporation to help expand the availability of free legal aid for underserved communities; and
• $68.3 million for the Minority Business Development Agency.

Energy and Water Infrastructure

• $8.7 billion for Army Corps of Engineers water infrastructure projects; and
• $15 billion for the research, development, demonstration, and deployment of clean energy and secure, domestic energy supply chains.

Transportation and Infrastructure

• $60.8 billion for the Federal Highway Administration to improve the safety and long-term viability of our highway systems;
• $252 million for the Federal Transit Administration to assist transit agencies in purchasing low and no emission buses, improving transit systems, and carrying out local projects; and
• $3.3 billion for the Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery program for the long-term housing, infrastructure, and economic recovery needs for areas impacted by a natural disaster.

Environment and Conservation

• $1.7 billion for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service;
• $3.3 billion for the National Park Service;
• $3.9 billion for the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) science and environmental programs; 
• $6.1 billion for Wildland Fire Management programs; and
• $900 million for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF).

For a more detailed summary, click here; for the full text of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024, click here.