Rep. Huffman Secures Local & National Priorities in Appropriations Bill

June 19, 2019

Washington, D.C.- Representative Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael) secured several key local and national priorities in the FY2020 funding bill approved by the House of Representatives today, including a historic funding increase for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), language to acknowledge the need to dredge the Petaluma River, and a successful amendment to block funding for the current faulty permit process for the environmentally destructive Pebble Mine in Alaska.

“This funding bill supports priorities for my constituents on the North Coast and for Americans across the country,” said Rep. Huffman. “I am glad to vote for passage of today’s funding bill, which increases funding for special education, blocks the rigged and incurably flawed permitting process for the Pebble Mine in Bristol Bay, Alaska, and focuses congressional attention on the need for dredging the Petaluma River.”  

Specifically, Rep. Huffman applauded the following provisions in the Appropriations Minibus:

  • A historic increase for IDEA: This bill includes a $1 billion increase over both last year’s funding level and President Trump’s budget request and represents the special education program’s largest increase in funding since 2004;
  • Ban of Funding for the Rushed Review of Controversial Pebble Mine: This bill includes Huffman’s amendment to stop the Army Corps of Engineers from continuing the current rushed and inadequate permitting process for Pebble Mine, a proposed open copper and gold mine that would directly threaten indigenous peoples, endanger the most valuable wild salmon fishery in the world, and harm the thousands of American jobs associated with the commercial salmon fishing industry. The amendment passed by a bipartisan vote of 233 to 201.
  • Language to Acknowledge Need for Dredging in Petaluma River: This bill reminds the Army Corps of Engineers that given public safety concerns as well as economic impacts, Petaluma River is eligible to compete for additional funding provided in this account.

This Minibus includes the following appropriations bills:  FY 2020 Labor-Health and Human Services-Education, Defense, State-Foreign Operations, and Energy and Water Development spending bills.  This Minibus:     

  • Paves the way for every American to access quality health care, a good education and good-paying jobs: provides robust funding for life-saving NIH research; HIV prevention, treatment and outreach; and, for the first time in more than 20 years, firearm injury and mortality prevention research; blocks funding to implement the Trump Administration’s Title X Gag Rule; makes historic investments in early childhood initiatives; strengthens K-12 education, including Title I and Special Education; expands student assistance to attend college; and makes strong investments in apprenticeships, workforce training and other pathways to good-paying jobs. 
  • Makes bold, future-focused investments in the clean energy economy of the future: secures robust funding for initiatives to modernize America’s electricity grid and defend our energy sector against cyber-attacks, in addition to strong funding for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) initiatives, the Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy (ARPA-E), and the Army Corps of Engineers.
  • Provides strong funding for America’s leadership in the world: invests in urgently-needed humanitarian assistance for refugees, displaced peoples, and those recovering from international disasters; supports anti-terrorism, nonproliferation, and peacekeeping initiatives; invests in global health and education initiatives; supports women’s reproductive rights and family planning initiatives; and strengthens our commitments to the Green Climate Fund, Paris Agreement and other environmental initiatives.
  • Strengthens America’s security: provides strong funding for active-duty and reserve military personnel, including a military pay raise and funding for sexual assault prevention and response efforts; invests in needed readiness and repair that ensure our troops can keep us safe; and strengthens Congress’s oversight over the President’s reckless, rash decisions including by preventing him from dragging America into war with Iran, ending U.S. involvement in the Saudi-led war in Yemen,  sunsetting the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force after eight months, and blocking the President from stealing from military funding to build his ineffective, wasteful border wall.

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