On Tuesday evening, U.S. Representative Matt Cartwright (PA-08) voted in the House Appropriations Committee to advance the fiscal year 2021 Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies funding bill to the House floor, where it will be considered later this month.
In total, the bill contains $71.473 billion, including funding boosts at the request of Cartwright for initiatives that support economic growth in northeastern Pennsylvania. It also includes two pieces of Cartwright-led legislation to support research on and preparation for climate change and extreme weather events.
The bill contains funding increases to reform police practices throughout the country and to create jobs, fix the country’s infrastructure, support American manufacturing, protect civil rights, reform police practices, reduce gun violence, address the opioid crisis, and keep schools safe. Furthermore, the bill provides funding increases for science research, science education, and legal services for underserved communities.
“Investments in initiatives that support our historic coal communities and our manufacturers are so important as we work to get our economy safely running again,” said Cartwright, a member of the Commerce-Justice-Science Appropriations Subcommittee. “The funding increases to drive law enforcement reforms and accountability are also key to promoting public safety and justice. I look forward to getting these bills across the finish line and putting our fair share of these dollars to work in northeastern Pennsylvania.”
Cartwright also gave remarks in the committee markup in support of the bill. They can be viewed here.
The fiscal year 2021 Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies funding bill includes strong funding increases to help improve police practices throughout the country, including:
- More than $400 million for grants to carry out police reform initiatives, including pattern and practice investigations, implementing statutes providing for independent investigation of law enforcement, and community-based organizations aimed at improving law enforcement;
- $50 million within Byrne JAG for training for state and local law enforcement on racial profiling, implicit bias, de-escalation, use of force, the duty to intervene when witnessing another officer using excessive force, and procedural justice;
- $25 million for Federal investigation and prosecution support to address misconduct and systemic change in police organizations, and negates limits on such efforts begun by former Attorney General Sessions;
- $500,000 for a National Police Misconduct Registry; and
- $5 million for a new National Task Force on Law Enforcement Oversight.
Wins in this legislation for northeastern Pennsylvania include:
- $37 million for the Economic Development Administration’s (EDA) Assistance to Coal Communities program, which works to help communities affected by the decline of the coal industry. This is a 23 percent increase over last year’s allocation.
- This legislation funds the EDA at $356 million, an increase of $23 million above the fiscal year 2020 level. These funds will help improve our nation’s infrastructure, boost economically recovering communities, and launch innovative community development efforts.
- $412 million for grant programs to combat the opioid crisis authorized under the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act, an increase of $34 million above the FY 2020 enacted level, to help stem abuse, including for drug courts, treatment, prescription drug monitoring and overdose-reversal drugs. The bill maintains Federal law enforcement resources to investigate and prosecute drug traffickers.
- $153 million for the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP), a public-private partnership that helps small- and medium-sized manufacturers across the U.S. grow. This is a 4.8 percent increase over last year’s allocation.
- $35 million for the Economic Development Administration’s Regional Innovation Strategies program – a $2 million increase over last year’s allocation – which awards grants to help build new American businesses. The program has created more than 14,000 jobs and more than $1.6 billion in follow-on investment in American companies. This year’s White House budget proposed eliminating the program.
Additional highlights:
- The funding bill implements large parts of Cartwright’s PREPARE Act and Built to Last Act for fiscal year 2021, which would support nationwide efforts to bolster the resilience of our infrastructure against the effects of extreme weather.
- $22.63 billion for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), equal to the FY 2020 enacted level. This funding includes continued investments in human space exploration efforts, as well as other investments, including the following:
- $819 million for Aeronautics research, an increase of $35 million above the FY 2020 enacted level and equal to the President’s budget request, to continue efforts to improve passenger safety, fuel efficiency, and noise reduction, and to make air travel more environmentally sustainable.
- $126 million for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Engagement, an increase of $6 million above the FY 2020 enacted level, to inspire young people to pursue future careers in science and engineering, and rejecting the Administration’s request to eliminate funding for these programs.
A full bill summary can be viewed here. The full bill text can be viewed here.
