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Today, U.S. Representative Matt Cartwright (PA-08) voted to pass the first fiscal year 2021 “minibus” appropriations package on the House floor.

“This bill promotes public health and safety, supports our economy, protects the environment, and takes care of our servicemembers,” said Cartwright, a member of the Appropriations Committee. “It also funds Northeastern Pennsylvania priorities like rural development, keeping our waterways clean, and improving veterans’ health care. I’m proud of the work this committee has done to invest in the American people and future generations.”

In total, the minibus contains four bills authorizing $259.5 billion in discretionary funding, including $104.8 billion for Military Construction and Veterans Affairs; $36.76 billion for Interior, Environment and Related Agencies; $23.98 billion for Agriculture, Rural Development and the Food and Drug Administration; and $65.87 billion for State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs.

The bill funds critical programs like veteran health care and creates jobs through investments in renewable energy and sustainable infrastructure. Cartwright championed provisions that will bring economic recovery and growth to Northeastern Pennsylvania.

As a member of the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Subcommittee, Cartwright fought to include:

• $90 billion for veterans’ medical care, including veteran suicide prevention, opioid treatment, women’s care, and medical and prosthetic research;
• $12.5 billion in emergency funds for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to address the rising cost of providing health care for veterans, thus providing the Department with a 10% increase in total funding;
• $1.49 billion to address unsafe living conditions in privatized military housing;
• Strong accountability measures for base housing property managers; and
• More flexibility for VA hospitals, like the Wilkes-Barre VA Medical Center, to meet their localized information technology needs.

To drive economic growth and protect the environment, Cartwright fought to include the following provisions in the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies division of the bill:

• $90.5 million for the Chesapeake Bay Program, which will offset some of the financial burdens that has fallen on local communities in Northeastern Pennsylvania to pay for watershed improvement;
• $115 million for the Abandoned Mine Land (AML) Pilot Program, a fund that assists Pennsylvania and other Appalachian states reclaim coal mines; and
• $10 million for the Delaware River Basin Restoration program, which will help keep Northeastern Pennsylvania’s natural resources protected for future generations.

Initiatives that will boost development in Northeastern Pennsylvania in the Agriculture division of the bill include:

• Over $4.2 billion for rural development programs to foster economic growth through sustainable rural infrastructure and business opportunities;
• $1.45 billion for rural water and waste programs and over $610 million to build clean, reliable drinking water systems; and
• $24 billion to support rural housing development through the Single Family Housing Guaranteed Loan Program.

In addition to funds for the worldwide fight against COVID-19, Cartwright and the State and Foreign Operations Subcommittee also authorized:

• $61 million to permanently eradicate Polio globally through one of the most successful public-private health initiatives ever undertaken;
• $179 billion for renewable energy programs that will improve health outcomes and drive economic growth; and
• $177 billion for extreme weather preparedness and climate resiliency programs that boost long-term economic growth, reduce poverty and protect the environment.

A division-by-division summary can be viewed here. A bill fact sheet can be viewed here. The full bill text can be viewed here.