As Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, U.S. Rep. Harold 'Hal' Rogers (KY-05) has been leading the charge to get the federal appropriations process back to regular order. On Wednesday, the House of Representatives took up the sixth appropriations bill for fiscal year 2016 (FY16), marking the half-way point for the twelve appropriations bills that allocate discretionary spending. In each bill, Rogers advocates for responsible, transparent budgets that are good for the people of Kentucky. 

Most recently, the House passed the FY16 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD) funding bill (H.R. 2577) on Tuesday and the FY16 Commerce, Justice, Science (CJS) Appropriations bill (H.R. 2578) last week.

In total, the THUD bill reflects an allocation of $55.3 billion in discretionary spending, which is $9.7 billion below the President’s budget request. The funds are targeted toward transportation, infrastructure, and housing programs of national need and significance that have the biggest impact on Americans and communities across the country.

“The bill will fund a wide range of federal programs that affect every citizen of every district of every state. From the transportation infrastructure that moves goods, people, and businesses around the country, to the housing options that help those in most need, the benefits of the programs in this bill are felt far and wide,” said Chairman Rogers. “We face tight budget restrictions, yet this bill provides adequate investments in critical infrastructure and much-relied-upon housing programs."

The legislation provides critical funding for a number of federal programs, which are widely utilized in southern and eastern Kentucky, including:

• Self-Help Homeownership Opportunity Program (SHOP) - $10 million
• HOME Investment Partnership Program - $900 million
• Community Development Block Grants - $3 billion
• Section 4 Capacity Building - $40 million

Separately, the CJS funding bill supports the Department of Commerce, the Department of Justice, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the National Science Foundation (NSF), and other related agencies.

The legislation contains $51.4 billion in total discretionary funding, at $661 million below the President’s request for these programs. The bill prioritizes funding for law enforcement, national security, science, and space exploration programs.

"The legislation targets funding to programs that are vital to our economic development and national security, and that will help America remain the global leader in science research and innovation that helps to create jobs both now and in the future," said Chairman Rogers. “And, it makes these investments in a very responsible way – eliminating unnecessary or unneeded programs, and reducing funding for other, lower-priority agencies. This sort of smart budgeting will help improve the way our government operates and show that we can live within our means."

The CJS bill continues funding for critical programs that have been successful in curbing drug abuse in Kentucky, as well as important job creation initiatives through the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA), including:

Economic Development

• EDA Public Works Funding - $100 million
• EDA Assistance to Coal Mining Communities - $15 million

Fighting Drug Abuse

• DEA (COPS) Meth cleanup - $11 million
• Hal Rogers Prescription Drug Monitoring Program - $16 million
• Drug Courts - $46 million
• Veterans Treatment Courts - $15.5 million
• DEA Prescription Drug Diversion Control -- $371.5 million

Five House Appropriations bills for fiscal year 2016 now await approval from the U.S. Senate. 

For a summary of the THUD bill, please visit:

http://appropriations.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=394177

For a summary of the CJS bill, please visit:

http://appropriations.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=394203

Rogers has served Kentucky’s 5th Congressional District since 1981. With a focus on economic development, job creation, fighting illegal drugs and preserving Appalachia’s natural treasures, he has a reputation for listening to his constituents and fighting for the region he represents. For more information, visit http://halrogers.house.gov/ or follow Rogers on Twitter https://twitter.com/#!/RepHalRogers or on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/#!/CongressmanHalRogers.    

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