Source: United States Senator for Rhode Island Jack Reed
Sen. Reed played a key role in crafting and passing Omnibus Spending Bill with key wins for RI, middle-class families, & aid for Ukraine
A senior member of the Appropriations Committee, Reed successfully includes $229M in earmarks for over 85 projects in Rhode Island
WASHINGTON, DC — U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) today joined President Biden and senior members of the Appropriations Committee for the official signing of the fiscal year 2022 Consolidated Appropriations Act (also known as the Omnibus spending bill). With the stroke of President Joe Biden’s signature, $1.5 trillion in funding for all of the federal government’s discretionary spending for fiscal 2022 was approved today, along with key policies and priorities.
Senator Reed, a senior member of the Appropriations Committee, helped craft the comprehensive spending package, which provides $1.5 trillion to meet the federal government’s responsibilities to deliver critical services, extend economic opportunity and prosperity, improve our education system, make our streets safer, combat climate change, upgrade our infrastructure, invest in biomedical research and public health infrastructure, and strengthen America’s leadership in the world. Notably, it includes $13.6 billion in emergency funding to respond to the situation in Ukraine.
Through his role as one of twelve Appropriations Subcommittee Chairmen, Senator Reed helped craft the bipartisan spending bill. He successfully included Congressionally Directed Spending – traditionally known as “earmarks” – for Rhode Island in the appropriations package to fund numerous projects across the state. As a result of Reed’s advocacy, over 85 projects in Rhode Island are in line to receive $229 million in federal funds this year.
“This bill makes transformative investments and funds essential priorities for Rhode Island and working families everywhere. I will continue to leverage my experience and seniority on the Appropriations Committee to deliver for Rhode Island and ensure the federal government meets the needs of all Rhode Islanders,” said Senator Reed, the Chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on the Legislative Branch, and the fifth most senior Democrat on the committee.
Senator Reed serves on the following Appropriations Subcommittees and helped advocate for key priorities in the bill, including:
COMMERCE, JUSTICE, SCIENCE, AND RELATED AGENCIES (CJS): $75.8 BILLION
The CJS section provides critical resources for victims of domestic abuse and sexual violence as part of the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). It will also help create jobs in distressed communities with support for small businesses, including targeted assistance for local manufacturers. It delivers public safety support for Rhode Island through programs like Byrne Justice Assistance Grants; Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) hiring grants; and Second Chance Act programs. It also bolsters police and criminal justice reform, and expands gun violence prevention efforts. Senator reed helped include $50 million for evidence-based community violence intervention. Additionally, help for the climate crisis is provided by funding research at NASA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the National Science Foundation (NSF). The bill also includes $215 million for NSF’s EPSCoR program.
Notable Reed-Backed Earmarks included in FY22 CJS Appropriations: $8,036,000
- $1.6 million for Laboratory Improvements and the Development of a Shellfish Hatchery at Roger Williams University
- $1.375 million for the Providence Police Department to Purchase Police Vehicles and Related Equipment
- $1.2 million for Thundermist Health Center to Provide Crisis Intervention Team Training for Police
- $1 million for Sustainable Seafood Research at the University of Rhode Island
- $1 million for Plastics Pollution Research at the University of Rhode Island
- $900,000 for Providence Police Department Security Improvements
- $300,000 for Save the Bay to Conduct Watershed Education Programs
- $250,000 for a University of Rhode Island On-Water Center of Excellence for Teaching and Research
- $150,000 for Providence Children’s Museum to Provide Services for At-risk Children
- $140,000 for North Smithfield to Repair Mowry Tower, an Important Communications Hub
- $120,000 for Tides Family Services to Provide Services for At-risk Children
DEFENSE: $728.5 BILLION, plus additional DOD funds for military construction
The Defense section of the bill provides $728.5 billion in discretionary spending for national defense. This funding includes a 2.7 percent pay increase for all active-duty troops. It also invests in the readiness and capabilities of U.S. forces, and strengthens America’s defense manufacturing capabilities. It includes vital funds Senator Reed helped secure for submarine building.
INTERIOR, ENVIRONMENT, AND RELATED AGENCIES: $38 BILLION
The Interior-Environment section will safeguard our environment and promote clean air and water initiatives. It will help conserve our public lands and cultural institutions, including $180 million each to the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). It funds operations for the National Park Service (NPS) and the Blackstone River Valley National Historic Park. It will help create green jobs through investments in renewable energy development, including offshore wind, and a national initiative to reclaim abandoned mines and cap orphan oil and gas wells. It delivers nearly $9.6 billion for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for environmental protection, education, enforcement, and justice. Funding also includes major investments in clean water: $2.765 billion for the Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds, $178 million for grants to address non-point source pollution; $27.5 million to address lead in schools; $43 million to address combined sewer overflows; and nearly $70 million for innovative water infrastructure loans through the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA). The bill also will protect health and spur economic growth by helping clean up contaminated lands and pollution through $1.23 billion for EPA’s Superfund program, $46 million for brownfields grants, and $92 million for diesel engine clean up grants.
Notable Reed-Backed Earmarks included in FY22 Interior Appropriations: $12,600,000
- $3.3 million for Providence Water Lead Service Replacement
- $3.2 million to Replace the Lincoln Avenue Water Transmission Line in Warwick
- $1.5 million to Upgrade the Warwick Sewer Authority’s SCADA System
- $1.35 million for the Prudence Island Water District to Upgrade Drinking Water Infrastructure
- $1.175 million for a New Water Main to Improve System Reliability in North Smithfield
- $775,000 for the Removal of Lead Water Service Lines in Woonsocket
- $500,000 for Trinity Repertory Company’s Lederer Theatre Center Renovation
- $375,000 for North Providence’s Wendell and Link Street Area Stormwater Improvements & Flood Prevention
- $325,000 for Greenville Water District to Enhance Water Quality for Residents
- $100,000 for the Rhode Island Historical Preservation & Heritage Commission’s State Archeological Collections Repository
LABOR, HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, EDUCATION, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS SUBCOMMITTEE (LABOR-HHS): $213.6 BILLION
Creates and sustains good-paying American jobs through investments in education, job training, apprenticeship programs, worker protection, and public health infrastructure. It grows opportunity with transformative investments in education, including an additional $1 billion for public schools in need and increases the maximum Pell Grant by $400 to help address college affordability. In total, the bill provides $24.6 billion in funding for federal student aid programs. It also expands funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and includes new funding to establish the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H). The bill includes funding for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for state and local governments to strengthen public health infrastructure and capacity. The bill provides over $4 billion across HHS to address opioid abuse, an increase of approximately $300 million over fiscal year 2021 levels. This funding includes: $1.525 billion to states to address the opioid epidemic through the State Opioid Response Grant program. The bill also includes new resources to improve mental health, including $101.6 million – an increase of $77.6 million – for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Reed also led efforts to provide $3.8 billion for LIHEAP, a $50 million increase over fiscal year 2021 to help low income individuals with their home heating and cooling bills. It also includes funding for Reed’s proposal to address misinformation, tasking the Institute of Museum and Library Services with leading a national effort to address information literacy.
Notable Reed-Backed Earmarks included in FY22 LABOR-HHS Appropriations: $18,003,000
- $3.7 million for Skills for Rhode Island’s Future to Expand its Youth Job Training Program
- $3 million for the City of Pawtucket to Create a Job Training and Lifelong Learning Center
- $1.498 million for Thundermist Health Center to Provide Clinical Care Workforce Development
- $1.25 million for Skills for Rhode Island’s Future’s Ready.Set.Work Program to Provide Career Services and Training
- $1.2 million for High Performance Computing Technology for the University of Rhode Island
- $1.06 million for Technology Improvements at the Community College of Rhode Island
- $1 million for Wood River Health Services to Renovate and Expand a Health Center
- $850,000 for Technology Improvements in Salve Regina’s Pell Center
- $750,000 for the Rhode Island Department of Children Youth and Families to Recruit and Retain Foster Families
- $750,000 for CODAC Behavioral Healthcare to Renovate a New Headquarters
- $500,000 for AS220 to Expand its Workforce Development and Education Programs
- $500,000 for Rhode Island College to Establish Innovation and Leadership Certificate Programs
- $300,000 for Higher Ground International to Provide Senior Care Services
- $300,000 for the PACE Organization of Rhode Island to Renovate and Equip its New Health Clinic and Adult Day Care Center
- $230,000 for DORCAS International Institute of Rhode Island to Expand its Career Services and Training Program
- $200,000 for RI Public Health Foundation Clinic Expansion
- $175,000 for the RI Institute for Labor Studies and Research’s Pathway to Teaching Project
- $140,000 for the Providence Preservation Society to Provide Workforce Training
- $100,000 for Career Services and Training at Newport Community School
- $100,000 for the Audubon Society to Provide Environmental Education and Teacher Professional Development
- $100,000 for the Block Island Maritime Institute to Provide Environmental Education
- $100,000 for Project GOAL to Expand Academic Enrichment Programs
- $100,000 for Information Technology Upgrades at the Groden Center
- $100,000 for Newport County Community Mental Health Center to Expand its Youth Mental Health Services
LEGISLATIVE BRANCH: $5.925 BILLION
The 2022 legislative branch funding is essential to keeping our democracy and the legislative branch of government functioning in a safe and accessible manner. At a time when the U.S. Capitol and the Capitol Police continue to operate amidst immense challenges, the bill ensures they have the resources and staffing to protect the Capitol complex. It also helps upgrade Congress’ physical security and cyber defenses while strengthening the capacity of important legislative branch agencies, such as the non-partisan watchdog Government Accountability Office, which helps enhance transparency and accountability throughout the federal government. It also makes needed investments to modernize Library of Congress operations and technology and make its collection more accessible to the American people.
MILITARY CONSTRUCTION & VETERANS AFFAIRS (MILCON-VA): $269.65 BILLION
The 2022 MilCon-VA section allocates $112.65 billion in non-defense discretionary funding, as well as $157 billion in mandatory funding, to support veterans with investments in healthcare, including targeted investments that advance women’s health, mental health, tele-health, and homelessness assistance. It invests in rebuilding infrastructure with construction of critical facilities on military installations including family housing and child-development centers, and building, repairing, and retrofitting Veterans Affairs facilities. Funding of $8.3 million is set aside for military construction projects at the Naval Undersea Warfare Center at Naval Station Newport, including upgrades and renovations of labs and research facilities. There is also targeted funding to help the military combat climate change and resiliency by helping military installations adapt to rising sea levels and worsening natural disasters. Additional funding will help remediate harmful substances and chemicals leaked on military properties into the land and nearby water sources.
Notable Reed-Backed Earmarks included in FY22 MILCON-VA Appropriations Bill: $8,300,000
- $4 million for the Next Generation Secure Submarine Platform Facility
- $1.7 million for the Consolidated RDT&E Systems Facility
- $1.4 million for the Submarine Payloads Integration Laboratory
- $1.2 million for the Next Generation Torpedo Integration Lab
TRANSPORTATION, HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, AND RELATED AGENCIES (THUD): $81 BILLION IN DISCRETIONARY FUNDING AND $157 BILLION IN BUDGETARY RESOURCES
The THUD section of the bill provides $81 billion in discretionary funding, an increase of $6.4 billion—over 8 percent—above 2021. This will help improve Rhode Island’s infrastructure and makes critical investments in highways, bridges, airports, public housing, and other public assets that benefit citizens and businesses alike. This bill will put people to work upgrading our infrastructure and meeting mobility demands. It will enhance transportation safety, reduce congestion, and help the state attract private investment to drive our economy forward. It compliments and fully funds the recently enacted Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and delivers resources to invest in upgrading Rhode Island’s airports, highways, bridges, transit, passenger rail, and ports. As a result of Reed’s committee leadership, Rhode Island will receive an estimated $376 million for roads and bridges, and $52 million for public transportation. Senator Reed also led efforts to include $775 million for a national infrastructure competitive grant program known as Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability & Equity (RAISE) Grants (formerly known as TIGER and BUILD grants). Coupled with $1.5 billion for the RAISE program in IIJA for a total of $2.275 billion for FY 2022. Rhode Island should be well-positioned to compete for a share of the federal funding for major transportation projects. The bill also provides $2.3 billion for Amtrak, with $874.5 million set aside for the Northeast Corridor. New federal funding is also provided for up to 25,000 new housing-choice vouchers nationwide. These vouchers will help individuals and families experiencing or at risk of homelessness, and provide more than 4,000 new units for older Americans and people with disabilities. Support for vulnerable populations includes public housing safety, maintenance and improvement investments, such as the remediation of lead paint and radon. Reed also led the effort to the increase to $3.2 billion for Homeless Assistance Grants.
Notable Reed-Backed Earmarks included in FY22 THUD Appropriations: $41,677,000
- $6.6 million for Rhode Island T.F. Green International Airport Improvements, Including Cargo Services
- $5 million for East Bay Bike Path Bridges
- $5 million for Warwick City Hall Plaza
- $4 million for Newport Zero Emission Vehicles (ZEVs) Infrastructure & Resiliency
- $3.4 million for Woonasquatucket River Greenway Design and Build Project Along the Woonasquatucket River in Providence
- $3.2 million for the Washington Secondary Bike Path
- $3 million for a public plaza in the City of Pawtucket’s Transit Oriented Development District
- $2.5 million for Lead Remediation for Woonsocket bridges
- $2.5 million for Parking Expansion at Kingston Train Station
- $2 million to help Crossroads Rhode Island Build New Single Occupancy Residential Units for Very Low-income, Formerly Homeless Individuals
- $1.08 million for NeighborWorks Blackstone River Valley’s Neighborhood Healthy Housing, Jobs & Economic Development Initiative for Woonsocket
- $1 million for Pavement Repairs to Centerville Road and Toll Gate Road in Warwick and West Warwick
- $1 million for the Renovation and Expansion of Newport County YMCA facilities
- $400,000 for the Construction of a Community Pavilion in Diamond Hill Park in Cumberland
- $500,000 for the Knightsville Revitalization Project in Cranston to Upgrade Sidewalks and Streetscapes
- $295,000 for the Restoration of the East Smithfield Neighborhood Center
- $200,000 for the Town of Burrillville Riverwalk Replacement & New Pedestrian Bridge
Senator Reed also included earmarks for community projects and priorities across Rhode Island in other sections of the bill, such as:
FY22 AGRICULTURE, RURAL DEVELOPMENT, FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, AND RELATED AGENCIES (AG) APPROPRIATIONS BILL: $10,440,000
- $5 million for Cranston and Johnston to help with Pocasset River flood damage reduction
- $2 million for the Warren Fire and EMS Center
- $1 million for East Coast Shellfish Research conducted at the University of Rhode Island
- $290,000 for the Scituate Rhode Island Land Trust to help with reforestation and revitalization of Esek Hopkins Park
- $150,000 for Richmond police station renovations
- $2 million for the Central Falls Ralph Holden Community Center project
FY22 ENERGY AND WATER DEVELOPMENT (ENERGY & WATER) APPROPRIATIONS BILL: $49,946,000
- $42.05 million U.S. Army Corps of Engineers projects such as: Fox Point Barrier, Narragansett Bay; Woonsocket Local Protection Project; Rose Larisa Park; Watch Hill Lighthouse; Providence River and Harbor; Little Narragansett Bay; Block Island Harbor of Refuge; and Great Salt Pond, Block Island
- $5 million for energy improvements for Rhode Island schools
- $2.9 million for the Narragansett Bay Commission’s project on Enhanced Biogas Collection and Energy Recovery
FY22 FINANCIAL SERVICES AND GENERAL GOVERNMENT APPROPRIATIONS: $2,250,000
- $1 million for the Rhode Island Black Business Association
- $500,000 for the Rhode Island Black Heritage Society to Preserve Documents
- $475,000 for the Social Enterprise Greenhouse
- $275,000 for Hope & Main’s Providence Culinary Incubator Project
FY22 HOMELAND SECURITY APPROPRIATIONS BILL APPROPRIATIONS: $79,100,000
- $75 million for Construction of New Homeport for Coast Guard Offshore Patrol Cutters at Naval Station Newport
- $4.1 million in security infrastructure reimbursements for Rhode Island T.F. Green International Airport
“I was pleased to work with elected officials and community leaders across the state to target their local needs. These earmarks will help local governments and organizations with a variety of economic development, public health, and educational projects and priorities that will strengthen our communities,” said Senator Reed.
The Appropriations bill signed into law today will keep the federal government funded through September 30.