New facilities and construction funds for Air Force Bases in New Mexico
Significant investments in education, child nutrition, combatting the opioid epidemic, New Mexico’s rural communities—defending Amtrak’s Southwest Chief and rural housing assistance—and grant programs for farmers and ranchers
WASHINGTON—U.S. Senators Tom Udall (D-N.M.) , a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), joined the full Senate in passing government funding bills for fiscal year 2020. Udall and Heinrich secured critical investments in the bills for New Mexico’s economy and communities.
“Strong federal funding is key for New Mexico. That’s why I fought hard to ensure that New Mexico’s unique priorities were represented in these spending bills, and I am proud of the bipartisan bills I helped produce through the Appropriations Committee,” said Udall, ranking member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on the Interior, and a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee “These bills stave off the devastating funding cuts that the Trump administration proposed across the board—cuts that would have yanked safety nets out from under hardworking families and left our public lands vulnerable to exploitation. Instead, the bills we have passed will strengthen our communities, workforce, public lands, and way of life.
“I am particularly proud of the investments we are making in successful conservation programs like the Land and Water Conservation Fund, and the protections we have secured for public lands like the greater Chaco Canyon area – safeguarding the jewels vital to shaping not only our state’s character but also our thriving outdoor economy. I am also proud that this year’s funding package includes significant support for New Mexico’s agriculture industry and rural communities, and funding for infrastructure for colonias and for the transportation arteries that connect our state. And I championed critical funds for education, for child nutrition, and for programs to combat the opioid crisis,” Udall continued . “In addition, these bills will protect our national security – as well as providing critical funds for election security – while contributing to our state’s vital Air Force bases and national labs. The technological innovation in New Mexico—from our labs to spaceflight—represents a hopeful future for our state, and this funding will help to continue diversifying our state’s economy. And, the bills contribute critical resources to Indian Country in housing, public development programs, and health care. This funding is a victory for New Mexico and the country, and I look forward to seeing them become law.”
“This funding package makes robust investments in our economy and the people of New Mexico, and is indicative of the significant services our state provides to the nation,” said Heinrich. “Our national laboratories, military bases, and WIPP will all receive critical federal funding to support the important work they do. I’m also pleased with the continued efforts to create a path towards college affordability, address the opioid crisis, and provide significant funding for the Land and Water Conservation Act. I am incredibly proud to have led the bipartisan effort to repeal the ‘Cadillac Tax’ to ensure millions of middle-class families who rely on employer-based health care are not unfairly penalized. From strengthening our nation’s infrastructure, to investing in education, to growing our diverse, high-tech, advanced manufacturing and clean energy industries, I remain deeply committed to creating an economy that works for everyone.”
The package is comprised of 12 appropriations bills drafted in the Appropriations Committee. New Mexico and national highlights are included below:
Highlights of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill include:
Protections for Chaco Canyon: The bill includes legislative language to reinforce a 10-mile buffer zone protecting Chaco Canyon from new oil and gas leasing. The language makes clear that Indian Tribes and tribal allottees can continue to develop their land for oil and gas exploration. The legal limits are paired with $1 million for Interior to partner with the Pueblos and the Navajo Nation to continue to identify cultural resources in the greater Chacoan region.
Gold King Mine : Udall secured $4 million for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to continue monitoring water quality in areas impacted by the Gold King Mine spill into the Animas River, and included language directing EPA to continue to work in consultation with affected states and Tribes on a long-term water quality monitoring program. In addition, Udall expects EPA to process all state, Tribal, and local requests for reimbursements for costs incurred in an expeditious manner.
Funding for PILT: The bill fully funds payments to counties through the Payment in Lieu of Taxes program, which are estimated at a total of $500 million.
The Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF): The bill provides the highest level of funding for LWCF since 2003 -- $495 million – which is $60 million more than fiscal year (FY) 2019 for Federal land acquisition and State conservation grants. The President’s budget proposed a negative total for LWCF, in the amount of -$27 million, due to rescissions from previously appropriated funding. LWCF is critical to improving recreational access to our federal lands, protecting iconic landscapes, delivering grants to states and local governments to create and protect urban parks and open spaces, and authorizing easements for farmers and ranchers that allow them to continue to steward their lands in the face of development pressures. This bill includes $5 million to acquire the Ice Cave and Bandera Volcano inholdings at Malpais National Monument and $2.9 million to acquire Mimbres River parcels in the Gila National Forest.
Valles Caldera: The bill would boost the base budget for the park by approximately $1.5 million, and directs the National Park Service to allow the park to retain those funds going forward, so they become part of the preserve’s annual budget, providing budgetary certainty.
Carlsbad: The bill provides $800,000 for cave and karst research at the National Cave and Karst Research Institute in Carlsbad, New Mexico.
Land Grants, Acequias and Community Ditches: Congress continues to urge the Secretaries of the Interior and Agriculture to recognize the traditional uses of State-recognized community land grants, acequias, and community ditches in New Mexico and across the American Southwest during the land use planning process.
Tribal law enforcement: The bill provides $8 million in new funding for tribal law enforcement priorities, including funding to address the crisis of missing, murdered and trafficked Native women and girls, and calls for the Bureau of Indian Affairs to produce a comprehensive needs assessment of public safety infrastructure in Indian Country.
Tribal Programs : The bill provides $6.047 billion for the Indian Health Service, $243 million more than FY 2019 and $138 million more than the President’s budget request.
PFAS: The bill provides $43 million in new funding for environmental cleanup programs and related scientific research to help address contamination caused by PFAS chemicals and other contaminants of emerging concern.
Wildland Firefighting: The bill provides $3.644 billion for fire suppression, of which $2.25 billion is provided through the wildfire budget cap adjustment authorized in the Fiscal Year 2018 Consolidated Appropriations Act, which Udall helped secure.
National Park Service (NPS): The bill provides $3.37 billion for the NPS, $155 million more than the FY 2019 level and $636 million more than the President’s budget request. Within that amount, the bill increases funding for park operations by 3 percent for a total of $2.577 billion.
Highlights of the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration and Related Agencies funding bill include:
Acequias and Land Grants:
The bill continues Udall and Heinrich’s report language from last year’s Farm Bill making acequias and land grant-mercedes eligible for grants and technical assistance from conservation and environmental programs through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) and directs USDA to provide interim guidance covering irrigation and efficient infrastructure quickly.
Water and Sanitation Grants for Colonias and Federally Recognized Tribes:
The bill includes $68 million in grants to support wastewater treatment facilities in colonias and Tribal lands. The grants will help rural communities connect to water resources and help prevent groundwater contamination.
PFAS:
The report language that Senators Udall and Heinrich secured in Senate Report 116-110 carries the same weight as language included in the final Further Consolidated Appropriations Act. The language directs the Secretary of Agriculture to use an existing program for dairy indemnity to purchase cattle contaminated by PFAS chemicals. Udall and Heinrich are fighting for dairy farmers in Clovis, New Mexico whose livelihoods are being threatened by the contamination.
Agriculture Research:
The bill includes $1.4 billion for agriculture research, $121 million more than FY 2019. Every one dollar invested in agricultural research yields a return of $20 to the economy. The bill also includes $962 million for the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, an increase of $36 million from FY 2019.
Conservation:
The bill includes $830 million for NRCS conservation operations, which funds soil and water conservation, environmental restoration, and drought resilience.
Beginning farmers and ranchers, assistance for socially disadvantaged veteran farmers and ranchers:
Provides a total of $33 million between mandatory and discretionary funding, rejecting the administration’s proposal to eliminate these important programs that provide assistance to farmers who continue to make farming a way of life, despite limited resources.
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP):
The bill includes $67.88 billion for SNAP, which offers nutrition assistance to millions of eligible, low-income individuals and families, provides economic benefits to communities, and is the largest program in the domestic hunger safety net.
Lunch Shaming:
The bill included Udall’s language that directs USDA to provide guidance to lunch program operators. This guidance would include approaches that protect children from embarrassment, encourage lunch fee communications with parents and guardians instead of children, and encourage schools to provide efficient enrollment in free and reduced-price meal programs.
Rural Broadband
: The bill included a $550 million increase in the ReConnect Pilot Program as well as language requiring the agency to report on the number of grant recipients which will serve Tribal lands.
Highlights of the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies (T-HUD) funding bill include:
Federal Aviation Administration:
The bill fully funds Essential Air Service as well as the Contract Towers Program both important for rural communities in New Mexico.
Federal Highway Administration:
The bill supports FAST Act authorized funding levels for all contract authority programs, including Tribal Transportation for Tribes in New Mexico and across Indian Country.
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration:
The bill includes $4.7 million to continue development of the Driver Alcohol Detection System for Safety (DADSS) technology.
Southwest Chief and Amtrak:
The bill includes $2 billion for Amtrak. $1.30 billion is allocated for the National Network. The bill also includes report language prohibiting Amtrak from eliminating, reducing service or substantially altering service on the Southwest Chief route.
Native American Housing programs:
The bill includes $820 million in total for Native American Housing programs, including an amendment Heinrich secured to increase participation in the Tribal HUD-VASH program. The program helps offer permanent home and supportive services to Native American veterans who are experiencing or at risk of experiencing homelessness.
Highlights of the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies funding bill include:
Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA):
The report includes language proposed by Udall and Heinrich requiring MBDA to have at least one Business Center in any state with a majority or plurality of a national minority, (which includes New Mexico
)
. MBDA announced funding for two Business Centers in New Mexico in 2019.
Bureau of the Census:
The bill includes $7.6 billion for the Census Bureau, $3.7 billion above the FY 2019 enacted level. In order for the Bureau to execute an accurate and efficient 2020 Census, the bill provides $6.7 billion for the decennial census. This amount includes the $2.5 billion that was agreed to as part of the recent 2019 Bipartisan Budget Agreement.
The Economic Development Agency:
The bill includes $330 million, an increase of $29 million over last year including $33 million for the Regional Innovation Program which has helped spark job creation in New Mexico.
The International Trade Administration:
The bill includes $521 million, $26 million over the previous year, for essential services to businesses in New Mexico and around the nation that will benefit growing trade exports with Mexico, China, and other foreign countries.
Justice:
The bill provides full funding for the Federal Bureau of Investigation, United States Marshals Service and Drug Enforcement Administration in addition to to increased funding for state and local law enforcement and crime prevention grant programs, which includes grants for state and local law enforcement, the Crime Victims Funds, the Second Chance Act, the Office on Violence Against Women, and juvenile justice programs.
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA):
The bill provides $22.63 billion, $1.13 billion above the FY 2019 enacted level, reflecting the need to fund infrastructure for human spaceflight to support the accelerated plan to return to the moon by 2024 while supporting NASA’s science, technology development, aeronautics, and education activities. The bill includes$25,000,000 for the Flight Opportunities Program, of which $5,000,000 is dedicated for payload development and flight of K-12 and collegiate educational payloads. Universities and other organizations in New Mexico have long been partners with NASA in research and development activities.
National Science Foundation:
The bill includes $8.27 billion, $203 million above the FY 2019 enacted level. Funding supports basic research across scientific disciplines to support the development of effective STEM programs. Udall and Heinrich successfully fought for continued funding for Tribal Colleges and Universities Program at $15 million and Hispanic-Serving Institutions Program (HSI) at $45 million.
Highlights of the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs funding bill include:
The bill provides $63.7 million for new facilities and construction for Air Force bases in New Mexico
- Holloman Air Force Base:
$20 million for the construction of a climate-controlled, storage and shipment facility for military support equipment.
- Kirtland Air Force Base:
$15.5 million for the construction of a Combat Rescue Helicopter Simulator Facility and $22.4 million to construct a UH-1 Replacement Facility to house new simulators used for training flight crew personnel.
- White Sands Missile Range: $5.8 million
to build a solar, natural gas, and battery system micro-grid to ensure uninterrupted and reliable power.
Veterans Health Administration (VHA):
The VHA will receive $93.1 billion, including $87.6 billion in advance funds for FY 2021.
- Additionally, the agreement provides $800 million for the VA Medical Research program, an increase of $38 million above the President’s request to provide critical research funding for VA, including into the impacts of burn pits, developing novel approaches to restoring veterans with amputation, central nervous system injuries, loss of sight or hearing, and other physical and cognitive impairments so that veterans can live full and productive lives.
Community Care: Community care would get a boost as the Veterans Administration (VA) implements the VA MISSION Act, which allows veterans to get government-subsidized care from private providers under a single discretionary program. The measure would provide $8.91 billion in FY 2020 and $11.3 billion in FY 2021 to implement the law
Health Care Policies: The measure includes policy provisions that allow eligible veterans to receive infertility treatment and reimbursements for adoption expenses; require the VA to provide immediate assistance from trained professionals when veterans call the department’s toll-free suicide hotline; and bar the use of funds for certain kinds of medical research involving canines, felines, or nonhuman primates.
Veterans Benefits: The measure provides $131 billion in advance mandatory funds for FY 2021 for benefits such as disability compensation, educational aid, and job training
Highlights of the Defense funding bill include:
The bill funds the Department of Defense (DoD), supporting the men and women who serve in the armed forces, and funding their important missions across the globe and in New Mexico.
The bill provides funding for the 3.1 percent pay raise for military personnel. This is the highest military pay raise in a decade. It also provides an additional $110 million to the Services for childcare programs and directs DoD to work on a comprehensive plan to address the troublesome childcare shortfall. The agreement provides $50 million for Impact Aid and $20 million for Impact Aid for military children with severe disabilities. In addition, a total of $315 million is provided for replacement of failing public schools serving military bases.
PFAS
PFAS provisions for both drinking and agricultural water contamination
. The bill added
$100
million
to the Air Force budget for PFAS remediation and directs the service secretaries to keep the congressional defense committees apprised of their plans to use their authorities to address PFAS contamination.
The report language that Senators Udall and Heinrich secured in Senate Report 116-103 carries the same weight as language included in the final Further Consolidated Appropriations Act. The language recognizes new authorizations in the National Defense Authorization Act to provide clean water for agricultural purposes, purchase land adjacent to military bases that have been contaminated by PFAS chemicals stemming from military use, and mandates the Secretary of Defense to submit a remediation plan for cleanup of water contaminated by PFOA and PFOS at and adjacent to military bases that includes a budgetary request. The report language urges the secretaries of the military services to keep congressional defense committees apprised of their plans to use these authorities.
Space and Hypersonics
Added $15 million for Air Force research and development of resilient space structure architecture, supporting efforts by companies like SolAero in Albuquerque to develop and employ new technologies in space, including advanced solar arrays.
Added $8 million for Air Force research and development of small satellite manufacturing, supporting the nascent space economy in New Mexico as well as the emerging launch industry which will deploy these new satellites.
Added $ 19 million for Air Force research and development of Venture class satellite launch services which supports the development of new launch technologies such as VOX space, a Virgin company organized for defense launches and Ball Aerospace in New Mexico.
Added $19 million for Air Force research and development for Tactically Responsive Launch, which is working to enhance resiliency in space. Tactically responsive launch will allow the Air Force to develop capabilities to rapidly deploy or reconstitute satellites, promote development and testing of new space systems, and leverage private sector launch capabilities such as those being developed by Virgin’s VOX space.
Added $130 million for Army research and development for hypersonics. The Missile Defense Review noted that “Russia and China are developing advanced cruise missiles and hypersonic missile capabilities that can travel at exceptional speeds with unpredictable flight paths that challenge existing defensive systems.” This funding will enable the United States to develop technologies to defeat and counter these systems such as directed energy technology being developed in New Mexico and tested at White Sands Missile Range.
Inland Launch : included language directing a study of the feasibility, potential benefits, and risks, and cost estimates of establishing an inland testing and space corridor for hypersonic testing and space launch. Spaceport America in New Mexico is a Federal Aviation Administration licensed spaceport with inland launch and potential point-to-point transportation from orbit.
Directed Energy and Electronics
$44 million for Directed Energy Prototyping
. This funds efforts to address the capability of near peer competitors with new technologies such as directed energy prototyping, which is being carried out at Kirtland Air Force Base. The funding includes $14 million for Low Cost Counter Unmanned Aerial System Targeting Solutions to produce a low cost, networked multi-faceted and multi-sensor architecture to conduct more effective and efficient detection, identification, and management and mitigation of swarming Unmanned Aircraft Systems threats.
$146.5 million in major test and evaluation for High Powered Microwave testing capacity
at U.S. Major Range and Test Facility Bases including New Mexico’s White Sands Missile Range which plays a key role in research and development of this technology.
Advanced Research and Training.
Added $5 million for defense wide research and development of cyber kinetic combat environment. New Mexico Tech is the leading developer of this advanced training environment.
Technology Transfer
$10 million for Air Force RDT&E Technology Transfer . The three-fold mission of Technology Transfer is to: (1) integrate advanced commercial-sector technologies into Department of Defense (DoD) systems, particularly from non-traditional defense contractors, (2) convey DoD-developed technologies to industry to make these technologies available for military acquisition, and (3) establish collaborative Research and Development (R&D) projects with the private sector for cost-sharing of new dual-use technology development. Technology transfer is critical for New Mexico’s economy.
Burn Pits and other Medical Research.
Strong funding for Peer Review Medical Research Program . Udall secured inclusion of burn pits, Parkinson’s disease, and multiple sclerosis in the program, which received an additional $360 million. Udall has championed veterans exposed to open-air burn pits, including spearheading establishment of the first open-air burn pit registry. Udall also worked to add $150 million for breast cancer research.
Highlights of the Energy and Water funding bill include:
The important national security work at Los Alamos and Sandia National labs is fully funded in the FY 2020 bill. NNSA is funded at $12.457 billion, $1.3 billion above FY2019. The directed stockpile work supporting the life extension programs is fully funded, ensuring continued employment growth at both labs.
Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL): Includes $220 million for environmental cleanup, a $24.5 million increase above the president’s request, to cleanup radioactive and other toxic wastes and safely dispose of them.
Sandia National Laboratories: The pulsed power program will receive $66.9 million for operation of the Z Facility, which conducts research on Inertial Confinement Fusion Ignition and High-Yield.
Waste Isolation Pilot Project (WIPP): WIPP will receive $402.9 million to support the ongoing operations and recovery projects from the 2014 accident, including $6 million for safeguards and security. The total WIPP funding is $5.3 million above the president’s request.
Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board: The bill provides $31 million for the Board’s safety oversight work, rejecting a proposed $1.5 million cut proposed by the president’s budget request. The bill includes report language directing the Department of Energy to collaborate with the Board to address the Board's specific concerns with Department of Energy Order 140.1 – an order that undermines the Board’s oversight responsibility by restricting its ability to get health and safety information from Department of Energy sites. The report urges the Department to demonstrate a renewed focus on adequate protection of public health and safety, including the health and safety of workers.
Nonproliferation: The bill includes $2.164 billion for Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation. And increase of nearly $171 million above the President’s request. New Mexico’s national labs develop the critically important technologies and training for nonproliferation efforts that are used domestically and internationally in concert with our allies.
Tribal Energy Programs: The bill provides $22 million, $2 million more than FY 2019 appropriations, for the Department of Energy Office of Indian Energy Policy to support energy development in Indian Country, and provides $2 million, $1 million more than FY 2019 appropriations, for a loan guarantee program to support the development of commercial renewable energy projects.
Bioenergy Technologies: The bill includes $40 million for Advanced Algal Systems to sustain investment in the development of algal biofuels, which has supported research in New Mexico in previous years.
Army Corps of Engineers: The Army Corps of Engineers is funded at the highest level in ever in a standard appropriations bill at $7.65 billion, an increase of $2.69 billion from FY19 appropriations. A breakdown of funding includes:
- $2.55 million for the Tribal Partnership Programs
- $100 million for the Environmental Infrastructure Account which funds additional Army Corps projects not listed in the president’s budget, including New Mexico projects like Alamogordo, Rio Rancho and Southwest Valley in past years.
Also funds specific Corps projects at the following levels:
- Abiquiu Dam: $3.3M
- Cochiti Lake: $4.188M
- Conchas Lake: $4.446M
- Galisteo Dam: $1.075M
- Jemez Canyon Dam: $978,000
- Middle Rio Grande Endangered Species Collaborative Program: $1.190M
- Santa Rosa Dam and Lake: $1.830
- Two Rivers Dam: $708,000
- Upper Rio Grande Water Operations Model: $1.315M
- Reservoir Operations: $205,000
Bureau of Reclamation: Includes increases funding $1.68 billion for FY20 appropriations. Also includes an increase in WaterSMART funding to $63.6 million, a water conservation and efficiency program that has funded everything from Rio Chama restoration to Rio Grande Basin climate change studies. Funding for important New Mexico water infrastructure projects:
- Navajo-Gallup: $69,182,000
- Aamodt Settlement: $8.3 million.
- Rio Grande Pueblos: $68,000.
- Middle Rio Grande Project: $22,582,000.
- Rio Grande Project: $13,821,000
- Carlsbad Project: $3,450,000
- Tucumcari Project: $20,000
Highlights of the Health and Human Services, Labor, and Education Departments funding bill include:
Health
Funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH): The bill provides $41.459 billion for the NIH, an increase of $2.375 billion from the previous year. Organizations in New Mexico received more than $95 million in grants from NIH in FY 2019.
State Opioid Response Grants: The bill continues $1.5 billion in funding for states to respond to the opioid epidemic, with added flexibility to also address stimulant abuse including methamphetamine, where there has been an uptick in overdoses, including in New Mexico.
Funding to study gun violence: The bill funds $25 million for a joint study between the NIH and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for important research on the public health impacts of gun violence that have gone unfunded for decades.
Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH) : The bill funds REACH at $59.9 million, a $4 million increase over FY 2019. These programs engage communities that are particularly affected by chronic diseases such as hypertension and diabetes to address the health disparities. The programs are designed to address risk factors and social conditions to prevent and manage chronic diseases.
Healthcare Workforce Programs: The bill includes an increase of $103 million over FY 2019 for healthcare workforce training, totaling $1.2 billion. This funding is critical for states like New Mexico with an aging healthcare provider workforce and statewide shortages, especially in rural areas.
Education
Early Learning/Care: Head Start and the Child Care and Development Block Grant program each received a $500 million increase, bringing their totals to $10.613 billion and $5.826 billion. New Mexico received over $69 million in federal funding for Head Start in FY 2018.
Pell Grants. Students will see a $150 increase, bringing the total award maximum to $6,345 for academic year 2020-2021.
Tribal Colleges and Universities: Tribal colleges were allocated $36.644 million, an increase of $4.779 million over last fiscal year’s level. This funding helps support four Tribal Colleges in New Mexico.
Hispanic-Serving Institutions: HSIs received $143.0 million, an increase of $18.6 million over FY 2019 levels. The majority of New Mexico’s higher education institutions are classified as HSIs.
Unaccompanied minor transparency: The bill contains report language requiring the Department of Health and Human Services to disclose critical information about migrant children in its care, including children separated from their parents or legal guardians. The language requires the department to make this information public and builds on language requested by Udall in FY 2019.
Telemonitoring training center: The bill includes a report language request for $1 million to support a telementoring training center to train academic medical centers and other 20 centers of excellence in the creation of technology-enabled telementoring learning programs. Udall and Heinrich fought to include the report language to build on the success of Project ECHO, an innovative University of New Mexico initiative to deliver quality health care to rural populations.
Highlights of the Homeland Security Appropriations bill include:
- FEMA State Homeland Security Grant Program: Homeland Security Grants $560 million, of which $15 million is for Tribal security , for necessary preparedness programs allow the state and local officials to continually answer the Federal and national call to reduce risk, more readily respond to events, and build the leadership for tomorrow.
- The humanitarian aid allowance authorizes FEMA to use existing State Homeland Security funding to reimburse communities and non-profits for humanitarian aid provided to migrants, including those responding to needs of asylum seekers in New Mexico.
- Santa Teresa Port of Entry: Language to direct Customs and Border Protection (CPB) to continue planning for future expansion and infrastructure improvements at high priority ports of entry, in particular the port in Santa Teresa, NM.
Highlights of the Financial Services and General Government bill include:
- Secure Elections. The agreement includes significant resources to help protect our democracy and secure our elections, including for the first time since FY 2018, grants to states to help upgrade election technology and improve cyber security. It also includes full funding for the decennial census to ensure a fair and accurate count, which is critical for purposes of congressional apportionment.
- State Election Security Grants – The agreement includes $425 million for Election Security grants, none of which were requested by the President.
- Election Assistance Commission (EAC) – The agreement provides $15.2 million for the EAC, an increase of $6 million above the fiscal year 2019 enacted level and $3.2 million more than the President’s budget request.
- Department of Homeland Security (DHS) – The agreement includes $43.5 million for DHS to assist state and local governments in enhancing security and providing resilience for elections. This is $10.5 million more than FY 2019.
