Rep. Ruben Gallego Celebrates Wins for Arizona in FY 2020 Appropriations Bills

Press Release

Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) issued the following statement today following passage of four key FY 2020 Appropriations bills -- Labor-HHS-Education, Energy and Water Development, State-Foreign Operations, and Defense:

"I'm proud that our Democratic majority is passing measures that will greatly benefit hardworking Arizonans and all Americans now and in the future," Rep. Gallego said. "These investments in our communities will help provide equal access to quality education and health care, make bold investments in clean energy and protect our environment for future generations, and shore up our national defense and security."

The appropriations bills contained the following measures to benefit Arizonans:

Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education

Rep. Gallego secured provisions to ensure that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services implements changes to improve the health and safety of nursing home residents, as well as oversight of facilities with serious quality of care issues, like the Hacienda facility in Phoenix
Includes the largest single-year increase in early childhood education programs ever and increased investments in K-12 education, higher education, and student financial assistance
Includes a $4 billion increase in early childhood programs, including a $1.5 billion increase in Head Start funding
Fully funds the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, which provides funding for opioid prevention and treatment and substance abuse prevention
For the first time in 20 years, includes dedicated funding for research on the gun violence epidemic
Defense

Fully funds the A-10 program and provides additional resources to expand the F-35 program
Includes a 3.1% pay raise for the military
Prohibits President Trump from diverting funds intended for our troops in order to fund his border wall
State, Foreign Operations

Repeals the Trump Administration's Global Gag Rule in order to ensure women receive the reproductive health care they need
Prohibits the use of funds to withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement
Includes $540.9 million for assistance for Central America, including the Northern Triangle, in order to address the humanitarian asylum crisis
Energy and Water

Secures robust funding to secure and modernize America's electricity grid and for renewable energy programs, including the Advanced Research Projects Agency and the Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Program
Includes full funding for nuclear nonproliferation activities
Invests in infrastructure to bolster the economy by significantly funding the Army Corps of Engineers and Bureau of Reclamation, including Arizona facilities and projects

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