First Fiscal Year 2022 Federal Funding Measure Approved by Case's Appropriations Committee Target Nation's Small Businesses

Press Release

Congressman Ed Case (HI-01) today announced approval by his House Committee on Appropriations of the first of twelve measures to fund the federal government in Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 (beginning October 1, 2021).

The FY 2022 Financial Services and General Government Appropriations bill funds various government programs to assist the country continue its path to recovery through support for small and minority businesses.

It is also the first federal funding bill since 2011 which includes specific Member of Congress requests to fund specific deserving projects in Members' districts.

"COVID-19 created an economic crisis with profound impacts on Hawaii's small businesses, which are the lifeblood of our state," said Case, a member since 2019 of the Appropriations Committee, with jurisdiction over some $1.5 trillion in annual federal spending. "My Committee is further investing in the federal programs and partners that are critical to the continued survival of small businesses nationwide and here in our Hawai"i."

The bill includes Case's request, under Member-designated Community Project Funding (CPF), of $500,000 for the Institute for Native Pacific Education and Culture (INPEACE) Small Business Incubator Project at Leeward Community College.

"INPEACE's Leeward Community Small Business Incubator Project will provide critical assistance to small businesses and entrepreneurs directly in their community so they do not have to transit across the island to obtain key services. With support from the Committee, INPEACE can expand its current business development program capacity, which primarily services Native Hawaiian and veteran communities, to meet the growing needs of our Leeward community.

"CPF requests are submitted by individual Members and are for specific projects and purposes in our respective districts," explained Case. "CPF requests are only for state and local governments or non-profits organizations. These projects must have demonstrated community support, must be fully disclosed, and they are subject to audit by the independent Government Accountability Office." Case's disclosures are here: https://case.house.gov/media/funding-disclosures.htm.

To help our small businesses nationwide, the bill provides $1 billion for the Small Business Administration (SBA), an increase of $111.9 million above the current year's funding level. This includes an increase of $51.8 million for Entrepreneurial Development Programs that provide small businesses with quality training, counseling and access to resources. The bill also provided $330 million for Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs), an increase of $60 million above the current funding levels. CDFIs are specialized community based financial institutions that promote economic development by providing financial products and services to people and communities underserved by traditional financial institutions, particularly in low-income and minority communities.

The Appropriations Committee also approved several Case requests for funding for federal programs and services important for the State of Hawai'i, including:

· An average 2.7% pay raise for federal employees, matching the request from the Biden administration;

· $21.5 million for the Native American Community Development Financial Institution Assistance Program;

· $3 million for the Native American Outreach Program;

· $3 million for the Historically Underutilized Business Zones Program;

· $26 million for the Women's Business Centers Program;

· $25 million for the Healthy Food Financing Initiative;

· $140 million for Small Business Development Centers;

· $110 million for the Drug-Free Communities Program;

· $20 million for the State Trade Expansion Program;

· $7 million for the Regional Innovate Clusters Program;

· $300 million for the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas Program; and

· $41 million for the Microloan Technical Assistance Program.

The measure includes the following further Case requests:

· Requires the Consumer Product Safety Commission to investigate the importation and shipment of illegal aerial fireworks and develop recommendations for stopping it,

· Extends Hawaii's long-standing fourth temporary judgeship,

· Requests the United States Postal Service to coordinate with the United States Department of Agriculture to better combat endangered species trafficking and in combating the spread of invasive species,

· Demands the Federal Trade Commission investigate the inequalities in interstate commerce in Hawai"i compared to the mainland,

· Directs the National Personnel Records Center to quickly address its unacceptable backlog of veterans' requests for records that they need to receive the benefits they deserve, and

· Instructs the Election Assistance Commission to review the lessons learned from the 2020 elections and make recommendations to state governments on best practices to improve the administration of vote-by-mail and expand access to the ballot.

Case's Appropriations Committee is responsible for allocating funding to federal government agencies, departments and organizations on an annual basis through twelve separate bills.

The Committee's FY 2022 Financial Services and General Government Appropriations bill passed on Tuesday funds the U.S. Treasury, federal courts and various independent agencies including the SBA, Federal Communications Commission and the Office of Personnel Management. The discretionary funding level is $29.1 billion, an increase of $4.8 billion over the 2021 enacted level.

The bill now moves on to the full House of Representatives for consideration.

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