Senate Sends Funding Legislation with Key Shaheen-Authored Provisions to President’s Desk
PFAS Provisions Championed & Supported by Shaheen Included in Government Funding Legislation
(Washington, DC) – U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee which authors the annual government funding legislation, issued the following statement after the Senate passed government funding legislation for fiscal year (FY) 2020. The legislation – which is written in two bills—passed the House of Representatives yesterday. It will now be sent to the President to be signed into law.
“I helped write this legislation with fellow Democrats and Republicans across the aisle to best respond to the issues affecting families in New Hampshire and in communities across the country. Repealing costly taxes that drive up health care premiums, expanding access to care for those struggling with substance use disorders and giving our military members a well-deserved pay raise are priorities we all agree on,” said Shaheen. “I appreciate the bipartisan negotiations in Congress that went into this comprehensive funding legislation and I urge the President to follow our lead and sign this legislation into law.”
Shaheen priorities included in the fiscal year 2020 funding legislation include:
- Government Funding Legislation Includes Shaheen-Authored Provision That Gives Treatment Providers Flexibility to Treat Meth, Cocaine Use
- PFAS Provisions Championed & Supported by Shaheen Included in Government Funding Legislation
- Shaheen Secures Long-Term, Emergency Care for U.S. Government Employees & Dependents Who Were Injured While Serving in China & Cuba in Government Funding Bill
Regarding the PFAS provisions in the legislation, Shaheen added:
“The health risks and concerns related to PFAS exposure are frightening for affected families. No one should be afraid to turn on the tap and no firefighter or service member should fear for their own safety because of their gear or the equipment they use. Unfortunately, this is a reality for too many people who have been impacted by PFAS exposure, which is why a federal response must be a top congressional priority. This legislation makes good on that effort and includes a number of my measures to tackle this pervasive problem,” said Shaheen. “Continuing the health impact study, boosting resources for research and expediting cleanup of contaminated sites are critical to understanding and stopping this problem. This funding legislation takes a number of important steps forward and I’ll keep raising this issue to ensure our communities get the answers and help they need.”
On her provision to give treatment providers flexibility to treat meth and cocaine use in addition to opioid-related substance use disorder:
“The substance use disorder epidemic we’re facing today isn’t the same one we were fighting a few years ago, so as this crisis evolves so should our response,” said Shaheen. “By empowering treatment providers with the ability to use these federal grants for a broader range of substance misuse, we can help ensure more Granite Staters get the help they desperately need. It’s so heartbreaking to see the devastation to families and communities from this crisis and we need to make sure treatment providers have the tools they need to save lives. This provision was the product of conversations with Granite Staters on the frontlines of this crisis. I’ll continue to work closely with state and local partners to ensure they have the resources they need to combat the full scope of this epidemic.”
Shaheen’s comments on her measure that secures long-term, emergency care for U.S. Government employees—and their dependents—who were injured while serving in China and Cuba:
“These injuries, and subsequent treatment by the U.S. Government, have been a living nightmare for these dedicated public servants and their families,” said Shaheen. “Our diplomats, personnel and their families in China and Cuba experienced mystifying injuries while serving our country, and they must be assured that our government will stand by them as they continue on their path toward recovery. It’s time to right this wrong and that’s why I pushed congressional leadership to include this provision in the bipartisan government funding legislation. There is still tremendous uncertainty surrounding the circumstances that led to these injuries, but that should in no way prevent our government from caring for those who have sacrificed so much in the line of duty.”
Read more here about Senator Shaheen’s priorities that were included in the FY 2020 government funding legislation.
