Shaheen Secures Funding for Essential NH Priorities in Subcommittee Spending Bill

(Washington, DC)— U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), the lead Democrat of the Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies (CJS) Appropriations Subcommittee, issued the following statement after the full Appropriations Committee passed the subcommittee’s fiscal year (FY) 2019 spending bill with broad bipartisan support. The bill includes numerous New Hampshire priorities secured by Shaheen.  

“There are a number of significant issues addressed in this funding bill that are important to both New Hampshire and our nation as a whole, and I’m glad to see this legislation move forward so we can deliver meaningful resources to combat the opioid epidemic and make our schools safer, among other key concerns,” said Shaheen. “As Congress continues with the appropriations process, I’ll keep working across the aisle to advance the New Hampshire priorities secured in this bill, and will also push Republican Leadership to confront additional serious matters facing our nation, including the separation of children from their parents at the southwest border, the confinement of detained immigrants in federal prisons and the continued sabotage of the Affordable Care Act. This is not the end of the road for these pivotal issues, and I’ll continue to explore different avenues to stop the Trump administration’s dangerous immigration policies and to protect access to affordable healthcare for all Americans.”

The CJS funding bill will next be considered by the full Senate.

Summary of New Hampshire Priorities Included in FY19 CJS Subcommittee Appropriations Bill:

• Necessary Funding for Department of Justice Anti-Opioid Grants: Senator Shaheen procured $482.5 million for Department of Justice (DOJ) anti-opioid grant programs, which is an increase of $36 million from FY18 levels. Shaheen also successfully added language to the Comprehensive Opioid Abuse Program for the DOJ to expand grant categories for new areas to include prevention and education programs for youth, law enforcement assisted diversion, and response teams to assist children dealing with the aftermath of opioid addiction. As the lead Democrat of the Subcommittee, Shaheen has led efforts in Congress to combat the opioid epidemic, and in the FY18 omnibus government funding bill, she helped secure the additional $3.3 billion to combat opioid addiction, including the $142 million set-aside for hardest-hit states.
• $100 Million for School Safety Measures to Prevent Violence: Shaheen worked to increase funding through the STOP School Violence Act by $25 million over FY18 levels for preventative measures to thwart violent acts at schools, including training for teachers and school staff, development of threat assessments and reporting systems, and support for necessary safety equipment such as metal detectors, locks and security systems. Earlier this month, Senator Shaheen questioned Education Secretary Betsy DeVos about school safety during a Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee hearing.
• Continued Financial Relief for New Hampshire and New England Fishermen: Shaheen has repeatedly prevented the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) from imposing the costly at-sea monitoring fee on Granite State fishermen, and once again secured necessary funding to prevent the burden from being imposed on fishermen. The bill includes $10.3 million to cover the observer fees, and also includes $2 million for lobster research, $2 million for New England groundfish research and $1 million for research and monitoring of the highly-endangered North Atlantic Right Whale.
• Highest Funding Level Ever for Violence Against Women Act Programs: Once again, Senator Shaheen successfully added the highest funding amount ever for Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) programs, totaling $497.5 million, which is $5.5 million higher than FY18 levels.