Shaheen Secures More Than $100 Million for New Hampshire Projects and Priorities in Government Funding Bills

(Washington, DC) – U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), a senior member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee and Chair of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee of Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies (CJS), issued the followed statement after the Senate passed the final government funding package for fiscal year (FY) 2024. Included in these appropriations bills are priorities that Shaheen championed and secured, including resources to address the child care crisis, the housing shortage, a 5.2% pay raise for service members, an additional 12,000 Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs) for our Afghan allies and much more. Shaheen secured more than $100 million for Congressionally Directed Spending for New Hampshire projects. The legislation now heads to the President’s desk to be signed into law.

“Through this appropriations process, I’ve successfully secured, more than $103 million for projects across New Hampshire to address the child care and housing crises, strengthen infrastructure, combat food insecurity and protect our environment,” said Shaheen. “Additionally, I was proud to fight for and secure an additional 12,000 Afghan SIVs that will help keep our allies who stood with American troops and diplomats for two decades safe.” 

Below is a list of priorities that Senator Shaheen secured in all of the FY24 appropriations bills: 

Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration and Related Agencies 

Providing Critical Nutrition to Families in Need 

As Granite Staters continue to be impacted by food insecurity, Shaheen helped to secure full funding for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) by providing $7.03 billion for the program, a $1.03 billion increase over FY23, and full funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). This follows a long history of Shaheen-led advocacy for the program. 

Bolstering Rural Housing Resources 

Shaheen successfully included key provisions from her Strategy and Investment in Rural Housing Preservation Act which will help preserve rural housing and ensure rental housing remains both available and affordable in rural areas. The final bill also includes the full text of Senators Shaheen and Moran’s bipartisan Promote Affordable Rural Housing Act. That bill would make two USDA loan programs easier to use for new housing construction by extending the term of the loans. 

Energy and Water Development 

Supporting Corps of Engineers Projects 

Shaheen secured $8.7 billion for the Army Corps of Engineers (Army Corps) Civil Works program, which spearheads dredging projects in New Hampshire. This funding will also support the continued operation of Army Corps projects across New Hampshire, including Blackwater Dam, Edward MacDowell Lake, Franklin Falls Dam, Hampton Harbor, Otter Brook Lake and Surry Mountain Lake. 

Furthering Community and Economic Development in Rural Counties 

Shaheen fought to secure $41 million for the Northern Border Regional Commission (NBRC) to support community and economic development projects in eligible communities across New Hampshire. Shaheen leads legislation to increase authorized funding for the NBRC and expand projects that can be supported by the Commission to include housing, healthcare and childcare initiatives. 

Boosting Energy Efficiency and Supporting the Clean Energy Economy 

A longtime champion of energy efficiency, Shaheen helped defend key efficiency programs at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) from cuts, including helping secure $366 million for weatherization efforts and $66 million for the State Energy Program, which work to bring down energy bills for families and communities. Shaheen protected the final bill from riders written by House Republicans that would have undermined savings for homeowners, consumers and businesses by prohibiting work on appliance efficiency standards at the U.S. Department of Energy. Shaheen also secured continued support for the annual U.S. Energy and Employment Report (USEER) that tracks key jobs data in the energy sector.  

Interior, Environment and Related Agencies 

Boosting PFAS Response Efforts 

Senator Shaheen has long fought to protect Granite Staters from the harmful effects of PFAS, including the nearly half of the people in New Hampshire who get their water supply from private wells. In the final bill, Shaheen secured language ensuring states can use critical funding she fought for in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to assist private well owners in addressing PFAS and other dangerous contaminants.  

Investing in Clean Water 

The final agreement provides $2.76 billion total for the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) and Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF), which support drinking water and wastewater infrastructure upgrades in communities throughout the Granite State and fund projects to improve water quality in our lakes, rivers and streams. In addition to this funding, the DWSRF and CWSRF are receiving a total of $5.2 billion in supplemental funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law this year.  

Supporting Outdoor Recreation  

Shaheen has long championed investments in land conservation and outdoor recreation, including supporting the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA) that was signed into law in 2020. Thanks to GAOA, the final bill allocates $900 million from the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) for land acquisition and other outdoor recreation activities, including $500,000 for the Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge and $1,000,000 for the Great Thicket National Wildlife Refuge. The final bill also allocates $1.9 billion provided by GAOA for deferred maintenance in National Parks and other public lands, including a $14.4 million project at Saint-Gaudens National Historical Park in New Hampshire. Additional funds will go to deferred maintenance projects in the White Mountain National Forest. 

Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD) 

Bolstering FAA Staffing and Modernization Efforts 

The final agreement provides $20.08 billion for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), an increase of $1.06 billion over fiscal year 2023. This includes $12.73 billion for FAA operations, which will allow the FAA to continue its hiring surge by adding 1,800 new controllers and improving training facilities at the air traffic controller academy. This funding is critical to addressing the shortage of air traffic control specialists needed for safe and efficient air travel. 

Supporting Innovative Transportation Projects 

The package includes $345 million for the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grant program. This funding is in addition to $1.5 billion for RAISE in FY24 that Senator Shaheen helped secure as a lead negotiator of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. 

Increasing Permanent Supportive Housing 

The bill provides $4.05 billion for Homeless Assistance Grants, an 11% increase over FY23, including support for youth homelessness and supporting survivors of domestic violence and a $25 million increase for permanent supportive housing. The bill also allows a two-year grant cycle for continuums of care to spend funds to free up staff time and alleviate paperwork requirements. 

Addressing Housing Shortages 

Shaheen helped secure $100 million for U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Pathways to Removing Obstacles to Housing Program, which provides important grants to states and localities to address zoning reform and other barriers to housing construction. 

Updating Energy Building Codes 

The bill directs for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to lower costs for renters and homeowners by moving forward with requiring updated energy building codes for new construction, which could save families on average up to $750 per year on energy costs. Senator Shaheen has been a longtime supporter of saving Granite Staters money on their energy cost through building energy codes, including through the Inflation Reduction Act where she helped secure $4 million for New Hampshire to adopt the latest and net zero codes. Earlier this week, Senator Shaheen wrote to the Federal Housing Finance Agency urging them to require these codes for properties backed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. 

Military Construction and Veterans Affairs 

Shaheen fought to ensure that the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) funding package includes priorities of concern to New Hampshire’s veterans' community. Shaheen has long used her seats on the Senate Armed Service and Appropriations Committees to fight for New Hampshire’s veterans. In February, Shaheen led a letter to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), urging the agency to investigate entities that may be violating federal law by charging veterans exorbitant fees when they file for VA benefits. In 2022, Shaheen worked with Senator Rounds to get legislation passed directing the U.S. Department of the Treasury to mint coins in commemoration of the National World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C. The proceeds from coin sales will go toward much-needed repairs and maintenance to the Memorial at no cost to taxpayers.  

Supporting Veterans’ Health Care 

The bill includes a Shaheen floor amendment requiring the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to increase the oversight of third-party contractors that conduct VA medical disability examinations of veterans for purposes of obtaining disability compensation. The VA has increased its reliance on contractors to conduct medical disability examinations in recent years. Shaheen heard from New Hampshire veterans who reported having to travel out of state for examinations and dealing with often inflexible contractors administering the examinations which are needed to file a disability claim with a lack of recourse. The report requires the VA to detail the contractors used in each state to conduct disability compensation exams; contract performance and quality measures; the average miles a veteran is required to travel to attend a contract medical disability examination disaggregated by state; the average wait time for an individual to receive an exam; and a description of the process at the Department for handling complaints of veterans about their experience with a contracted medical disability examiner.

Increasing Resources for VA Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) Assistance Program 

The final bill makes available a Senator Shaheen request of $36.879 million to assist veterans who are impacted by IPV. This funding level is an increase of $12 million above the FY23 enacted level. Shaheen has long led the fight against domestic violence, including a reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act and a fix to the funding mechanism for a range of programs to help domestic violence survivors through the VOCA Fix to Sustain the Crime Victims Fund Act.  

Defense 

Critically, Senator Shaheen supported a 5.2% pay raise for service members and civilians. 

Increasing PFAS Testing 

Senator Shaheen has spearheaded efforts in Congress to uncover the potential health effects related to PFAS contamination, respond to the chemical exposure and remediate polluted sites. The bill includes $5 million to complete the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry’s (ATSDR) Multi-Site PFAS health study. It also includes $20 million for an aqueous film forming destruction pilot program to support PFAS elimination. Shaheen also secured $67 million for PFAS testing and remediation. 

Implementing the Women, Peace and Security Act 

The bill includes $16.5 million to fund the implementation of the Shaheen-authored Women, Peace and Security Act across the geographic and functional combatant commands of the Department of Defense, military services, Office of the Secretary of Defense and the Joint Staff. 

Supporting our Shipyards

Shaheen, co-chair of the Senate Navy Caucus, has long been a steadfast supporter of the Virginia-class, and a fierce advocate for Shipyard priorities. The bill includes $33.6 billion for the construction of 8 new ships. Additionally, the bill authorizes the Navy to enter into a multi-year procurement contract for VIRGINIA class submarines and fully funds the Navy’s new Virginia Class Material strategy by including $470 million in procurement for Virginia Class submarine spares and repair parts to support submarine maintenance availabilities and reduce delays. It also includes full funding for COLUMBIA class submarines.

Standing with Partners and Allies 

The FY24 government funding bill includes $300 million for the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, which Shaheen supported to ensure the U.S. continues to stand with Ukraine against Putin’s aggression. The bill also contains funding for continued oversight for U.S. aid to Ukraine. Additional funding for the Pacific Deterrence Initiative and Baltic Security Initiative, as well as security assistance for Taiwan, is also included in the bill. 

Financial Services and General Government (FSGG) 

Supporting New Hampshire Small Businesses  

Shaheen secured language setting minimum staff levels at the U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) district offices to ensure that local small businesses can get the help and advice they need in their communities. The bill also rejects cuts to funding for Small Business Development Centers, which served more than 3,400 New Hampshire clients in 2023. 

Lowering Tax Filing Costs 

Senator Shaheen included language directing the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration to study the usage and costs of refund advance and refund transfer products after hearing from constituents about problems they experienced in obtaining their refund. The bill also preserves the ability for the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to offer free online direct filing, a long time Shaheen priority. 

Homeland Security 

The FY24 Homeland Security bill includes two important investments in New Hampshire’s emergency and public safety capabilities. Shaheen secured these Congressionally Directed Spending projects to help the New Hampshire Department of Safety and the city of Manchester improve their emergency operations centers, which is crucial in keeping Granite Staters safe and informed in the event of a range of emergency events.  

The package includes $20.2 billion for the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) disaster relief fund, which is in addition to the $16 billion provided last fall in supplemental appropriations. These funds will be crucial in helping a number of states, including New Hampshire, recover and rebuild after extreme storms and disasters.  

Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies (LHHS) 

Building the Workforce 

The package rejects the House proposal to eliminate funding for Job Corps and instead provides level funding of $1.76 billion. Senator Shaheen has long championed funding to support the Manchester Job Corps Center, which provides vital education and career training to economically disadvantaged youth. 

Expanding Child Care Support and Options 

As the child care crisis persists in New Hampshire and across the country, Shaheen helped secure a $1 billion increase for federal child care programs, including a $725 million increase for the Child Care and Development Block Grant (for a total funding level of $8.746 billion) and a $275 million increase for Head Start (for a total funding level of $12.27 billion). Earlier this year, Shaheen, a leader in advocating for resources to support child care providers and families, introduced the Right Start Child Care and Education Act, which would work to make child care more affordable and accessible for working families. Recently, Shaheen took to the Senate floor urging Congress to pass President Biden’s request for $16 billion to support child care stabilization grants in the domestic supplemental funding request. In 2021, Senator Shaheen led the effort to deliver $77 million in child care relief funding to the State of New Hampshire through the American Rescue Plan. Since then, she has worked to hold the State accountable for delays in distributing some of those federal funds and helped deliver grants throughout the state, especially in communities that lack access to child care facilities. 

Investing in Mental Health in Education 

In response to addressing increased youth mental health needs in New Hampshire and nationwide, the package appropriates approximately $74 million in additional funding for Mental Health Service Professional Demonstration grants and School-Based Mental Health Services grants. The bill also includes Shaheen-led language directing the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to report to Congress on barriers for youth in need of mental health services, in particular those crossing state lines for post-secondary education. 

Addressing the Substance Use Disorder Crisis  

As the substance use disorder (SUD) crisis continues to ravage New Hampshire, the package includes funding for several programs critical to ensuring Granite Staters have the support they need for treatment and recovery. This includes $1.575 billion for the State Opioid Response (SOR) grant program, and $2 billion for the Substance Use Prevention, Treatment and Recovery Block Grant. The package also includes $385 million to fund the expansion of Certified Community Behavioral Health Centers (CCBHCs). New Hampshire recently received funding to plan for a CCBHC to increase access to behavioral health services in the state.  

Funding Diabetes Research  

As Co-Chair of the Senate Diabetes Caucus, Shaheen has spearheaded efforts to increase funding for critical diabetes research and treatment programs. The FY24 funding package increases funding for the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) at the National Institutes of Health by $10 million over FY23 to a total of $2.3 billion.  

State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs (SFOPs) 

Protecting Our Brave Afghan Allies 

After years of advocacy and tireless work to uphold the promise we made to our Afghan allies, Shaheen secured an additional 12,000 Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs) for these brave Afghans. This is a win for the trusted Afghan allies who stood shoulder-to-shoulder with American troops and diplomats for two decades and are now being hunted by the Taliban for their service. Last week, Shaheen led a bipartisan letter urging that the final appropriations bill includes 20,000 additional visas. Senator Shaheen has long led on efforts to reform and improve the Afghan SIV program, having partnered with the late Senator John McCain (R-AZ) to create the program that protects Afghans who risked their lives to support the U.S. mission in Afghanistan. 

Supporting Family Planning, Women and Girls Around the World 

Senator Shaheen has long been a leading voice on global women’s issues because she recognizes that empowered women build stronger, more stable families and communities. Shaheen fought to secure $575 million in bilateral family planning programming and $32.5 million for United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). This maintains FY23 funding levels despite significant cuts in the House-passed appropriations bill. The bill also removed harmful policy riders from the House-passed bill. Shaheen previously led a letter to U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Patty Murray in support of robust family planning funding and against these harmful policy riders. An additional $150 million in funding from the bill will go toward implementing Shaheen’s Women, Peace and Security Act, which ensures women are included in peace negotiations and conflict resolution around the world.  

Shaheen secured the following Congressional Directed Funding for New Hampshire:

 

Agency	Recipient	Project	Amount Provided
Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration and Related Agencies
USDA	Warren School District	Warren Village School Net Zero Project	$1,147,000
USDA	School Administrative Unit #2	Ashland Elementary School Net Zero Project	$1,353,000
USDA	White Mountain Community College (WMCC)	WMCC Nursing and Science Lab Enhancements	$1,000,000
USDA	Carroll County	Carroll County Annex Project	$2,000,000
USDA	Whitefield Public Library	Whitefield Public Library Renovation and Expansion	$1,000,000
Energy and Water Development
Department of Energy	Plymouth State University	PSU Energy Transition Project	$4,675,000
Interior, Environment and Related Agencies
EPA	University of New Hampshire	Water Quality Research in the Great Bay	$1,150,000
EPA	Town of Lancaster	Summer Street Infrastructure Upgrade Completion	$3,000,000
EPA	City of Manchester	Bass Island Stormwater Control & Erosion Mitigation	$91,000
EPA	City of Portsmouth	Bellamy Reservoir Project	$714,000
EPA	Lake Winnipesaukee Association	Lake Kanasatka Water Quality Improvement	$150,000
EPA	Town of Milford	Nashua Street Water Main Replacement	$1,500,000
USFS	White Mountain National Forest	Saco Ranger Station	$1,550,000
NPS	Town of Tilton	Tilton Island Park Bridge	$500,000
Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD)
DOT	NH DOT (for Nashua)	Nashua Riverfront Pedestrian Bridge	$500,000
DOT	NH DOT (for Wentworth)	East Side Road Bridge Reconstruction	$1,200,000
DOT	NH DOT (for Gorham)	Gorham - Main Street Bike/Pedestrian Improvements	$1,372,000
DOT	NH DOT (for Littleton)	Littleton Downtown Reconnect	$365,000
DOT	NH DOT (for Manchester)	Manchester - Downtown Pedestrian Infrastructure Improvements	$1,500,000
HUD	Concord Coalition to End Homelessness	Homeless Resource Center Hub	$2,000,000
HUD	City of Manchester	Manchester, NH Downtown Traffic Signal Infrastructure Improvements	$850,000
HUD	The Granite YMCA	Greater Londonderry, NH Granite YMCA Childcare Center	$500,000
HUD	West Claremont Center for Music and the Arts	Claremont Creative Center	$2,300,000
HUD	Starting Point Services	Emergency Shelter Repairs and Renovations	$200,000
HUD	Women's Rural Entrepreneurial Network	Flooding Remediation	$72,000
HUD	City of Somersworth	Library Accessibility and Expansion	$500,000
HUD	Bristol Recreation Advisory Council	New Community Center	$1,500,000
HUD	New Hampshire Catholic Charities	North Country Joint Venture- New Hampshire Food Bank and the Boys and Girls Club	$1,000,000
HUD	City of Franklin	Outdoor Recreation	$2,500,000
HUD	Farmsteads of New England	Redberry Farm Apartments	$1,330,000
HUD	Family Promise of Southern New Hampshire	Transitional Housing	$2,136,000
HUD	North Country Community Recreation Center	Wellness Center	$2,700,000
Military Construction and Veterans Affairs
DoD	New Hampshire National Guard	Stafford Physical Training Center	$9,000,000
DoD	New Hampshire National Guard	Pembroke Renewable Energy Vehicle Parking Area	$5,000,000
DoD	New Hampshire National Guard	Pease Ground Product Service Station	$4,000,000
DoD	Portsmouth Naval Shipyard	Multi-Mission Dry Dock Extension	$544,808
Financial Services and General Government (FSGG)
National Archives	James W Foley Legacy Foundation	The James Wright Foley Archives Collection	$350,000
SBA	Hannah Grimes Center	Catalyzing a Rural Biotlech Entrepreneur Ecosystem	$528,000
Homeland Security
FEMA	NH Department of Safety	NH State Emergency Operations Center Modernization	$247,000
FEMA	City of Manchester Fire Department	City of Manchester Emergency Operations Center Security and ADA    Compliant Access	$1,455,000
Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies (LHHS)
Department of Labor	Dartmouth Health	Behavioral workforce training program	$1,292,000
Department of Labor	Mary Hitchcock Memorial Hospital	Early childhood care workforce program	$400,000
Department of Labor	Mental Health Center of Greater Manchester	Mental health workforce training	$408,000
Department of Health & Human Services	Catholic Medical Center	Purchase X-ray equipment	$407,000
Department of Health & Human Services	Dartmouth Hitchcock Nashua	Endocrinology clinic expansion	$650,000
Department of Health & Human Services	Elliot Health System	Mammography expansion project	$577,000
Department of Health & Human Services	Grafton County	Grafton County nursing home improvements	$750,000
Department of Health & Human Services	Great Bay Services	Handicap accessible vehicles for transportation services	$272,000
Department of Health & Human Services	Greater Seacoast Community Health	Somersworth health center improvements	$750,000
Department of Health & Human Services	HealthFirst Family Care Center	Franklin health center renovations	$250,000
Department of Health & Human Services	Lakes Region Mental Health Center	Electronic health records system	$630,000
Department of Health & Human Services	Mascoma Community Healthcare	Rural public health outreach initiative	$189,000
Department of Health & Human Services	Mid-State Health Center	New health center in Lincoln	$2,200,000
Department of Health & Human Services	Mount Washington Valley Adult Day Center	Air purification system	$71,000
Department of Health & Human Services	North Country Home, Health & Hospice	Recruitment and training of nurse liaisons for home-based care	$155,000
Department of Health & Human Services	Rivier University	Behavioral health workforce training	$2,000,000
Department of Health & Human Services	Southern New Hampshire Health	Oncology CT scanning equipment	$453,000
Department of Health & Human Services	Cheshire Medical Center	Medical devices for physical therapy	$750,000
Department of Health & Human Services	Addiction Recovery Coalition of NH	Recovery support services	$308,000
Department of Health & Human Services	National Alliance on Mental Illness NH	Support group program for co-occurrence of mental health and substance use disorders	$128,000
Department of Health & Human Services	University of New Hampshire	Youth mental health first aid program	$112,000
Department of Health & Human Services	Big Brothers Big Sisters New Hampshire	Mentoring recruitment for programs serving at-risk youth	$260,000
Department of Health & Human Services	Children Unlimited, Inc.	Quality improvement incentives for childcare centers	$115,000
Department of Health & Human Services	Court Appointed Special Advocates of NH	Volunteer recruitment and training	$175,000
Department of Labor	Manchester School District	Educational leadership training program	$105,000
Department of Education	Nashua Police Athletic League	Youth mentorship program	$108,000
Department of Education	New Hampshire Learning Initiative	Strategy development and subgrants for improved math instruction	$424,000
Department of Education	SEE Science Center	Exhibits and equipment for STEM education	$200,000
Department of Education	Community College System of NH	Dual and concurrent enrollment outreach program	$280,000
Department of Education	Keene State College	Precision manufacturing training program	$3,000,000