PA Senior Senator advances nutrition assistance, infrastructure funding, veterans’ health care, Pennsylvania projects
Senate passed first in series of government funding bills for FY24
Casey calling for House of Representatives to work alongside Senate in bipartisan manner to fund government
Washington, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) announced that several provisions he advocated for have advanced through the Senate as part of the first wave of government funding bills for Fiscal Year (FY) 2024. These include child nutrition programs, highway and bridge funding, and veterans’ health programs. By passing this legislation, the Senator also advanced 56 community projects across the Commonwealth for further consideration, moving them closer to a final spending bill and guaranteed funding.
“When Pennsylvanians send their tax dollars to Washington, I’m fighting to ensure their money comes back to their communities,” said Senator Casey. “By making critical investments in housing, infrastructure, nutrition programs, and so much more, this bill shows that when the Senate works together, we can deliver the results that Pennsylvania taxpayers expect and deserve.”
The spending package, passed by an overwhelming vote of 85-12, includes three of the 12 funding appropriations bills needed to pass to fully fund the government. The bill now heads back to the House of Representatives for consideration before it can be signed into law. Senator Casey is calling on the House of Representatives to work with the Senate in a bipartisan manner to fund the government and provide certainty for the American people.
This first in a series of federal spending bills includes numerous priorities and programs important to Pennsylvania in the following categories: agriculture and nutrition; transportation, housing, and urban development; and military construction and veterans’ affairs. Highlights include:
Child Nutrition: Senator Casey supported critical new funding to ensure women, infants, and children can get the nutrition they need, and fought for protection of vital nutrition assistance programs for families across the country with tight budgets. The bill includes $6.3 billion for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), which provides critical nutrition benefits for more than 6 million women, infants, and children. It also fully funds the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Child Nutrition Programs such as the National School Lunch Program and the Child and Adult Care Food Program.
Bolstering Infant Formula Supply: Senator Casey led efforts to ensure that small infant formula manufacturers are included in the Business & Industry Loan Guarantees Program, and is a step to prevent another shortage crisis.
Highways and Bridges: To sustain the push for infrastructure investment embodied by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, Senator Casey secured more than $60 billion for federal highways, including $100 million for the Appalachian Development Highway System (ADHS). Casey, a longtime advocate to repair Pennsylvania’s aging infrastructure, led an effort to secure $1.15 billion in additional funding for bridges. He also secured a provision ensuring federal officials continue to support the Commonwealth in their efforts to reconstruct I-95 in Philadelphia as fast as possible.
Rail Safety: To respond to the deficiencies identified following the East Palestine that affected Pennsylvanians in Darlington and throughout the surrounding communities, the bill provides a $32 million increase for Federal Railroad Administration’s (FRA) safety and operations budget. The bill also increases funding for the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration’s (PHMSA) emergency preparedness grants to $46.83 million and requires the agency to conduct research on how to help provide first responders with more information to respond as safely as possible in the event of a disaster, in line with Senator Casey’s advocacy with the agency.
Affordable Housing: To ensure every Pennsylvanian has access to safe, suitable housing, Senator Casey advocated for investments to increase the housing supply and help Americans keep a roof over their head. The bill includes $1.5 billion to help produce nearly 10,000 new rental and homebuyer units; $4.3 billion for Community Development Block Grants for community development and affordable housing needs; and $100 million for a zoning and land use reform grant program designed to increase housing stock and lower housing costs. To target the needs of rural communities, the bill provides $1.6 billion in assistance for rural renters to ensure rural Americans have access to safe, affordable housing.
Veterans with Disabilities: Senator Casey secured language that recognizes the need for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to better serve veterans and employees with disabilities. The bill also requires the VA to study the feasibility of creating an advisory committee to oversee the VA’s compliance with federal disability laws, such as accessibility of VA facilities and accessibility of technology, and make recommendations for improvements. The bill would also support compensation benefits to more than 6.6 million veterans with disabilities and their survivors, which could potentially help more than 180,000 disabled veterans in Pennsylvania.
VA Medical Care: This bill includes more than $121 billion to provide vital health services for more than 9.1 million veterans, including $16.2 billion to expand access to mental health services and suicide prevention efforts for veterans; $2.4 billion to expand the VA’s Caregiver Support Program; $3.1 billion to expand critical services and housing assistance for veterans and their families experiencing housing insecurity; $1.3 billion to improve health care services and facilities for women; $347 million to improve and expand access to care in rural communities; and $23 million to expand the Child Care Pilot Program that aims to eliminate barriers for veterans in need of child care while obtaining medical treatment.
Honoring Our PACT Act: The bill fully funds the Toxic Exposure Fund, which covers the health care expenses of veterans seeking treatment for illness and disabilities related to exposure to toxic materials, for the next two years.
Additionally, Casey advanced $56.9 million for 56 projects across Pennsylvania. These projects include community revitalization, housing development, and infrastructure construction and improvement. While the projects await further consideration, the Senate’s actions moved them closer to a final spending bill and guaranteed funding.
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