Rep. Stansbury Delivers for New Mexico With Big Wins in FY 23 Omnibus Spending Bill
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Representative Melanie Stansbury (N.M.-01) announced major wins for New Mexico in the Fiscal Year 2023 Omnibus Appropriations, which passed the House of Representatives and now heads to the President’s desk.
Among the most significant wins in the bill are major educational provisions for the state, including passage of language allowing early childhood education funding to proceed, as authorized by New Mexico voters in November, as well as $90 million to replace the To’Hajiilee Community School. Rep. Stansbury also secured $18 million for community projects to address homelessness, hunger, and to help get fentanyl off the streets. The omnibus bill also includes funding and authorizations secured by Rep. Stansbury in partnership with U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (N.M.)and Ben Ray Lujan (N.M.), and Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández (N.M.-03) to add an additional $1.45 billion to New Mexico fire recovery efforts, authorize investments in drought conservation, and rename a U.S. Post Office in Belen in honor of Senator Dennis Chavez.
“I came to Congress to deliver for New Mexico and our communities, and I am proud that the major wins we secured today do just that. Thanks to the tireless work of my office and our Delegation, this omnibus delivers on our promises to New Mexicans,” said Rep. Stansbury. “The provisions we secured will deliver a new school for our children, invest in quality education for our young people, support communities recovering from devastating wildfires, encourage sustainable water management across the West, and fund 15 key projects to address some of New Mexico’s biggest challenges.”
The provisions secured by Rep. Stansbury include:
$90.4 million to replace and rebuild the To’Hajiilee Community School, which has been severely impacted by flooding and a BIE construction backlog. This critical funding for To’Hajiilee Community School comes on the heels of Rep. Stansbury’s efforts to push for an increase in Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) school construction funding.
Language to unlock a historic investment in early childhood and K-12 education through New Mexico’s Land Grant Permanent Fund. The New Mexico Education Enhancement Act, led by Rep. Stansbury and Senator Martin Heinrich, honors the voices of New Mexicans and provides congressional approval for New Mexico’s Constitutional Amendment to invest additional Land Grant Permanent Fund dollars into early childhood education.
$1.45 billion in additional funding to support New Mexicans impacted by the devastating Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon wildfires. In September, Rep. Stansbury joined members of New Mexico’s congressional delegation to secure $2.5 billion in aid to support residents impacted by the Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon fires.
Reauthorization of the Colorado River System Conservation Pilot Program. The Colorado River Basin Conservation Act, introduced by Rep. Stansbury in October, funds projects to encourage voluntary water conservation and avoid mandatory cuts to 40 million Colorado River water users, which has major impacts on New Mexico water supplies, including in the Rio Grande.
A provision designating the U.S. Postal Service facility at 400 North Main Street in Belen, New Mexico, as the “U.S. Senator Dennis Chávez Post Office”. In July, Rep. Stansbury and the New Mexico congressional delegation introduced legislation to rename the Post Office in honor of former U.S. Senator Dennis Chávez, the first American-born Hispanic Senator.
$18 million for 15 key projects in New Mexico’s First Congressional District to help address the state’s biggest needs surrounding public safety, veterans’ and youth homelessness, behavioral health, and economic development.
Among the projects, Rep. Stansbury prioritized 15 community project requests, from an unprecedented pool of over 200 applications. She secured funding for each of these projects in the FY23 Omnibus Appropriations Bill.
The 15 projects Rep. Stansbury secured include:
Projects to Address Public Safety, Behavioral Health, and Healthcare
$2.8 million for N.M. Department of Public Safety Mobile Crisis Teams, to provide mental and behavioral health crisis services in communities across the state
$410,721 for Fentanyl and other Drug Detection Technology to assist law enforcement in helping to get fentanyl and other dangerous drugs off the street
$1.45 million for Sandia Pueblo Fire Station to provide enhanced emergency services for the Pueblo.
$1 million for Behavioral Health Expansions at First Nations Community HealthSource to help increase integrated services for more than 15,000 Indigenous community members without access to care
$2.2 million to the Albuquerque Sobering Center to create a first of its kind facility in Albuquerque to help individuals struggling with addiction to have a safe place to access treatment, housing, and other needs
$422,000 for Mobile School-Based Health Centers to provide medical, dental, and mental health care services to Albuquerque Public School students and their families.
Projects Tackling Veterans and Youth Homelessness, Hunger, and Water Security
$1.5 million for Albuquerque Homeless Youth Center to provide the first dedicated facility for young people experiencing homelessness, including a safe, transitional environment.
$300,000 for the first Veterans Transitional Housing Campus in New Mexico to include 42 beds for Veterans and their families experiencing housing insecurity.
$750,000 for Albuquerque Health Care for the Homeless to expand health care and social services.
$712,500 to expand the East Mountain Food Pantry to help address food insecurity in the East Mountains, Torrance, and Sandoval Counties.
$3 million to the Town of Mountainair to improve wastewater treatment facilities and address long overdue water challenges in the community.
Projects to Grow New Mexico’s Economy, Jobs, and Rural Opportunities
$1.5 million for UNM/Sandia Labs STEM Pipeline Program to expand UNM’s capacity to train future STEM leaders in cybersecurity and data science and prepare them for STEM careers
$600,000 for the Albuquerque Adult Learning Center to grow adult literacy and job training programs for communities in the International District.
$1.5 million to the Sandoval County Animal Clinic to provide emergency veterinary care to rural and tribal communities in Sandoval County and grow more rural jobs and opportunities
$650,000 for Families First Economic Justice Project to support community development and grow local businesses, particularly in the South Valley.
In addition to these New Mexico-specific priorities, the Fiscal Year 2023 Omnibus Appropriations Bill funds federal programs that will deliver for New Mexicans while making historic investments in our families, workers, and communities:
Health Care Victories:
Medicaid and CHIP funding-Ensuring permanent, mandatory and continuous coverage for the 40 million children enrolled in Medicaid and CHIP.
Historic funding for the critical Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting initiative, which improves health outcomes for parents and young families who live in underserved communities.
Strong guardrails to prevent disruption to families’ health coverage, as states resume Medicaid recertifications next year.
New investments in mental health services, which will improve access to treatment, expand our mental health workforce and increase coverage of mental health services.
Improving diversity in FDA clinical trials.
Passing the PREVENT Pandemics Act, which uses lessons learned from COVID-19 to improve our preparedness for future public health emergencies.
A $21 billion increase for veterans’ health care to honor our sacred duty to care for our veterans – including supporting the VA as it implements the landmark PACT Act for veterans exposed to toxic substances during their service.
Additional key victories include:
Creating a nationwide permanent Summer EBT Program so that 29 million kids can get healthy, nutritious meals throughout the summer.
For the first time in more than a decade, more funding for the National Labor Relations Board, which helps defend workers’ rights to organize.
Emergency disaster support to help victims of hurricanes and wildfires throughout our country, to address the water crisis in Jackson, Mississippi, and $1 billion for Puerto Rico’s electrical grid.
Reforming the Electoral Count Act of 1887, which will help thwart future attempts to disrupt the peaceful transfer of power like we saw on January 6th.
A $125 million increase in funding for Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) programs, funding critical programs at $700 million to prevent and respond to gender-based violence and expand resources to support survivors.
A pay increase for our service members and additional funding to meet the needs of our military families.
A $5.1 billion advance appropriation for the Indian Health Service to provide budgetary certainty for Tribal and Pueblo communities.
A 9% increase in BIE funding to support nearly 57,000 students in Tribal schools and Tribal Colleges and Universities.
$186 million for Western drought programs including water conservation, reuse, and desalination.
A $68 million increase in funding for clean energy to reduce emissions and work towards a clean energy economy.
$9.6 million for acequia infrastructure under the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
A $2.5 million increase for the Rio Grande Pueblos Project to improve Pueblo irrigation infrastructure.
Nearly $4 billion for rural development including increases in funding for rural broadband expansion, rural housing loans and rental assistance, and business and industry loans to assist businesses in rural areas.
A $55 million increase in farm programs, including emergency loan programs that ensure the sustainability of family farms and ranches.
An $30 million increase for entrepreneurial development programs to help start the next generation of small businesses.
$4.2 billion for wildland fire management to help communities respond to more frequent and intense wildfires.
Section-by section summaries of the Fiscal Year 2023 Omnibus Appropriations Bill can be found as follows for:
Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies | Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies | Defense | Energy and Water Development, and Related Agencies | Financial Services and General Government | Homeland Security | Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies | Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies | Legislative Branch | Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies | State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs | Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies
The full text of the Fiscal Year 2023 Omnibus Appropriations Bill is available here.