On Wednesday, March 9, Congressman David G. Valadao voted in support of the Fiscal Year 2022 Appropriations Package. H.R. 2471 provides $1.5 trillion in discretionary resources across the 12 Fiscal Year 2022 appropriations bills. Congressman Valadao, a member of the House Appropriations Committee, secured several wins for the Central Valley in the annual spending package.

“I came to Congress to deliver results for the Central Valley, and I’m proud that my work on this year’s annual spending bill includes direct funding for local law enforcement agencies, infrastructure projects, clean water for our communities, and Lemoore Naval Air Station,” said Congressman Valadao. “Importantly, this bill includes funding for WIIN Act water storage projects, increases national security spending, funds our police, and secures funding to address the ongoing border crisis. This is by no means a perfect bill, but it is the result of bipartisan cooperation to keep our government running and provide critical support for our communities.”

Congressman Valadao submitted several community project funding requests. The following were included in the final bill:

  • $3 million to rehabilitate 10 miles of the Avenue 95/96 Farm to Market Corridor between Terra Bella and Pixley within Tulare County to improve goods movement, shorten travel times, and improve air quality.
  • $1 million in the Department of Justice for Lemoore Police Dispatch Center project to improve response times to emergency calls and increase overall safety and security.
  • $3 million to the Community Action Partnership of Kern for the Kern Food Bank Expansion to better respond to food insecurity and provide increased support and assistance to some of the poorest communities in Kern County.
  • $3.04 million for Earlimart Public Utility District to install a new sanitary sewer line that would increase wastewater collection capacity and a well treatment improvement project to provide safer and improved drinking water to Earlimart.
  • $413,000 in the Department of Justice for Kings County Deputy Sheriffs’ Body Camera project to fund the purchase and deployment of body-worn cameras for 200 officers.
  • $3 million for Mt. Whitney Avenue Complete Streets to provide safe, walkable infrastructure by reconstructing the road and repairing curbs, gutters, sidewalks and storm drains.

Congressman Valadao was proud to back the following initiatives that were included in the bill:

  • Championing rural communities, agriculture, and water for the Central Valley:
    • $117.25 million for Bureau of Reclamation WIIN Act water storage projects.
    • Continues funding for NIFA and provides an additional $1 million for ARS to prioritize broad spectrum research for soil fumigant alternatives.
    • Language to exclude incarcerated persons from rural development populations.
    • $1.25 billion in Section 502 Direct, Single Family Housing Loans within the Rural Housing Service.
    • $28 million in Section 514 Farm Labor Housing loans under the Rural Housing Service.
    • $1.4 billion is provided for Rural Water and Wastewater Direct Loans, $50 million in guaranteed Water and Wastewater Loans, and $653 million for loan subsidies and grants within the Rural Utilities Service.
    • $490 million is provided for Water and Waste Disposal Grants, an increase of $27 million, within the Rural Utilities Service.
  • Supporting our military, law enforcement, and keeping communities safe:
    • $75.07 million for Lemoore Naval Air Station to complete Hangar 6 Phase 2, which will allow NAS Lemoore to support the mission requirements for the F-35.
    • $413,000 in the Department of Justice for a Kings County, California, Deputy Sheriffs’ Body Camera project.
    • $512 million for Department of Justice Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) programs, including $246 million for COPS Hiring grants.
    • $674.5 million for the Department of Justice Byrne Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) program.
    • $276 million is provided for border technology, including mobile, autonomous surveillance technology, cross‐border tunnel threats, and geospatial capabilities.
    • $296.6 million of the Office of National Drug Control Policy High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas program.
  • Supporting education and Central Valley families:
    • $11.03 billion for Head Start in the Administration for Children and Families.
    • $3 million for Migrant and Seasonal Head Start Quality funding in the Administration for Children and Families.
    • $5,835 for the maximum Pell grant award in the Department of Education.
    • $1.14 billion for the TRIO program in the Department of Education.

$14 million is provided for Education Grants for Hispanic Serving Institutions, an increase of $2.5 million