Rep. Calvert Highlights Key Priorities Included in the Fiscal Year 2022 Appropriations Bill

Today, Congressman Ken Calvert (CA-42) highlighted the inclusion of key priorities he advocated for in the Fiscal Year 2022 Appropriations bill which was approved by the House of Representatives by a bipartisan vote. The legislation was approved by the Senate last night and will now head to the White House for the President's signature.

"As a senior member of the House Appropriations Committee, I have worked collaboratively with my colleagues and my constituents for nearly a year to craft and negotiate the Fiscal Year 2022 Appropriations bill to meet the needs of our country and my district in Riverside County," said Rep. Calvert. "No bill is ever perfect, and if I were king for a day I would've written it differently, but I'm proud of the significant number of national and local priorities that were incorporated into the final legislation."

Cures and Treatment for ALS

As a Co-Chair of the House ALS Caucus, Rep. Calvert joined his colleagues in advocating for funding to implement The Accelerating Access to Critical Therapies (ACT) for ALS Act, which was recently signed into law. For the first time in history, the bill includes $25 million to implement the ACT for ALS grant program that funds research on and provides access to promising investigational treatments for people living with ALS who are not eligible for clinical trials.

Clean Air Programs

Rep. Calvert continues to be a leading advocate for clean air programs and pushed to ensure funding priority is given to projects that will improve the air quality in non-attainment areas, such as the southern California region. The bill includes:

• $61.9 million for Targeted Airshed Grants with priority to top-five nonattainment areas
  
• $92 million for Diesel Emissions Reduction Act grants

Homeless/Drug Abuse

California continues to experience a homeless and drug abuse crisis that requires a wide array of solutions. In addition to policy changes, Rep. Calvert has advocated for federal resources to help local governments and agencies respond to the crisis. The bill includes:

• $3.2 billion for Homeless Assistance Grants
  
• $36 million for substance abuse treatments and systems for homeless individuals
  
• $572.5 million for communities and law enforcement to respond to substance abuse

Public Safety and Local Law Enforcement

In order to address rising crime and ongoing threats to public safety, Rep. Calvert supported higher funding levels for federal public safety programs which will support police officers on the ground, keeping our communities safe. The bill includes:

• 14.6 percent increase over FY2021 in State and Local Law Enforcement Activities
  
• $674.5 million for Byrne-JAG Local Law Enforcement Assistance Grants
  
• $234 million for the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program
  
• $415 million for the Anti-Opioid Initiative
  
• $511.7 million for Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) programs
  
• $2.42 billion for the Drug Enforcement administration, includes $85,259,000 over FY2021 to strengthen drug trafficking investigations related to heroin, fentanyl, and methamphetamines.

Border Crisis

Rep. Calvert recently visited the Rio Grande Sector of the U.S./Mexico border and saw firsthand how overwhelmed our Border Patrol agents are on a daily basis. To support those immigration enforcement agents and help stop the flow of illegal immigrants and drugs, Rep. Calvert fought for increased funding for our border. The bill includes:

• Increases Customs and Border Protection by $800 million over FY2021
  
• $20 million for border patrol technology, which is roughly two times the FY2021 level
  
• Rep. Calvert and House Republicans successfully stripped out a provision inserted by House Democrats earlier in the process that would have reallocated funding for the border wall. $2.1 billion continues to be available to build the wall at the southern border.
  
• Increases Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) funding by $400 million over FY2021
  
• Maintains Trump-era number of ICE beds at 34,000
  
• $389.5 million for USCIS, including full funding to operate E-Verify, which is reauthorized in the bill through the end of the fiscal year. Rep. Calvert created the E-Verify program through legislation in 1996 and it remains the only tool for employers to check the legal work status of new employees.

California Drought Response

To address the ongoing drought in California, Rep. Calvert advocated for a number of important federal water programs. The bill includes:

• $117.25 million for water storage projects authorized by the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation (WIIN) Act
  
• $17.5 million for Title XVI water recycling projects authorized by the WIIN Act
  
• $10.5 million for desalination water projects authorized by the WIIN Act

Wildfire Risk Reduction

To reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfires through improved forest management, Rep. Calvert supported funding to reduce hazardous fuels. The bill includes $187.4 million for hazardous fuels management.

Earthquake Early Warning System

Rep. Calvert is a leading proponent of the life-saving Earthquake Early Warning System on the West Coast, which can give people advanced warning before a significant earthquake occurs. The bill includes $28.6 million for the continued deployment of ShakeAlert infrastructure and operation of the system.

Alternatives to Animal Testing

Rep. Calvert continues to fight to protect taxpayers and animals from the unnecessary use of animals in government funded tests. At his request, language was included in the bill regarding EPA's implementation of animal testing alternatives. Specifically, the language instructs the EPA to report on the progress of setting standards on the use of alternatives to using animals in testing and to focus agency resources.

Federal Response to Citrus Greening

Citrus Greening continues to be one of the most serious citrus plant diseases in the world and a threat to California citrus trees. Rep. Calvert supported the inclusion of language encouraging the Biden Administration to prioritize its response to citrus greening. The bill also includes roughly $60 million for citrus health response activities and $8.5 million within existing funding for multi-agency response to citrus greening.