[ARTICLE UPDATE] 8:00 p.m. March 10, 2022: The U.S. Senate passes $1.5 trillion omnibus bill. The bipartisan Senate vote now sends the measure to President Biden for his signature.
WASHINGTON, D.C., March 10, 2022 – Rep. Rick Larsen (WA-02) supported House passage of a bipartisan omnibus spending package that funds the government through September 2022, invests in Northwest Washington communities and working families, and provides critical emergency aid to Ukraine. The spending package now heads to the Senate.
“My priority in shaping spending bills is to invest in local communities to create well-paying jobs and provide vital services in Northwest Washington,” said Larsen. “This spending bill makes those critical investments while also supporting a sovereign and independent Ukraine, reauthorizing protections for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault, lowering costs for working families, protecting Washington’s environment and investing in vital infrastructure.”
The spending package addresses several of Larsen’s priorities, including:
- $13.6 billion in humanitarian, security and financial aid for Ukraine
- More than $4.6 billion for Impact Act payments to school districts like Oak Harbor, Marysville and La Conner that serve military families and other federally-connected students
- $2 billion to enhance the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s ongoing efforts to protect and conserve Southern Resident Killer Whales
- $138 million for Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs) like the Washington SBDC that has helped local small businesses and entrepreneurs weather the pandemic and thrive, creating jobs and driving economic growth
- $135 million to fund critical resources to keep students safe, including counselors, mental and behavioral health assistance, suicide prevention and conflict resolution
- $67 million for the Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund to support state and Tribal salmon habitat restoration projects
- $35 million for EPA’s National Estuary Program that funds local efforts to restore and protect Puget Sound and its wildlife
- $10 million to fund two aviation workforce grant initiatives Larsen established in the 2018 FAA Reauthorization Act to grow the next generation of aircraft pilots and aviation maintenance technicians
- Reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act which establishes comprehensive responses to domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence and stalking
- Increasing the maximum Pell Grant award by $400 to ease the burden on students who display exceptional financial need
- Unlocking a historic amount of funding in the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to create jobs, drive long-term economic recovery, and build a cleaner, greener and safer transportation network
- Establishing President Biden’s new cancer research initiative, also known as the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health, to strengthen U.S. innovation in biomedicine
- Creating new cybersecurity protections to fight against vicious cyberattacks to U.S. infrastructure by Russia and other bad actors
For the first time in over a decade, the spending bill includes earmarks for important community projects. Larsen secured $10,662,665 for ten Second District projects local leaders and stakeholders identified as critical to their communities:
- $2,000,000 for Phase II construction of Compass Health’s advanced facility for Intensive Behavioral Health Services in Everett. The five-story, 82,000 square foot building will accommodate a range of integrated emergency and preventive outpatient behavioral health care services.
- $2,000,000 for the City of Mountlake Terrace’s transit connection project. The City will construct a pedestrian plaza adjacent to the new light rail station and lighted, paved pedestrian trails through Veterans Memorial Park.
- $2,000,000 for construction of Unity Care NW’s The Way Station in Bellingham. The Way Station will provide medical respite, a hygiene center, health care, long-term housing supports and case management for individuals and families experiencing homelessness.
- $1,740,000 for the Samish Indian Nation’s State Route 20 – Campbell Lake Road Roundabout project. The Samish will construct a three-legged roundabout at the intersection of State Route 20 and Campbell Lake Road.
- $1,000,000 for the City of Lynnwood’s Scriber Creek Trail redevelopment project. The City will redevelop the existing trail corridor into a 16’ wide, ADA-accessible trail with durable, slip-resistant hard surfaces. Where crossing Scriber Creek and associated wetlands, the trail will be constructed on elevated bridge/boardwalk structures.
- $694,480 for the MacKaye Harbor Water District’s Agate Beach Lane infrastructure improvements on Lopez Island. The Water District will relocate water infrastructure away from a road that is currently failing due to coastal erosion.
- $500,000 for the City of Sedro-Woolley’s Olmsted Park development project. The City will develop an existing 14.81-acre city-owned property into a destination park for public use.
- $346,625 for the Goosefoot Community Fund’s community kitchen project in Langley. Goosefoot Community Fund will create a commercial kitchen to help local farmers, producers and small businesses increase food resiliency on Whidbey Island.
- $245,560 for the City of Everett’s Pallets to Housing initiative. In efforts to combat the crisis of homelessness and provide suitable shelter, the City is piloting an initiative utilizing low-barrier shelters to temporarily house hard-to-place individuals and couples. The City plans to expand this pilot project to develop a new and different location to benefit youth and families who are experiencing homelessness.
- $136,000 for the Port of Coupeville’s rehabilitation of the Historic Coupeville Wharf. The Port will replace approximately 400 feet of water and sewer piping that runs along the Historic Coupeville Wharf’s causeway.
For more information on the FY2022 Consolidated Appropriations Act, click here and here.
Content Source: Rep. Rick Larsen Press Release
Author: Lynnwood Times Staff
