Case votes to pass appropriations measure, including hundreds of millions of dollars for Hawai‘i

U.S. Rep. Ed Case, a Democrat representing Hawai‘i House District 1 in Washington, voted to approve final House passage of a measure consolidating three more of 12 annual appropriations bills, which would commence Oct. 1.

The measure, which passed the House, included a hefty list of requests by Case — member of the key House Committee on Appropriations, which is responsible for all federal discretionary funding — for hundreds of millions of dollars for federal programs directly benefiting Hawai‘i.

It includes $39 billion to fund U.S. Department of the Interior; $63 billion for U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers civil works programs and various energy programs; and $81 billion for commerce, justice, science and related programs.

The interior, environment and related appropriations bill included in the measure funds U.S. Department of the Interior, including National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Geological Survey, Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Forest Service and various independent agencies such as National Endowments for the Arts and Humanities.

Several of Case’s priority requests were approved in the measure, including:

• $4.75 million for U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s State of the Birds Activities to respond to the urgent needs of critically endangered birds that now face possible extinction. These funds are helping to save numerous endemic birds in Hawai‘i that have been devastated by climate change and avian malaria.
• $45.5 million for U.S. Geological Survey Biological Threats and Invasive Species Research Program.
• $64 million for U.S. Geological Survey’s Climate Adaptation Science Centers, which includes the Pacific Islands Climate Adaptation Science Center based at University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. These centers provide regionally relevant scientific information, tools and techniques to resource managers and communities in Hawai‘i in response to our changing climate.
• $76 million for state fire assistance, which provides financial and technical support directly to states to enhance firefighting capacity, support community-based hazard mitigation and expand outreach and education to homeowners and communities concerning fire prevention.
• $3 million for the Joint Fire Science Program, which supports a national collaboration of fire science exchanges providing science information to federal, state, local, tribal and private stakeholders.

Find more in a summary of the interior, environment and related agencies
appropriations here.

The energy and water portion of the overall measure funds U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers civil works programs, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and agencies focused on nuclear energy.

Numerous wins for the islands requested by Case are included, such as funding for Army Corps of Engineers programs that aid in the preservation coastlines around all seven inhabited Hawai‘i islands.

Notably, one of Case’s highest priorities — an instruction to Army Corps of Engineers to improve plans to upgrade Honolulu Harbor — was included in the measure.

This provision directs the corps to investigate modifications to Honolulu Harbor for better handling of impacts from military operations in the state and throughout the Indo-Pacific as a whole, which can open up additional federal resources for the planned improvements of the harbor.

Also included is $9.5 million for a Army Corps of Engineers program that aids the planning, designing and construction of small projects for commercial navigation purposes such as channels, breakwaters and jetties.

This funding will assist in statewide harbor modifications.

Read more in a summary of the energy and water provisions online.

The commerce, justice and science portion of the appropriations measure supports U.S. Department of Commerce, including International Trade Administration, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and National Institute of Standards and Technology; U.S. Department of Justice; NASA; National Science Foundation; and more. 

Case was able to secure several community project funding requests specifically focused on local needs in Hawai‘i, including $1 million for University of Hawai‘i’s Fireshed Partnerships program, which would facilitate wildfire risk reduction.

Other provisions Case requested that are included in the measure to fund U.S. Department of Justice include:

• $397 million for Byrne Justice Assistance Grants, which are the leading federal source of criminal justice funding to state and local jurisdictions. The funds are used to support a range of program areas including law enforcement, prosecution and court, prevention and education, corrections and community corrections, drug treatment and enforcement, crime victim and witness initiatives as well as planning, evaluation and technology improvement.
• $800 million for Community Oriented Policing Services, a program directly funding law enforcement agencies to hire and/or rehire additional career law enforcement officers to increase their community policing capacity and crime prevention efforts.
• $54 million for grants to reduce the sexual assault kit backlog.
• $48 million for the Anti-Methamphetamine and Anti-Heroin task forces.

Provisions the Hawai‘i Democrat won support for to fund various science initiatives include:

• $250 million for Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research, which enhances the research competitiveness of Hawai‘i by strengthening science, technology, engineering and mathematics capacity and capability.
• $104 million for the Climate Laboratories and Cooperative Institutes program to support maintenance and needed repairs at Atmospheric Baseline Observatories, including the Mauna Loa Observatory, where the Keeling Curve was developed, proving rapid climate change.
• $143 million for science, technology, engineering and mathematics engagement programs at NASA, including Space Grant, to inspire young people to pursue future careers in science and engineering.
• $33.5 million for the Coral Reef Conservation Program.
• $67 million for sanctuaries and marine protected areas, which supports Papahānaumokuākea and Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale sanctuaries.
• $178 million for marine mammals and sea turtles protection, which safeguards Hawaiian monk seals, dolphins, false killer whales and green sea turtles.
• $47.5 million for the Integrated Ocean Observing System, which supports Hawaii’s Pacific Island Integrated Ocean Observing System. The Pacific Island observing system provides easily accessible coastal and ocean observing and forecasting to increase ocean safety and protect public and environmental health.

Provisions Case was able to secure for commerce promotion in Hawaiʻi include:

• $175 million for the Manufacturing Extension Partnership Program, a public-private partnership with centers in all 50 states dedicated to serving small and medium-sized manufacturers.
• $4 million for the Minority Business Development Agency, specifically for the Native American Business Development Program that awards grants to tribes and American Indian, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian populations to address barriers to economic development.
• $5 million for grants to American Indian, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian entities qualified to provide business, financing and technical assistance.

Find more in a summary of the commerce, justice and science appropriations funding online.

The omnibus measure funding these agencies now moves on to the full U.S. Senate for consideration.