WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), the first Delaware Senator in more than four decades to serve on the critical Appropriations Committee, joined his colleagues on the Committee to approve the annual Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD) and Commerce, Justice, and Science (CJS) appropriations bills. These bills passed out of the Appropriations Committee and are now ready for consideration by the full Senate.
“Making sure Delaware’s needs and priorities are addressed in our federal spending bills is why I made it a priority to gain a seat on the important Appropriations Committee,” said Senator Coons. “I’m thrilled this bill includes funding for critical Delaware priorities, from supporting high-priority regional transportation needs, to investing in protections for law enforcement and making sure low-income families can secure fair, affordable housing. I’m pleased the committee has worked in a bipartisan way to support these and many related programs.”
A list of Senator Coons’ priorities that were included in spending bills are below:
Support for Amtrak:
Senator Coons fought for $1.4 billion to support Amtrak, including $345 million specifically set aside to address infrastructure needs on the Northeast Corridor. Many of the Northeast Corridor’s bridges and tunnels are now over a century old, and the average age of Amtrak’s equipment fleet is the oldest in the company’s history. As a frequent passenger on Amtrak between Wilmington and Washington, Senator Coons has been a leading voice in the Senate for ensuring Amtrak and passenger rail service have the federal resources and policies they need to operate safely and efficiently. Over one thousand men and women who work for Amtrak live in Delaware.
Support for national infrastructure investments:
Senator Coons fought for $525 million for the Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) program. The TIGER grants program helps state and local governments pay for new highways and bridges, public transit projects, railways, and port infrastructure; and finances innovative shovel-ready projects to improve the U.S. transportation system.
Support for law enforcement:
Senator Coons fought to increase funding for the federal bulletproof vest program, which provides critical funding to local and state governments for the purchase of vests that protect and save the lives of our heroic law enforcement officers. Unfortunately, this year’s bill funds the program at the same $22.5 million as last year, which fails to go far enough in supporting this crucial program. As a member of both the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee, and the Judiciary Committee, Senator Coons will continue to fight to ensure that members of our law enforcement have the funds they need to purchase resources that protect and save lives.
Support for victims of child abuse:
Senator Coons fought for and received full funding to implement the Victims of Child Abuse Act authorizing Child Advocacy Centers (CACs), which serve child abuse victims and help law enforcement hold perpetrators accountable. Senator Coons led the bipartisan effort to reauthorize this crucial program on numerous occasions over the past five years and is pleased the Committee has funded this program at $21 million. This increase recognizes the excellent work of Children’s Advocacy Centers in coordinating state and local agencies’ intervention in cases of child abuse, and the valuable collaboration that has arisen between CACs and military installations through memoranda of understanding. The additional $1 million will be used to encourages CACs to continue to explore ways in which their unique model and expertise can be leveraged to help military installations address cases of child abuse and to support a pilot project to identify, develop, and operationalize best practices.
Support for Delaware manufacturers:
Senator Coons fought for $130 million for the Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP), the only public-private partnership dedicated to providing technical support and services to small and medium-sized manufacturers. According to data from the National Institute of Standards and Technology, every dollar invested in MEP facilitates $17 in new sales growth and $24 in new client investment. This translates into $2.3 billion in new sales annually. Delaware’s MEP operates through Delaware Technical Community College in partnership with the U.S. Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology, the Delaware Office of Economic Development, and the Delaware State and local Chambers of Commerce.
Senator Coons leads the Manufacturing Jobs for America (MJA) campaign in the Senate to rally bipartisan support for legislation that would help manufacturers grow and create jobs. The MJA campaign began last Congress, when Senator Coons led a coalition of 22 Senators to introduce 36 manufacturing bills, nearly half of which were strongly bipartisan. Provisions from eight of those 36 bills were enacted into law.
Senator Coons advocated for $950 million for the Home Investment Partnerships (HOME) program, which serves as the only federal block grant program for state and local governments designed exclusively to produce affordable housing for low-income families. Since 1992, the HOME program has created more than one million affordable homes. In Delaware alone, over 2,000 homes have been built or preserved and over $70 million in HOME funds have been invested in Delaware affordable housing projects. Senator Coons was a leading advocate for HOME during the appropriations process.