Washington, DC – 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 appropriations bill for important labor, health, education, and other social programs. This appropriations bill covers the Departments of Labor, Education, Health and Human Services and independent agencies like the Corporation for National and Community Service.

“While the President may submit a federal budget request, it’s Congress that appropriates the funding.  President Trump’s suggested budget slashed billions of dollars in key health, education and service programs that would have decimated programs our educators, medical professionals, and local communities have come to rely on,” said Sen. Coons.

Senator Coons supports key programs that improve our nation’s health
Under the umbrella of the Department of Health and Human Services, President Trump targeted an 18% cut to the National Institute of Health (NIH). Sen. Coons fought for and received a $2 billion increase in NIH funding, including a $414 million increase for Alzheimer’s research.

In addition to fending off cuts, the Appropriations Committee ensured that there were adequate funds for fighting the opioid epidemic. HHS will receive an $816 million – a 440% increase since fiscal year 2016 – for programs to combat opioid abuse at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, and the Health Resources and Services Administration.

Senator Coons fends off cuts to education budget
Sen. Coons continues to fight for education and advancement for our country’s teachers and students, including maintaining funding for programs that were eliminated or cut in President Trump’s budget: 21st Century Community Learning Centers that provides critical afterschool and summer learning programming for children; Supporting Effective Instruction State Grants that strengthen teacher and school leadership effectiveness and improve student outcomes; Teacher Quality Partnership Grant that establishes new partnerships between universities and high-need schools to help recruit, train, and support teachers; Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grants that supports activities that provide students with a well-rounded education; and key college affordability programs like Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants and Federal Work Study. Additionally, Pell grants received a 1.7% increase in the maximum Pell grant to $6,020 for the 2018-2019 academic year.

Senator Coons stops the elimination of national service programs, public broadcasting
Also targeted in President Trump’s budget were national service programs like AmeriCorps, Senior Corps, VISTA and NCCC, which were all slated for elimination. More than 344,000 Americans participate in national service programs across 50,000 locations each year, improving the lives of their communities and engaging millions of additional volunteers.

Much was made about the proposed elimination of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which provides an important portion of funding to PBS, News Hour, Ken Burns documentaries, and NPR. While the Trump budget called for the complete removal of funding for CPB, Senate appropriations maintained funding for this important agency at $445 million.

Also targeted for elimination by the Trump budget was the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), for low-income families that need help meeting their home energy costs. LIHEAP will maintain its funding level at $3.39 billion.

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