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Rep. Sherrill Votes To Bring Critical Federal Support Home to NJ-11 in FY 2022 Appropriations Package

July 29, 2021

House Appropriations Package Funds Gateway Tunnel Project, Critical Infrastructure, Agriculture, Veterans, and Public Health Needs, Includes Funding for All Ten Sherrill-Requested NJ-11 Community Projects

Washington, DC–– Today, Representative Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11) voted for H.R. 4502, the seven-bill Appropriations "Minibus" package, which includes funding for all ten Community Projects she submitted on behalf of New Jersey's 11th Congressional District, among other key priorities including the Gateway Tunnel Project, healthcare for veterans, and investments in clean energy.

"As we continue to battle COVID-19 and work towards recovery from the economic fallout of the pandemic, this appropriations package will help fuel our efforts," said Rep. Sherrill. "Funding for the Gateway Tunnel, support for veterans' health needs, much-needed small business assistance, and the inclusion of all ten community projects that I submitted on behalf of NJ-11 are just a few of the crucial measures that this appropriations package delivers for New Jersey. This funding is going to be instrumental in ensuring the United States remains a global leader, the economic recovery is built to work for everyone, and that New Jersey leads the way in both those efforts. Passing this package is a huge win for our state, our district, and every single community in NJ-11. Now, we must get it on the President's desk and signed into law."

H.R. 4502, the seven-bill Appropriations "Minibus" package, includes the following provisions that Rep. Sherrill advocated for on behalf of New Jersey:

  • Gateway Tunnel: The package provides significant new funding for large-scale passenger rail projects, which is critical for finally completing the Gateway Project. Rep. Sherrill has advocated for this funding since first taking office, and recently led twelve Members of Congress in a letter to Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Peter DeFazio urging the enactment of these priorities. The Gateway funding provisions in this appropriations package include:
    • $2.7 billion for Amtrak ($700 million above fiscal year 2021), including $1.2 billion for Northeast Corridor Grants;
    • $625 million for the new Passenger Rail Improvement, Modernization, and Expansion (PRIME) grant program;
    • $500 million for the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements grant program ($125 million above fiscal year 2021);
    • $2.5 billion for the Federal Transit Administration's Capital Investment Grants program ($459 million above fiscal year 2021); and
    • $1.2 billion for the Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) program ($200 million advice fiscal year 2021).
  • Lackawanna Cut-Off: The package includes significant funding for Amtrak's National Network ($1.5 billion) and Northeast Corridor ($1.2 billion), which can be used to support Amtrak's proposed service expansion of the Lackawanna Cut-Off to bring accessible passenger rail to northwestern New Jersey. Amtrak published a service expansion map in May that included the development of the Lackawanna Cut-Off.
  • Veteran's Center: This package includes an amendment Rep. Sherrill introduced, which allocates $10 million in increased funding for Veteran's Centers to increase the number of facilities that provide readjustment counseling to veterans and their families. Rep. Sherrill sponsoring of this amendment continues her ongoing advocacy to establish an additional Vets Center in northern New Jersey.
  • Burn Pits Research: This package includes an amendment Rep. Sherrill introduced, which provides $1 million in funding for expanded research on toxic exposure-related illness to support the work of the East Orange War Related Illness and Injury Study Center, which would advance her efforts to address the needs of veterans dealing with burn pits related illnesses.
  • Additional Veterans Support: This appropriations package provides crucial funding to programs Rep. Sherrill has long fought to support, including mental health and substance abuse services, housing assistance, women veterans' health care needs, and child care support. This package:
    • Responds to the veteran mental health crisis by providing $599 million for Veteran's Suicide Prevention and Outreach and $255 million for the Veteran's Crisis Line
    • Tackles veteran homelessness by providing $2.2 billion to enhance VA's ability to reach homeless veterans
    • Provides clear commitments to our women veterans, allocating $778.5 million for women's health
    • Provides $621 million to prevent opioid abuse and improve pain management, in response to the nation's opioid epidemic, especially among veterans
    • Invests in veteran infrastructure to improve and expand VA facilities with $2.2 billion in funding
    • Invests in military families by providing $1.423 billion for family housing and $213 for Military Child Development Centers to support our military families' child care needs
  • Education and Job Training: This package invests in job training and apprenticeship programs and includes significant investments in education, including record funding for students with disabilities with:
    • $11.6 billion for the Employment and Training Administration, including $285 million for Registered Apprenticeships
    • $17.2 billion for Special Education
  • Small Business Aid: This package strengthens the Small Business Administration's essential capabilities by providing $1 billion in federal funding to ensure our local economic recovery can continue.
  • Clean Energy Economy: As Chair of the Environment Subcommittee of the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology (SST), Rep. Sherrill has been fighting to build the clean energy sector in New Jersey and across the country. This package helps do so with:
    • More than $14 billion in investments to clean energy and science, which will support developing and deploying clean, affordable, and secure energy while also creating good-paying jobs.
    • $300 million for the Electric Vehicle Fund to transform the Federal vehicle fleet to electric and zero emission vehicles.
  • Public Health: This package confronts the health crises that were exacerbated by the pandemic with:
    • $1.2 billion for maternal and child health
    • $3.16 billion for mental health
    • $5.5 billion for substance use treatment
  • HUD Funding:. As we continue to battle the virus, Rep. Sherrill has advocated for ongoing housing protections and support to ensure in the midst of a public health crisis families do not lose their homes. This package:
    • Provides $29.2 billion for Tenant-based rental assistance to support over 2.3 million low-income families
    • Includes $8.6 billion for Public Housing
    • Provides $3.4 billion for Homeless Assistance Grants.
  • Community Projects: This package advances funding for all ten of the Community Projects Rep. Sherrill submitted on behalf of NJ-11. These projects vary from infrastructure enhancements and mental health support programs to expansions of affordable housing and childcare. These ten projects will each make a lasting impact on the lives, livelihoods, and resilience of the communities they serve across all four NJ-11 counties.