Demings details 2020 budget in House

Focus on Congress

New funding for airport and election security, Alzheimer's research, and childcare

From the office of Rep. Val Demings

Washington, D.C. – Today, the House of Representatives passed an appropriations package with federal funding for 2020.

Said Rep. Demings, “Today, we passed a comprehensive spending bill to prevent a government shutdown. We are proving that with responsible leadership, Congress can conduct oversight and demand accountability while continuing to fund and reform vital government programs. I am proud that this legislation includes full funding for many of my priorities, including enhancing security at our airports, protecting the integrity of our elections, increasing Alzheimer’s research, childcare, and education programs for young children. I will continue to work for a government that serves all of us and for expanded economic fairness, affordable health care, good education, and effective public safety.”

Included in today’s package are multiple initiatives led or supported by Rep. Val Demings (FL-10) during the negotiation process. These include:

Airport Security Programs (Led by Rep. Demings)

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) will receive $4.9 billion ($53.1 million above the FY2019 enacted level and $1.1 billion above the President’s budget request). This includes:

• Full funding for Visible Intermodal Prevention and Response teams (VIPR)
• Full funding for K9 teams at airports
• Full funding for exit lane staffing
• Full funding for the Law Enforcement Officer reimbursement program
• $40,000,000 for TSA to continue reimbursement of airports that installed in-line baggage explosives detection systems before August 3, 2007. This includes MCO and multiple other Florida airports.

Airport Security Programs (Supported by Rep. Demings)

• $68,600,000 for deployment of computer tomography (CT) machines for checkpoints, covering 320 new units.
• $2 million for R&D on a smaller CT unit to support airports with space limitations (essentially any pre-9/11 airport that has not completely rebuilt their concourse).

Early Childhood Programs (Supported by Rep. Demings)

• An overall increase of $1.1 billion, bringing the programs to historically high funding.
• $5.8 billion for the Child Care and Development Block Grant—an increase of $550 million. The program provides block grants to states, territories, and tribal governments to assist families with paying for child care and prepare children to succeed in school.
• $10.6 billion for Head Start—an increase of $550 million. Head Start has prepared more than 36 million low-income children for school through early childhood education and nutritional, health, and social services.
• $275 million for Preschool Development Grants—an increase of $25 million. This program will expand preschool programs in targeted communities, and serve as a model for other low- and moderate-income communities

Alzheimer’s Research (Supported by Rep. Demings)

• $2.8 billion for Alzheimer’s disease research
• $500 million for the Brain Research through Application of Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN) initiative.

Election Security (Supported by Rep. Demings)

• $425 million for a new round of election security grants to improve the security and integrity of elections for federal office.
• $15.2 million for Election Assistance Commission (EAC) operating expenses—an increase of $6 million. This will restore staffing and other resources to enable the EAC to improve their support to states in advance of the 2020 elections and beyond.

Also included in the 2020 Appropriations Package supported by Rep. Demings:

For the good health of families:

• Permanently repealed health care taxes including the so-called “Cadillac Tax” on employer-sponsored health plans;
• Blocks Trump’s ACA sabotage nuclear options, by preventing him from ending “silver loading” and auto re-enrollment;
• Secured record funding for life-saving medical research at the NIH including $2.8 billion for Alzheimer’s disease research;
• Ensured strong support for initiatives to lower the price of prescription drugs by increasing competition for generics.
• Continuing the historic $1.5 billion in funding for state grants to combat the opioid epidemic;
• Extended & increased Medicaid funding to our fellow Americans in Puerto Rico and the territories for two years;
• Laid the groundwork for progress in the spring to lower prescription drug costs and extend robust funding for key health initiatives.

For Americans’ economic & financial security:

• Gave federal civilian employees a 3.1 percent pay raise;
• Reauthorized the jobs-creating Export-Import Bank;
• Protected the pensions of 100,000 coal miners;
• Invested billions in smart job training initiatives;
• Extended the National Flood Insurance Program;
• Secured a long-term reauthorization of the Terrorism Risk Insurance Program – a major priority for hospitals, commercial real estate buildings, educational facilities, sports facilities, NASCAR and theme parks, and any location (including Orlando) where commercial facilities host large numbers of people;
• Extended key tax provisions through 2020: encouraging investments in clean energy priorities like wind and energy efficiency, providing relief for families recovering from recent disasters, supporting investments in low-income communities, and protecting families facing high medical costs or the loss of a home to foreclosure.

For our national security & safety at home:

• Secured $25 million for gun violence research at the CDC and NIH, which is being funded for the first time in more than 20 years;
• Secured $425 million for election security grants to protect our elections from foreign attack, which Republicans refused to fund last year.

For our children:

• Raised the tobacco age to 21;
• Strengthened the Families First Prevention Services Act;
• Achieved record funding levels for Head Start, Child Care and Development Block Grants, and Title I schools;
• Extended funding for essential services in thousands of schools serving millions of children in rural communities across 41 states –

For our values:

• Secured billions to fund a fair, accurate 2020 Decennial Census to ensure all Americans are counted & have a voice;
• Invests billions in science and research for NASA, the Department of Energy and National Science Foundation;
• Secures strong funding for environmental protection – including the highest funding level for the Land and Water Conservation Fund in 15 years.