HYDE-SMITH VOTES TO COMPLETE FY2022 APPROPRIATIONS CYCLE
Blames Nearly Six-Month Delay on Biden & Far-Left Dems Insistence on Cutting National Security Budget and Adding Progressive Poison Pill Riders
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today voted for a measure to increase national security funding and support federal programs through the remainder of Fiscal Year 2022, in addition to making important investments in Mississippi projects.
The omnibus legislation (H.R.2471) includes all 12 annual appropriations bills, in addition to a nearly $14 billion supplemental package to provide security and humanitarian assistance for Ukraine and Central European allies. The FY2022 fiscal year began on Oct. 1, 2021.
“An unwise and unrealistic Biden budget request and Democratic insistence on poison pills, such as government funded on-demand abortions, hurt the appropriations process and delayed our ability to meet the challenges faced by our military and other important federal programs,” Hyde-Smith said. “Shutting the government down in the midst of dealing with an unhinged foreign dictator like Vladimir Putin would be reckless and put the United States and the world at greater risk.”
Where President Biden’s FY2022 budget recommended only a 1.6 percent increase in defense spending for FY2022, the final measure includes $782 billion in defense funding, an increase of $42 billion or 6 percent over FY2021 and $29 billion over Biden’s budget request. On the domestic side, the bill represents a $64.2 billion cut in non-defense spending from Biden’s budget request.
“This overdue omnibus package will provide significantly more resources for our national defense while stopping the most outrageous proposals demanded by the far-left progressives,” Hyde-Smith said. “For Mississippi, I’ve worked to use my position on the Appropriations Committee to address the needs of our state and its citizens. These separate appropriations measures are nowhere near perfect, but they do make important investments that will help Mississippi grow and prosper.”
Hyde-Smith worked to advocate for Mississippi in the FY2022 appropriations bills, helping to secure funding for such projects as:
- Shipbuilding – $26.7 billion for 13 battle force ships including: $3.67 billion for two DDG-51 Arleigh Burke Class Flight III destroyers and an additional $120 million in advanced procurement funding for a DDG-51 destroyer in FY2023 as well as $250 million for advanced procurement for LPD 32.
- Camp Shelby Joint Forces Training Center – $15.5 million to support construction of a 52,495-square-foot addition to the Maneuver Area Training Equipment Site.
- Mental Health and Substance Abuse Telehealth Network – $6.0 million for The University of Mississippi Medical Center to develop a statewide mental health and substance abuse telehealth network. The bill also includes telehealth provisions, such as allowing federally qualified health centers and rural health clinics to continue to be reimbursed for telehealth services for 151 days after the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency.
- Jackson State Small Business Center – $2 million to support the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) and the recently established SBA Women’s Business Assistance Center at Jackson State University.
- Ulysses S. Grant Presidential Library – $20 million to support the relocation and construction of the Ulysses S. Grant Presidential Library at Mississippi State University.
- William M. Colmer Federal Building & United States Courthouse, Hattiesburg – $27 million in General Services Administration, Repairs and Alterations funding for building renovations and security improvements.
- Mississippi Watershed and Flood Protection Operations – $8.4 million in USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service funding to support continued operations to reduce flooding, erosion, and sediment damages in various authorized watersheds.
- Okhissa Lake Master Plan – $1.0 million for the U.S. Forest Service to update the Homochitto National Forest Master Plan and make recreational improvements around Okhissa Lake.
- Natchez National Historical Park – $540,000 to continue to ensure the preservation of the Forks of the Road site in Natchez.
- Morgantown Road Improvements – $2.4 million for Natchez and Adams County to enhance safety, efficiency, reliability, and overall traffic operations, specifically by helping to mitigate against recurring flooding hazards.
- Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) – $12 million for the Federal Aviation Administration UAS Center of Excellence led by Mississippi State University, in addition to $2 million for Composite Materials Research.
- Research Super Computing – $48.5 million for NOAA high-performance computing needs to enhance modeling and simulation research in severe storms, coastal inundation, flooding, drought, and many other areas, with significant work taking place at Mississippi State University. Within these funds, $15 million is for continued development of a high performance computing facility and collaboration.
- Industry-Academic Ocean Sensor Calibration Laboratory – $5.0 million for the University of Southern Mississippi to development of a nationally accredited joint Industry-Academic Ocean Sensor Calibration Laboratory to serve U.S. research, defense, and marine operations communities.
- Member Pay Freeze – The bill continues a provision to freeze the pay of Members of Congress, preventing any pay increases in FY2022 as strongly advocated by some in the House of Representatives. A freeze on Members’ salaries has been in place since 2009.
The Senate Appropriations Committee has jurisdiction over all discretionary spending legislation in the Senate. Hyde-Smith serves on the following appropriations subcommittees: Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies; Energy and Water Development; Homeland Security; Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies; Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies; and Financial Services and General Government (Ranking Member).
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