U.S. Rep. Panetta Passes Government Funding Legislation Investing in Families and California’s Communities

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Representative Jimmy Panetta (D-Carmel Valley) joined a bipartisan majority in the House and Senate to pass the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 and send it to President Joe Biden for his signature. The government funding package includes critical investment in American families and communities along the central coast of California. The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 provides $1.7 trillion in discretionary resources across the fiscal year 2023 appropriations bills.

"Families in our diverse congressional district deserve the peace of mind that Congress is doing the necessary work to deal with our demanding kitchen table issues and defend our shared democratic values at home and abroad," said Rep. Panetta. "This year's appropriations bill invests in solutions to ensure that more working families are able to keep their hard-earned money, water resources are created, workforce housing is constructed, our men and women in the military and law enforcement are cared for, and that democracy is defended. With this major piece of legislation, we're investing in the values we share, the families we love, and opportunities for people to flourish all across our communities, country, and globe."

Through this legislation, Rep. Panetta was able to pass several of his bills that he authored and secured close to $23 million for local projects benefiting our congressional district. Those Community Funded Projects support the infrastructure, water, affordable housing, education, health care, mental health, public safety, and environmental needs of California's central coast. Rep. Panetta was able to include key priorities in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023, including:

• Congressman Panetta's bipartisan Public Service Retirement Fairness Act, which makes tax code changes to permit public sector retirement plans for teachers to access low-cost collective investment trusts.
• Congressman Panetta's bipartisan Family Attribution Modernization Act, which modernizes current tax law that penalizes small businesses in community property states, and disproportionately impacts women business owners.
• Congressman Panetta's legislation to dedicate the King City Post Office to former postmaster Chief Rudy Banuelos.
• Congressman Panetta's coauthored legislation making the VA health care system more accessible and accountable for our veterans.
• $4.4 billion in grants for state and local law enforcement law enforcement agencies
• $1.1 billion for the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) to conduct research and education Activities and $15 million for the Minor Crop Pest Management (IR-4) program to address INSV and other crop-related pests.
• $25 million in equitable relief for specialty crop insurance providers.
• $6.591 million for the Department of Labor's farmworker housing program, a program Congressman Panetta championed in the House-passed Labor, Health, and Human Services bill.
• $3 million for the pollinator-friendly practices on roadsides and highway rights-of-way program created by Congressman Panetta's Monarch and Pollinator Highway Act.
• $540,000 for Santa Cruz Harbor operations and maintenance, with a focus on dredging.
• Changes to allow Airport Improvement Program (AIP) funds be made available to small and non-hub airports for new terminal construction, opening up funds to modernize Central Coast airports.
• Congressman Panetta co-authored legislation to increase funding to support home visits for expectant and new parents. This language, named for the late Congresswoman Jackie Walorski, helps parents in communities that are at-risk for poor maternal and child health outcomes and sets all children up for success.
• The Electoral Count Act, bipartisan legislation to protect our democracy from false claims during the certification of future presidential elections.
• Directions to states to help local school districts to better track how they are using funds reserved for homelessness.
• Requirements for the collection of data for childcare for homeless children.

The package includes $44.9 billion in much-needed emergency security, economic, and humanitarian aid to support the Ukrainian people and $40.6 billion for other purposes including assisting communities across the country recovering from drought, hurricanes, flooding, wildfire, natural disasters, and other emergencies. The bill also includes $5 billion in mandatory funding for the Cost of War Toxic Exposures Fund established in the Honoring Our PACT Act of 2022 and additional funding to ensure veterans receive the medical care and benefits they have earned.

The text of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 is available here. A list of bill highlights is here. A full summary of the appropriations provisions in the bill is here. A summary of the disaster supplemental is here and a one-page fact sheet is here. A summary of the Ukraine supplemental is here.

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