{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://case.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=2191", "Case's House Appropriations Committee Approves Fiscal Year 2024 Funding Bills For Nation's Defense, Energy and Water Programs", "2023-06-22", "2023", "2023-06", "Democrat", "House", "HI", "Ed Case", "C001055", "case.house.gov", "case", "https://case.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27&Page=13", "scraper", "(Washington, DC) \u2013 Congressman Ed Case\u2019s (HI-01) U.S. House Committee on Appropriations today approved two key measures \u2013 one funding national defense programs and one funding energy and water programs \u2013 that are among twelve bills to collectively fund the federal government for Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 (commencing October 1, 2023).\n\nThe FY 2024 Defense Appropriations bill proposes to spend $826.4 billion for federal agencies and programs in the Department of Defense (DoD) and intelligence community, including the military branches of services, the Central Intelligence Agency and the National Security Agency. Case is a member of the Committee\u2019s Subcommittee on Defense with jurisdiction over the bill and all covered programs.\n\nThe Committee provided an additional $106 million for Red Hill, on top of the $2.1 billion provided in FY 2022 and FY 2023. The Committee also included provisions to improve the oversight of the military\u2019s actions regarding Red Hill. The military would be required to submit quarterly reports to Congress on its actions to comply with the State of Hawaii\u2019s regulatory rulings, address the individual health care needs of service members and their families that were affected by the crisis, improve water quality testing surrounding the facility, improve efforts to engage with the community, and move the fuel to other locations in the Indo-Pacific.\n\nThe bill also includes $9 billion for the Pacific Deterrence Initiative (PDI), which bolsters U.S. military capabilities in the Indo-Pacific region. PDI is a key subset of the department\u2019s efforts and investments that strengthen regional deterrence needed to maintain a free and open Indo-Pacific.\n\n\u201cMy Committee\u2019s Defense bill recognizes Hawaii\u2019s continued critical role through investments in facilities, personnel and institutions that are integral parts of our overall efforts, in addition to major contributors to our local economy,\u201d said Case.\n\n\u201cIn addition, the bill continues the critical oversight needed to keep military on track to close Red Hill and help those dealing with the health impacts from the devasting fuel leak.\u201d\n\nThe FY 2024 Energy and Water Appropriations bill proposes to spend $55.2 billion to support deployment of energy technologies and flood and waterway projects through the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), including key areas in Hawai\u2018i especially the Ala Wai, Waik\u012bk\u012b and Honolulu Harbor.\n\n\u201cMy Committee\u2019s energy and water funding bill follows up on my successful inclusion of the Waik\u012bk\u012b Beach stabilization and restoration project in the federal Water Resources Development Act (WRDA),\u201d said Case. \u201cThat request authorized a project to restore ecosystems and address the impacts of climate change and sea level rise on Waik\u012bk\u012b Beach, which is so central to our local recreation and visitor economy,\u201d said Case.\n\nWRDA is the measure authorizing USACE to conduct water resources development projects and studies throughout the nation. It also establishes federal policies to address inland and coastal flooding, improve our ports and inland waterways, address the unique needs of communities across the country and ultimately strengthen the U.S. economy.\n\nThrough his assignment on the Committee, Case secured $500,000 as a Member-designated Community Project Funding (CPF) that specifically focus on local needs in Hawai\u2018i. The project will fund USACE feasibility study for ecosystem restoration and storm water management for the Waik\u012bk\u012b shoreline. The feasibility study is the critical first step in securing further funding for a future major USACE project.\n\nThe House\u2019s CPF rules require that each project must have demonstrated community support, must be fully disclosed by the requesting Member, and is subject to audit by the independent Government Accountability Office. Case\u2019s disclosures are here: https://case.house.gov/services/funding-disclosures.htm.\n\n\u201cUnfortunately, even with these proposed resources for Hawai\u2018i, I could not support the measures in their current forms,\u201d said Case.\n\n\u201cThe defense proposal slashes funding to critical climate change programs, restricts female service members\u2019 access to reproductive health, degrades our nation\u2019s civilian defense workforce and more. Similarly, the energy and water bill simply guts many key programs in both areas that would advance needed energy and water initiatives in several areas including climate change, renewable energy and energy resiliency.\u201d\n\nDefense Funding Bill\n\nMilitary related programs and provisions requested and secured by Case include:\n\nOver $106 million towards the decommissioning of the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility, environmental remediation, state and local community engagement in Hawai\u2018i and building a more distributive fuel infrastructure for the Indo-Pacific. This is in addition to the $2.1 billion previously secured by Congressman Case and his delegation colleagues.\n\nFunding for two Virginia-class fast attack submarines, which are critical to protecting the Indo-Pacific and will be maintained at the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard.\n\n$345 million for the Navy\u2019s Environmental Restoration program, which is $10 million over the President\u2019s budget request, plus an additional $232.8 million for the environmental restoration of Formerly Used Defense Sites. These funds will help accelerate efforts to remediate per- and polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS) contamination and remove unexploded ordnance and discarded military munitions in Hawai\u2018i and throughout the nation.\n\n$40 million to advance development of a next-step radar system to protect Hawai\u2018i from missile attacks.\n\n$5 million for U.S. Indo-Pacific Command\u2019s Community Engagement Initiative to strengthen the ties between the military and the local community.\n\n$5 million to expand the intelligence community\u2019s efforts to work with a university in Hawai\u2018i to develop a career development program for students.\n\n$150 million for the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, which maintains critical scientific laboratories at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam.\n\n$178 million for the Sea-Based X-Band Radar, which will help defend Hawai\u2018i from ballistic missile threats.\n\n$180 million for the Readiness and Environmental Protection Initiative (REPI). The DoD created the REPI program in response to land development and loss of habitat in the vicinity of or affecting military installations, ranges and airspace that can lead to restrictions or costly and inadequate training and testing alternatives. Through REPI, DoD works with state and local governments, conservation organizations and willing private landowners to address these challenges to the military mission and the viability of DoD installations and ranges. For 2023, REPI will provide $10 million for four projects in Hawai\u2018i, which will be coupled with $18.5 million in partner contributions. These projects will preserve and protect cultural, natural, and land resources across the state near four Hawai\u02bbi - based installations - Pacific Missile Range Facility Barking Sands, P\u014dhakuloa Training Area, Marine Corps Base Hawai\u2018i, and U.S. Army Garrison\u2013Hawai\u2018i.\n\n$11 million for the Asia Pacific Regional Initiative, a key program supporting U.S. Indo-Pacific Command. This program enables the military to execute Theater Security Cooperation activities, such as humanitarian assistance and paying incremental personnel costs of training and exercising with foreign security forces. The initiative is a critical tool for the U.S. military to strengthen relationships throughout the Indo-Pacific region.\n\nOver $280 million for \u201cCivil-Military Programs,\u201d to include support for Hawaii\u2019s Youth Challenge Academy.\n\n$168 million for the Defense Community Infrastructure Pilot Program, which last year provided $2.5 million to the State of Hawai\u2018i Department of Land and Natural Resources on Hawai\u2018i Island in conjunction with the Army\u2019s P\u014dhakuloa Training Area.\n\n$1.2 billion for the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program (CDMRP), including $583.5 million for cancer research. The CDMRP fills research gaps by funding high impact, high risk and high gain projects that other agencies may not venture to fund.\n\nOver $70 million or Impact Aid programs, which includes Impact Aid for children with disabilities. Out of a concern for possible discrepancies and inconsistencies, the Committee also called for the Director of the Department of Defense Education Activity to submit a report on how local educational agencies receive this funding.\n\nBlocked efforts to change the command and control structure of the U.S. Pacific Fleet. There have been efforts within the department to streamline control of forces under one command structure, which would limit the ability of Navy forces in Hawai\u2018i to respond quickly to changing threats in the Indo-Pacific region.\n\nContinued military contracting preference language for Native American tribes and Native Hawaiian Organizations.\n\nContinued support for providing humanitarian and similar assistance by using Civic Action Teams in Freely Associated States.\n\nThe measure also includes:\n\n$300 million for the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative. This is in addition to $6 billion for the Initiative, and $9 billion to replenish United States stocks of equipment sent to Ukraine, provided by the recent Additional Ukraine Supplemental Appropriations Act.\n\n$22 million for the National Security Innovation Network (NSIN). The NSIN is a government program office that collaborates with major universities and the venture community to develop solutions that drive national security innovation and has small business participants in Hawai\u2018i.\n\n$1.2 billion investment in drug interdiction and counter-drug activities, including increased funding for counter-narcotics support and the National Guard Counter-Drug Program.\n\nFull funding necessary to support the proposed 5.2% military pay raise.\n\nEnergy and Water Bill\n\nEnergy and water related programs and provisions requested and secured by Case include:\n\n1. Language directing the USACE to assist indigenous communities in coastal areas, including Native Hawaiians, as well as other vulnerable coastal communities to address coastal resiliency and flooding.\n\n2. $8.5 million for USACE\u2019s Coastal Ocean Data System, which funds high-resolution observations and models of coastal ocean waves and shoreline change.\n\n3. $40 million for flood control and coastal emergencies efforts.\n\n4. $170 million for hydrogen and fuel cell technology development.\n\n5. $9 million for aquatic ecosystem restoration.\n\n6. $470 million for Advanced Research Projects for Energy Technologies Programs.\n\n7. $100 million for marine power technology development.\n\n8. $10 million for the USACE\u2019s National Coastal Mapping Program.\n\n9. $1 million for the USACE\u2019s beach erosion and hurricane damage reduction activities.\n\nThe bills now move onto the full House of Representatives for consideration.\n\nA detailed explanation of the defense funding bill is available here. A detailed explanation of the energy and water funding bill is available here. Case\u2019s remarks in Committee on the defense measure are here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T00:08:25Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://case.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=2191"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.7858482897281647, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}