{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cantwell-statement-on-government-spending-bill", "Cantwell Statement on Government Spending Bill", "2015-12-18", "2015", "2015-12", "Democrat", "House", "WA", "Maria Cantwell", "C000127", "www.cantwell.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "12.18.15\n    \t\t\t Cantwell Statement on Government Spending Bill \n    \t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n    \t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 After the Senate voted today to approve the government spending bill, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) released the following statement:\r\n\u201cThis bill represents the bipartisan action the American people want from their elected officials. While the bill isn\u2019t perfect and there is still work to do on key priorities, we were able to achieve several substantive victories for Washington state from the required labeling of genetically engineered salmon to a permanent extension of state and local sales tax deductions.\u201d\r\nThe below provisions are included in today\u2019s spending bill:\r\nState and Local Sales Tax Deduction - After numerous extensions of the state and local sales tax deduction over the past decade, Washingtonians now will no longer face ambiguity on the status of their deductions. The tax extenders package includes Senator Cantwell\u2019s bill to permanently extend the state and local sales tax deduction providing fairness for taxpayers in states that don\u2019t have an income tax. In 2012, some 900,000 Washington state residents took advantage of the state sales tax deduction, reducing their taxable income by $1.9 billion for an average savings of $602.\r\nFunding for Firefighting, Wildland Fire Suppression and Research \u2013 The omnibus includes increases in the fire accounts for research, suppression, and treatment of hazardous fuels, such that the Forest Service will now have $1.62 billion for fire suppression \u2013 which would have covered this year\u2019s expensive fire season. The omnibus also includes over $600 million of additional money to the Forest Service and the Department of the Interior for firefighting. This is more than a 50 percent increase over what was in last year\u2019s budget.\r\nMandatory Frankenfish Labeling - With the Food and Drug Administration\u2019s (FDA) decision to approve genetically engineered (GE) salmon, the omnibus spending bill includes a Murkowski provision pushed by Senator Cantwell to require the FDA to layout guidelines for the mandatory labeling of GE salmon and prevents interstate commerce for GE salmon prior to the FDA publishing said guidelines. GE salmon grow much faster than wild salmon and their potential biological impacts on wild salmon populations are unknown. Without this provision, the FDA would not require labeling of GE salmon, leaving consumers in the dark about what they are buying. \r\nSupporting American Pollock Fishermen \u2013 Included in the omnibus spending bill is Senator Cantwell\u2019s bill to change the market name of \u201cAlaska pollock\u201d to \u201cpollock.\u201d The bill will legally change the acceptable market name and outlaw pollock harvested in Russia from being passed off as \u201cAlaska pollock\u201d in the supermarket. In 2012, 113 million pounds of Russian pollock\u2014which is less sustainable and lower quality than pollock from Alaskan fisheries\u2014was sold to U.S. consumers as \u201cAlaska pollock.\u201d \r\nLow Income Housing Tax Credit - Taking aim at growing homelessness in Washington state and across the country, the Improving the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Rate Act will make permanent Cantwell\u2019s plan to fix low-income housing tax credits\u2014a program that issues tax credits to states to help attract private investment in affordable housing projects. The fix will permanently extend the credit rates to 9 percent of eligible costs on new construction\u2014ending an era where variable rates and lack of funding certainty made financing of affordable housing less predictable.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "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://www.cantwell.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cantwell-statement-on-government-spending-bill"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.9760572575032711, "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"}