{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.capito.senate.gov/news/press-releases/capito-votes-to-deliver-resources-for-troops-opioid-epidemic-workforce-training", "Capito Votes to Deliver Resources for Troops, Opioid Epidemic, Workforce Training", "2018-08-23", "2018", "2018-08", "Republican", "House", "WV", "Shelley Capito", "C001047", "www.capito.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "08.23.18\n\t\t\t Capito Votes to Deliver Resources for Troops, Opioid Epidemic, Workforce Training \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n        \n\t\t\t\t Senate makes significant progress in appropriations process, completing nine of twelve funding bills.\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t \nWASHINGTON, D.C.  U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today voted to pass the most recent minibus appropriations legislation. The bill includes two FY2019 government funding measuresthe Department of Defense Appropriations Act and the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (Labor-HHS) Appropriations Act. The funding measure passed the Senate by a 85-7 vote.\nThe Senate took care of business today, passing our eighth and ninth appropriations bills, Senator Capito said. These bills provide critical funding for a variety of important issuesincluding priorities from supporting the brave men and women who defend our country and workforce development to and advancing Alzheimers research and maximizing Pell grants for low-income students. Im particularly proud of the resources I helped secure to combat the opioid epidemic through a wide range of programs and efforts. As a senator whose home state has been hit especially hard by the drug crisis, these resources will go to areas where they are most needed, like West Virginia. These bills are thoughtful, bipartisan measures, and Im encouraged by the Senates continued progress in funding such critical priorities.\nSenator Capito spoke on the Senate floor earlier today to highlight a number of the West Virginia wins in the minibus. For a video of Senator Capitos remarks, click here. Additional information on the two funding measures passed today is available below.\nThe FY2019 Defense bill includes:\r\n \r\nThe biggest pay raise for our troops in nearly a decade.\r\n \r\n \r\n$900 million for the National Guard and Reserve Equipment Account to modernize our reserve forces and ensure full interoperability with the active duty force.\r\n \r\n \r\nIncreased funding for the National Guards Counterdrug Program, which has proven critical to fighting the drug epidemic in West Virginia.\r\n \r\n \r\nFunding for medical research in areas of greatest impact to service members, including research into eating disorders.\r\n \r\n \r\nFull funding for personnel and funding levels included in the National Defense Authorization Act the Senate passed.\r\n \r\n \r\nThe largest investment in research and development, which helps keeps our fighting force the most technologically advanced in the world. \n\r\n \r\nThe FY2019 Labor-HHS bill includes:\r\n \r\nFunds for full implementation of the Childhood Cancer STAR Act, legislation Senator Capito introduced and the president recently signed into law.\r\n \r\n \r\n$2.3 billion for Alzheimers research, a $425 million increase, reaching the goal set in the National Plan to Address Alzheimers Disease.\r\n \r\n \r\nA $2 billion increase for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), totaling since 2015 an increase in funding for NIH by $9 billion or 30 percent.\r\n \r\n \r\n$3.7 billion, an increase of $145 million for opioid abuse.Funds are targeted toward improving treatment and prevention efforts; finding alternative pain medications; workforce needs, especially in our rural communities; and behavioral health. Funding for opioids has increased by $3.5 billion, or nearly 1,300 percent, since FY2015.Senator Capito secured language to ensure that a $1.5 billion grant program takes into consideration the epidemics impact on individual states, not just population.\r\n \r\n \r\nA $250 million increase for Head Start, full funding for Community Health Centers, and continuation of increased levels of funding to reduce the Medicare appeals backlog.\r\n \r\n \r\nFunding for the Black Lung Clinic Program and the Mine, Safety and Health Administration (MSHA).\r\n \r\n \r\nA $100, or 1.6 percent, increase for the maximum Pell Grant award, to $6,195 for the 2018-2019 academic year.The bill also continues support for Year-Round Pell Grants.\r\n \r\n \r\n$30 million for the dislocated worker training initiative to provide reemployment and training assistance to dislocated workers in rural areas of the country hit hardest by the recession and recovering more slowly.$5 million of these funds are directed to support workforce training activities for individuals affected by an opioid use disorder.\r\n \r\n \r\n$160 million, an increase of $15 million, for training programs utilizing the flexible and effective apprenticeship model.\r\n \r\n \r\n$20 million for the Kinship Navigator programs. This program improves services available to grandparents and other relatives taking primary responsibility for children because the childs parent is struggling with opioid addiction.\r\n \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.capito.senate.gov/news/press-releases/capito-votes-to-deliver-resources-for-troops-opioid-epidemic-workforce-training"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.8035960383713245, "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"}