{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["http://cramer.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/cramer-continuing-resolution-funds-government-through-april-addresses", "CRAMER: Continuing Resolution Funds Government Through April, Addresses Farm Loan Backlog", "2016-12-08", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "ND", "Kevin Cramer", "C001096", "cramer.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Listen to Audio Here\n  WASHINGTON, D.C.\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Congressman Kevin Cramer announced\u00a0 the Fiscal Year 2017 Continuing Resolution\u00a0 passed by the House of Representatives today includes language giving the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) more authority over funding loan programs.\nThe $1.07 trillion bill continues funding the government through April 28, maintaining funding at the current budget cap levels. \u201cThis bill prevents a government shutdown on Friday, and includes provisions to continue essential government operations, including national defense,\u201d said Cramer.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\nThe bill\u2019s USDA loan provision allows the agency to make loans to farmers and ranchers in proportion to demand, ensuring it can offer credit to producers when demand for loans peak.\u00a0 \u201cThis will prevent a recurrence of the situation encountered this year where USDA faced a loan application backlog when it ran out of funds for its direct and guaranteed operating loans,\u201d he said. \u201cOur farmers and producers need to know they can move into this next production year having loan options available to them, should they need them, and they almost certainly will need them. Once we get past this we have got to work on the next farm bill modernizing the loan program so it\u2019s set up to meet contemporary agriculture issues and demands for capital.\u201d\nThe legislation also includes a provision relating to hours of service rules for truck drivers.\u00a0 It requires the Department of Transportation (DOT) to follow the existing 34-hour restart rule for truckers to ensure continuity in federal rest regulations.\u00a0 The Obama Administration issued new rest requirements that are not yet final, pending a Congressionally mandated report from DOT demonstrating the new rule's effectiveness by meeting certain benchmarks.\u00a0\nLanguage in the bill also streamlines the process for confirming General James Mattis as the Secretary of Defense in the Trump Administration. The bill expedites consideration of legislation providing an exception to the prohibition against appointing a Secretary of Defense who was on active duty within the last seven years.\u00a0 Mattis retired in 2013.\nHighlights of the FY2017 Continuing Resolution include: \n\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Provides funding for the federal government through April 28, 2017 at a rate of $1.070 trillion\n\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Includes total defense funding level is $8 billion higher than the current Continuing Resolution\n $5.8 billion for Department of Defense Overseas Contingency Operations\n\t$4.3 billion for State Department/USAID Overseas Contingency Operations, which is below the President\u2019s request\n\tFunding to support counterterrorism, counter Russian aggression, and provide embassy security\n \u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Includes $4.1 billion to help families and communities rebuild and recover from recent flooding\no\u00a0\u00a0 $1.8 billion for Community Development Block Grants\no\u00a0\u00a0 $1.025 billion to repair damaged Corps of Engineers projects\no\u00a0\u00a0 $1 billion for emergency relief through the Federal Highway Administration\no\u00a0\u00a0 $206 million for Department of Agriculture watershed protection programs\no\u00a0\u00a0 $74.7 million to repair damaged NASA facilities\n\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Supports the 21st Century Cures Act with $872 million in funding - $20 million for the Food and Drug Administration, $352 million for the National Institutes of Health, and $500 million for states to continue to respond to the opioid epidemic\n\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Provides $170 million in discretionary (fully offset) spending for states dealing with drinking water emergencies, like the current situation in Flint, Michigan\n\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Continues policies contained in existing appropriations law, including pro-life riders and prohibitions on transfers from Guantanamo Bay or its closure\n\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Includes a provision to provide $45 million, fully offset, for continued health care benefits for certain retired miners under the United Mine Workers Association 1993 Benefit Plan. This is necessary to prevent the loss of health care coverage for these miners and their families, scheduled to expire on Dec. 31.\n\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Does not include an anomaly providing funding for the resettlement of Syrian refugees\n\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Provides additional funding, if needed, for the housing and care of Unaccompanied Alien\u00a0Children (UAC) after February 1, 2017. This will allow the new President to decide on obligation of funds.", 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": ["http://cramer.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/cramer-continuing-resolution-funds-government-through-april-addresses"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.6408020164817572, "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"}