{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["http://donyoung.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=401484", "Congressman Don Youngs Statement Following Passage of Government Funding Bills", "2019-12-17", "2019", "2019-12", "Republican", "House", "AK", "Don Young", "Y000033", "donyoung.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, D.C.  Today, Alaska Congressman Don Young released the following statement following a House vote on two appropriations packages:\r\nI am grateful to negotiators in both parties in the House and Senate for agreeing on the appropriations packages passed out of the House today. I am pleased to see that these final appropriations bills provide crucial funding for our military, and repeal harmful taxes that drive up the cost of health care and hurt middle-class families. I am also proud to have helped secure a 2-year extension of the Secure Rural Schools Program that many Alaskan communities rely on to fund schools and infrastructure. The appropriations package also contained important wins for our rural hospitals and village clinics, in addition to providing critical funding to help combat hunger and expand access to proper nutrition in our communities. I have been a strong advocate for combating domestic violence and child abuse, particularly in rural areas, and I am pleased to see resources made available to combat violence against women and bring perpetrators of these heinous crimes to justice. This was a well-rounded bill that delivers many important results for Alaskans, and I look forward to President Trump signing these packages into law.\r\nProvisions of Interest to Alaska:\r\nRural Justice:\r\nSTOP Grants  $215 million for the Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women Student, Teachers, and Officers Preventing (STOP) grants.\r\nSASP - $38 million for the Department of Justice for the Sexual Assault Victims Services Program (SASP).\r\nRural Domestic Violence and Child Abuse Enforcement - $43.5 million for the Department of Justice for Rural Domestic Violence and Child Abuse Enforcement. \r\nCOPS - $235 million for the Department of Justice for the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Hiring Program.\r\nEducation:\r\nSecure Rural Schools  This legislation includes a 2-year extension of the program as requested by Congressman Young and Senators Murkowski and Sullivan.\r\nDepartment of Education Impact Aid  The bill would provide $1.486 billion for the Impact Aid program, which distributes payments to communities that have a reduced tax base because of federal land. This number represents an increase of $40 million compared to the FY 2019 enacted level. \r\nHealthcare:\r\nAffordable Care Act (Obamacare) Taxes This legislation includes a repeal of the so-called Cadillac Tax, the Health Insurance Tax (HIT), and the Medical Device Tax.\r\nPharmaceuticals  The spending package includes the CREATES Act to help promote competition and innovation in the pharmaceutical market.\r\nFunding Extensions  Extensions for community health centers, the National Health Service Corps, and hospitals designated as teaching health centers to improve the health care workforce in underserved areas.\r\nNIH  $41.7 billion was appropriated for the National Institutes of Health, which includes funding for Alzheimer's and cancer research. \r\nRecovery  This legislation includes $5.7 billion for substance use disorder prevention, treatment, recovery, and research.\r\nRetirement  The SECURE Act was included in FY 2020 Appropriations to modernize and provide greater flexibility in retirement planning to individuals.\r\nEnergy and Environment:\r\nANWR  Successfully blocked legislation included in the House bill that would have stopped domestic energy production in ANWR. \r\nDepartment of Energy Weatherization Assistance Program  $305 million was appropriated for the Department of Energy's Weatherization Assistance Program.\r\nEnergy Resources  $840 million is included for offshore and onshore energy resource development, as well as an additional $394 million specifically for offshore energy resources.\r\nWildres  Provides $5.6 billion for the Department of the Interior and the U.S. Forest Service to ght wildres, an increase of $1.6 billion above enacted FY 2019 levels.\r\nSalmon Management Activities  The bill provides $58 million for Salmon Management Activities, which includes $35.5 million for the implementation of the Pacific Salmon Treaty.\r\nWater and Wastewater Infrastructure Grants  $68 million is provided as a package for water and wastewater infrastructure grants including the Rural Alaska Village Grant Program  known in-part as the Village Safe Water Program -- as well as grants for Native American Tribes and the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands. \r\nCircuit Rider Program  $19.6 million is provided for the Circuit Rider Program within the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Utilities Program. \r\nAlaska Native Policy:\r\nAlaska Native Education Program  $35.953 million is provided for the program, an increase of $500,000 compared to the FY 2019.\r\nAlaska Native and Native Hawaiian Higher Education Program  The bill provides $18.32 million for the program, which is an increase of $2.39 million compared to the FY 2019 enacted level and in line with Congressman Young's request.\r\nVillage Built Clinics  The bill provides $125 million total for 105(l) leases, which includes clinics in Alaska, per Congressman Young's request. This is an increase of $89 million compared to last fiscal year's amount.\r\nBureau of Indian Affairs and Indian Health Service Contract Support Costs  The bill would continue funding as an ongoing, indefinite appropriation so that there will be no chance of a shortfall.\r\nNAHASDA Native Housing Funding  A funding level of $746 million has been maintained in FY 2020. \r\nTransportation and Infrastructure\r\nEssential Air Service  This legislation provides $162 million for the Essential Air Service program, an increase of $1 million compared to FY 2019.\r\nFAA Contract Tower Program  The bill provides $170 million for the Federal Aviation Administration's Contract Tower Program. Per Congressman Young's request, this represents a funding increase of $2 million.\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": ["http://donyoung.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=401484"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.9806999005377293, "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"}