{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["http://kuster.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/kuster-applauds-passage-of-responsible-budget-that-helps-nh-families", "Kuster Applauds Passage of Responsible Budget that Helps NH Families", "2015-12-18", "2015", "2015-12", "Democrat", "House", "NH", "Ann Kuster", "K000382", "kuster.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DC \u2013 Today, Congresswoman Annie Kuster (NH-02) released the following statement about House passage of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2016, bipartisan legislation that will fund the government for Fiscal Year 2016.\nKuster joined a bipartisan majority of Republicans and Democrats in supporting the package, which passed the House today by a vote of 316 to 113.\n\u201cToday, I was proud to join Democrats and Republicans to provide economic security for New Hampshire families and small businesses,\u201d said Congresswoman Kuster. \u201cThis marks a big win for Granite Staters, and advances the very priorities I am fighting for every day. I\u2019m committed to protecting our national security, creating good jobs and economic opportunity, making college more affordable for working families, ensuring our veterans receive the services they need and deserve, and combatting the opioid epidemic devastating New Hampshire communities.\u201d\nThe bipartisan \u201comnibus\u201d budget agreement to fund the government provides crucial funding increases to programs that support students at every level, from early childhood to post-secondary education.\u00a0 The maximum Pell Grant award was increased to $5,915. In addition, funding for the TRIO program, which supports low-income and disadvantaged students, was increased.\u00a0 A member of the Higher Education Caucus and the TRIO Caucus, Kuster has long advocated for measures to make college more affordable for students and families.\nThe package also reauthorizes and increases funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund, important for New Hampshire\u2019s conservation community\u2019s efforts to protect our public spaces and ensure access to clean water and healthy forests. And it provides additional funding to prevent and fight forest fires, alleviating strains caused by the diversion of money from conservation programs.\nThe agreement also protects our men and women in uniform, and ensures they receive the services they need and deserve when they return home. Additional funding is provided for research into traumatic brain injury, as well as expanded programing to help victims of military sexual assault. Funding is provided for expanded job training services for veterans, as well as funding to ensure VA Medical Services are properly equipped to meet the needs of female veterans. As the Ranking Member of the House Veterans Affairs Committee\u2019s Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee, Congresswoman Kuster has long championed these issues.\nAdditionally, the package provides increased funding for projects that help integrate and coordinate health services in rural areas, which provides better, more reliable health care in New Hampshire\u2019s rural communities. The legislation provides increased funding for Alzheimer\u2019s Disease, and Kuster continues advocating for research to find a cure through her role on the Alzheimer\u2019s Disease Task Force.\nPreschool development grants are included in the package, and as an advocate for early childhood education, Kuster joined a letter to House Leadership that was successful in ensuring that funding for these grants was restored in the legislation.\nAnd importantly, the package extends the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund for an additional five years, ensuring money is available to pay all claims, and extends the federal health program for those who worked at Ground Zero through 2090. Kuster has long maintained that we must honor the first responders who so bravely protected our country on September 11, 2001 and has continually voiced her support for this important fund.\n\u00a0\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://kuster.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/kuster-applauds-passage-of-responsible-budget-that-helps-nh-families"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.8676541037857533, "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"}