SIGNED INTO LAW: Senior Member of Senate Appropriations Committee, Senator Shaheen Secures Numerous NH Priorities in FY23 Government Funding Bill
December 29, 2022
**Chair of pivotal Appropriations Subcommittee, Shaheen secures record-level funding to support survivors of sexual and domestic violence for 6th year in a row**
**Shaheen adds numerous provisions to turn tide of the substance use disorder epidemic in new government funding law**
**More than $111M to support NH projects ushered through Congress by Shaheen & signed into law**
**Senator Shaheen helps secure $40 million for the Northern Border Regional Commission (NBRC), the highest the program has ever been funded**
**Bill co-led by Shaheen to reform outdated election law & safeguard U.S. elections included in new government funding law**
** Shaheen successfully breaks through partisan obstruction to reauthorize the Afghan SIV program & procure 4,000 additional visas for FY2023**
(Washington, DC) – U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee and Chair of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies (CJS), issued the following statement on the numerous priorities she championed in the federal government funding legislation for fiscal year (FY) 2023 that was signed into law.
“More than $111 million dollars is heading to New Hampshire projects to address everything from equipment for first responders to investments in our public health infrastructure. New policies and funds to address the substance use disorder crisis directly will soon be in action in our communities. Necessary support to continue military construction projects at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard is on the way. Urgently needed and overdue reform to safeguard our elections was made possible through bipartisan compromise. Thousands of our Afghan allies who risked their lives beside U.S. troops in Afghanistan will have the pathway to safety that they were promised. And that’s just a sampling of what this bipartisan government funding bill does to respond to our needs at home, and to national security priorities to keep us safe and secure. Now that this bill is law, I look forward to seeing the impact in Granite State communities and will always fight for New Hampshire to ensure we get our fair share,” said Shaheen, a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee.
As Chair of the CJS Appropriations Subcommittee, Shaheen helps write the legislation that funds key federal programs that respond to the substance use disorder crisis, help domestic and sexual violence survivors, invest in law enforcement programs, spur research and innovation and much more.
Recently, Shaheen announced a series of top priorities secured in the FY2023 government funding legislation, which include:
- As Chair of the pivotal Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee, Shaheen secured record-level funding to support survivors of sexual and domestic violence for the sixth year in a row.
- Shaheen successfully broke through partisan obstruction to reauthorize the Afghan SIV program and procured 4,000 additional visas for FY2023.
- Shaheen added numerous provisions to turn tide of the substance use disorder epidemic.
- Senator Shaheen helped secure $40 million for the Northern Border Regional Commission (NBRC), which is a $5 million increase above the FY 2022 funding level and the highest the program has ever been funded.
- Shaheen supported the inclusion of a bipartisan bill she co-leads to reform outdated election laws and to safeguard U.S. elections.
- Shaheen specifically worked to include more than $111M to support NH projects through the congressionally directed spending process.
BELOW IS A FULL LIST OF NH & NATIONAL PRIORITIES LED OR SUPPORTED BY SHAHEEN IN THE FY23 GOVERNMENT FUNDING LAW
Military Readiness Priorities for Portsmouth Naval Shipyard & Support for the Shipbuilding Industrial Base
Senator Shaheen, also co-chair of the Senate Navy Caucus, secured the inclusion of $503 million for the Multi-Mission Dry Dock project at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. This follows the $475 million in funding secured by Shaheen in FY22 for the project.
Senator Shaheen also secured $541 million for submarine supplier development initiatives and $237 million for submarine workforce programs. The new law fully funds the Columbia-class and Virginia-class submarine programs. Virginia-class submarines are repaired and maintained at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. Shaheen has long been a steadfast supporter of the Virginia-class, and a fierce advocate for Shipyard priorities.
Enhanced Night Vision Goggles-Binoculars (ENVG-B) Funding
Senator Shaheen worked to restore $300 million in funding for the ENVG-B, helping to protect New Hampshire’s night vision manufacturing industrial base and ensuring our soldiers have the technology they need to maintain a decisive advantage on the battlefield.
Investments in DOD Cold Weather Research Conducted in NH
Shaheen secured an additional $4 million in funding for cold weather research at the Department of Defense (DOD). One of DOD’s preeminent laboratories for cold weather research is the Army Corps of Engineers Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (CRREL) in Hanover, New Hampshire. Funding will support advanced weather effect modeling and energy transmission in cold environments. She also secured $6 million to continue modernization of CRREL capabilities to analyze the effects of cold climates on vehicles and infrastructure.
Funding for Compass Call Aircraft to Address National Security Threats
Shaheen secured over $883 million in funding to procure four Compass Call electronic warfare aircraft. The exquisite components in the Compass Call aircraft are designed, built and integrated in New Hampshire and the overall system is a critical tool in addressing the threats posed by adversaries like Russia and China.
Federal Assistance for the ‘Beyond Yellow Ribbon’ Program to Help Granite State Service Members & Families
Senator Shaheen worked to include $25 million for the Beyond Yellow Ribbon (BYR) program, which funds the New Hampshire National Guard’s Care Coordination Program. BYR programs provide outreach services to troops returning from deployment, including health care, marriage and financial counseling, substance misuse treatment and mental health services.
Support for New Hampshire First Responders
A member of the Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee, Senator Shaheen worked to include $370 million for the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) program. The AFG program provides direct financial assistance to eligible fire departments in order to enhance the safety of firefighters and the public. Shaheen frequently advocates for New Hampshire fire departments to receive awards through this program. The Senator also helped include $370 million for the Staffing for Adequate Fire & Emergency Response Grants (SAFER) program, which provides grants directly to fire departments and volunteer firefighter interest organizations to help them increase or maintain the number of trained, “frontline” firefighters available in their communities. In total, the FY23 law will provide a $20 million increase in funding for firefighters compared with the enacted FY 2022 funding level.
Support for Law Enforcement and to Enhance Police-Community Relations
Senator Shaheen successfully secured $771 million for the Byrne-Justice Assistance Grants (JAG) program, which helps law enforcement agencies in New Hampshire and across the country, strengthens the criminal justice system and bolsters services for victims of crime. Of this amount, $412 million is dedicated to state and local law enforcement agencies, an increase of $30.4 million more than the FY 2022 level. In addition, Shaheen helped allocate $324 million for Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Hiring, an increase of $78 million from the FY 2022 level. This program supports state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies’ ability to hire, preserve and/or rehire law enforcement officers and increases community policing efforts, and will place over 1,800 more police officers on the streets of our communities.
Senator Shaheen worked to include $231 million for Office of Justice Programs and COPS Office grant programs to support efforts that improve police-community relations. This is an increase of $30 million, or 15 percent, above the enacted FY 2022 funding level. This will support programs for law enforcement officer training on de-escalation, implicit bias and crisis intervention, as well as hate crime prevention and community violence intervention programs.
Critical Funding for Department of Justice Substance Use Disorder Grants
Shaheen has led efforts in Congress to combat the substance use disorder epidemic through her leadership on this committee, and this year secured $608 million to help communities and first responders respond to substance crises, including opioid addiction and drug trafficking. This is an increase of $36 million above last year’s funding level. The largest part of this funding is $445 million for Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA) grants, an increase of $30 million above last year’s funding level. These grants support programs like drug, mental health and veteran treatment courts and substance use disorder treatment programs administered by state and local correctional facilities. Last year, Senator Shaheen helped introduce the bipartisan CARA 3.0 to help combat the opioid epidemic by increasing the funding authorization levels for these programs. In the FY23 government funding law, Shaheen also secured investments for the COPS anti-heroin task force and anti-methamphetamine task force programs, as well as $12.5 million in Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention funding to assist children and youth impacted by a substance use disorder in their families and communities.
This funding builds on Shaheen’s extensive efforts to provide flexibility for treatment providers to use State Opioid Response (SOR) grant dollars to help patients suffering from meth and cocaine dependency, in addition to opioid use disorders. Shaheen’s efforts have led to a more than tenfold increase in federal treatment and prevention funding for New Hampshire.
Authorizing and Expanding the State Opioid Response Grant Program
Earlier this year, Senators Shaheen and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) introduced the State Opioid Response Grant Authorization Act to give local communities resources to better combat the opioid and substance use disorder epidemic. The legislation will improve SOR grants – which as noted above, are an important tool for communities’ comprehensive response to this public health crisis – by providing additional investments in and flexibility for states and local communities. The omnibus package includes this language, authorizing $1.75 billion annually in SOR grants for the next five years, an increase of $175 million over previous years. The authorization also includes language to ensure states do not face significant funding cliffs between cycles.
In addition to SOR funding for fiscal year 2023, the funding law also continues a 15 percent set-aside of those funds for hardest hit states like New Hampshire. Since 2018, New Hampshire has received approximately $140 million from these grants to combat the opioid epidemic in the state, with the hardest-hit state set-aside responsible for the majority of those funds. The bill also continues to provide flexibility provisions authored by Senator Shaheen that allow for SOR grant dollars to be used to support treatment and recovery for cocaine and methamphetamine misuse, in addition to opioid misuse.
Continued Federal Investments for Law Enforcement & Community Prevention Efforts to Combat the Drug Epidemic
Senator Shaheen worked to procure $300 million for the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) Program, which provides assistance to federal, state and local law enforcement agencies operating in areas determined to be critical drug-trafficking regions in the United States. Shaheen has previously visited the New England HIDTA headquarters to meet with law enforcement about ongoing efforts to reduce the trafficking of illicit drugs within the region.
Support for Community Coalitions to Prevent & Reduce Substance Misuse
Senator Shaheen advocated successfully for $107 million for the Drug-Free Communities (DFC) Program, which provides grants to local community coalitions to prevent and reduce youth substance misuse. Senator Shaheen has consistently advocated for the DFC program and has led efforts in the Senate to respond to the opioid crisis.
Increasing Access to Non-Opioid Pain Management
Since the 116th Congress, Senator Shaheen and Senator Capito (R-WV) have introduced the Non-Opioids Prevent Addiction in the Nation (NOPAIN) Act, legislation that removes barriers to non-opioid pain management for Medicare beneficiaries. Increased access to non-opioid pain management alternatives will ensure individuals are not needlessly exposed to opioids, stemming a common path towards addiction. Included in the omnibus, the NOPAIN Act directs the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services provide separate Medicare reimbursement for non-opioid treatments used to manage post-surgical pain in both the hospital outpatient department and the ambulatory surgery center settings.
Federal Housing Assistance Resources for Granite Staters
Shaheen pushed to include federal support in this funding legislation to provide housing assistance for Granite Staters and Americans across the country who are in recovery due to substance misuse through the SUPPORT Act. This program is funded at $30 million. In addition, Shaheen worked to include $410 million for the Office of Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes, which provides funds to state and local governments to develop cost-effective ways to reduce lead-based paint hazards.
Support for Ocean Research & Conservation Efforts and Weather Satellites
Senator Shaheen secured $6.37 billion for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which is an increase of $495 million or 8 percent over last year’s funding level. This includes $761 million for NOAA research, much of which pertains to combating the climate crisis. This funding will help coastal communities in New Hampshire and across the nation bolster their resilience to changing climate, as well as support ocean health and research. In addition, the law invests in successful job-creating programs, sustainable economic development and environmental restoration. Thanks to Shaheen’s continued leadership on the issue, the funding law covers the full cost of at-sea monitoring in the New England groundfish fishery. It also provides an increase of $38 million for research and conservation efforts to protect the endangered North Atlantic right whale, for a total of $66 million, of which up to $26 million will help defray costs paid by the lobster fishing industry to protect right whales and at least $20 million is for innovative gear research to reduce entanglement risk. The law also provides $10 million for a new NOAA Hydrographic Mapping Center of Excellence in partnership with the Joint Hydrographic Center/Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping at the University of New Hampshire.
Additionally, Shaheen helped secure $1.7 billion for NOAA weather and climate satellites, an increase of $88 million or 5.5 percent above the FY 2022 enacted level. The law provides sufficient funding to keep the construction of the current generation of polar, geostationary and space weather satellites on track. Polar Weather Satellites help forecast weather to protect property and economic security for families in New Hampshire and across the nation. One-third of U.S. GDP is affected by climate and weather – from farmers in the North Country trying to protect livestock and crops to climate disasters costing billions of dollars of damage.
PFAS Response Efforts
Senator Shaheen leads action in the Senate to address PFAS remediation, research and prevention. Shaheen worked to include robust funding and direction to speed up efforts at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to identify, address and prevent PFAS contamination. The FY23 funding law also enhances support for the EPA to address treatment solutions, conduct research and undertake regulatory actions outlined in the PFAS Strategic Roadmap. Shaheen also helped secure $2.7 million for research on the transmission of PFAS in watersheds and aquifers through the United States Geological Survey (USGS).
PFAS Remediation at Military Installations
Shaheen also helped secure more than $224 million in funding for PFAS investigation, testing, remediation and disposal on and around U.S. military installations. The law will provide more than $35 million for aqueous film forming foam (AFFF) removal and remediation. Senator Shaheen secured a ban of PFAS-laden AFFF in the Fiscal Year 2020 National Defense Authorization Act to prevent further contamination of military installations and defense communities.
Continued Investments in Shaheen’s PFAS Health Impact Study
Senator Shaheen has spearheaded efforts in Congress to uncover the potential health effects related to PFAS contamination, respond to the chemical exposure and remediate polluted sites. In this government funding law, Senator Shaheen successfully fought to include $20 million to continue the PFAS health impact study that she created in the 2018 NDAA, an increase of $5 million over past years. In FY20 government funding legislation, she secured numerous provisions that were signed into law to address PFAS contamination. Shaheen successfully fought for Pease International Tradeport to be included in the health impact study. Because of her efforts, Pease is serving as a model site for the nationwide study. The funding legislation also includes $15 million for on-site PFAS remediation and destruction technology.
Energy Efficiency in Homes, Businesses, Industry and the Federal Government
Senator Shaheen championed increases in funding for key programs to help improve the energy efficiency of residential and commercial buildings, industry and the federal government. The funding law includes a total of $366 million for weatherization, including $10 million for training and technical assistance and $30 million for a Weatherization Readiness Fund that will help address safety and structural issues that may otherwise prevent weatherization services. In March, Shaheen joined Senators Jack Reed (D-RI), Susan Collins (R-ME) and Chris Coons (D-DE) in introducing the bipartisan Weatherization Assistance Program Improvements Act to authorize the Weatherization Readiness Fund and make other program improvements. Shaheen also worked to increase funding to $66 million for the State Energy Program (SEP), which assists sates with the development of energy efficiency and renewable energy programs.
In addition, Shaheen secured $30 million to support adoption and compliance with building energy codes to improve energy efficiency and resilience. Shaheen also helped secure $70 million for research and development to support commercial building energy retrofits, $60 million for residential building technologies, as well as up to $40 million to help support a skilled energy efficiency workforce. Shaheen helped increase funding for the advanced manufacturing office to $450 million.
Finally, Shaheen worked to boost funding for the Federal Energy Management Program to $43 million, including funding to leverage private sector investment through public-private partnerships like Energy Savings Performance Contracts and Utility Energy Service Contracts.
Shaheen has long led the Energy Savings and Industrial Competitiveness Act (ESIC), which is hallmark energy efficiency legislation that she and Senator Rob Portman (R-OH) have championed for years and have successfully included in pieces of legislation that have since been signed into law.
Shaheen also supported significantly increased funding for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) to help lower-income families cover the cost of home heating and cooling. In total, the LIHEAP receives $5 billion.
Highest Funding Level Ever for Violence Against Women Act Programs
For the sixth year in a row, Senator Shaheen successfully secured the highest funding level ever for the Department of Justice’s Violence Against Women Act programs, totaling $700 million for the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW). This is a 22 percent increase from last year’s funding level and will support training officials, rape prevention programs, processing rape kits, domestic violence hotlines, women’s shelters and transitional housing support services. Funding is provided for newly authorized programs covered under the VAWA Act 2022 reauthorization, including $5 million for the Abby Honold Act, which establishes a grant program to provide trauma informed training to law enforcement so officers can improve their response to sexual assault survivors, and $15 million for the restorative justice grant program. In addition, the FY23 law provides $10 million to jumpstart Senator Shaheen’s Survivors’ Bill of Rights incentive program, which encourages states to ensure that sexual assault survivors have the same rights guaranteed to survivors under federal law, including not being charged for a medical forensic exam and being informed of results of a sexual assault evidence collection kit. Last year, Senator Shaheen reintroduced bipartisan legislation with Senator Grassley (R-IA) to build on her legislation that is now law, the Survivors’ Bill of Rights Act, by incentivizing states to pass legislation that guarantees the survivors rights included in the federal legislation. She also introduced a bill to reauthorize legislation to expand pro bono legal resources for victims and survivors.
Funding to Support Victims of Violent Crimes & Bolstered Legal Services
A staunch advocate for the Crime Victims Fund (CVF), Shaheen successfully secured $1.9 billion for the fund this year. This fund provides direct assistance and programs to survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse, human trafficking and other violent crimes. Shaheen is a leader in the Senate fighting in support of survivors. Shaheen previously urged fellow lawmakers to overcome partisan politics and pass the VOCA Fix to Sustain the Crime Victims Fund Act. After her speech on the Senate floor, the Senate approved the measure unanimously and President Biden signed the bill into law. The law redirects monetary penalties from federal deferred prosecution and non-prosecution agreements into the CVF in order to provide continued support for state victim compensation and assistance programs. Through her leadership on the CJS Appropriations Subcommittee, Shaheen has historically bolstered resources for the CVF.
Shaheen also helped secure $560 million for the Legal Services Corporation (LSC), which is the largest funder of civil legal aid in the country with counsel on family law, domestic violence, housing and financial fraud. The funding in this bill is $71 million higher than last year’s funding level for LSC.
Title X Funding
Senator Shaheen helped secure $286 million for the Title X Family Planning program. The Title X program provides critical funding for preventative and primary health care services across the country, including in New Hampshire. Senator Shaheen has led advocacy efforts on behalf of Title X providers to repeal harmful Trump-era rules and restore funding for New Hampshire family planning centers. Senator Shaheen is a fierce advocate for women’s reproductive health. Shaheen is a cosponsor of legislation that would protect funding for Planned Parenthood and family planning centers through the Title X program.
Suicide Prevention & Mental Health Awareness
Shaheen supported action to invest $501 million for 988 and the National Suicide Prevention Hotline, a nearly $400 million increase. Shaheen previously cosponsored legislation establishing the three-digit dialing code for the hotline. The funding law also includes $140 million for Project AWARE, an increase of $20 million over FY22, which supports school-based mental health and trauma services to students.
This continues Shaheen’s leadership on suicide prevention measures. She previously visited the Mental Health Center of Greater Manchester to discuss the needs and challenges facing the area as it addresses the mental health crisis. She also hosted a virtual discussion with New Hampshire stakeholders and advocates to discuss the youth and teen mental health epidemic facing the state. To highlight the need to address teen mental health challenges, Shaheen invited Maureen O’Dea, President of the New Hampshire School Counselors Association and Director of School Counseling at Londonderry High School, as her virtual guest to President Biden’s joint address to Congress in 2021. Shaheen has fought to secure funding for mental health care and substance misuse services during the pandemic, including $4.25 billion in funding through the 2020 emergency COVID relief legislation and nearly $4 billion through the American Rescue Plan.
Diabetes Research, Treatment and Prevention
Co-chair of the bipartisan Senate Diabetes Caucus, Shaheen supported efforts to include $2.3 billion for the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases to advance diabetes research. Shaheen also included $37.3 million for the National Diabetes Prevention Program and $8.5 million for the Special Diabetes Program.
Shaheen leads action in the U.S. Senate to lower the cost of insulin and support Americans living with diabetes and is the lead sponsor of the bipartisan INSULIN Act.
Continued Efforts on Pediatric Cancer Research
Senator Shaheen helped secure continued investments for the implementation of Trevor’s Law, which monitors cancer clusters – including pediatric cancers – and provides outreach to communities affected by cancer clusters. This new law includes $3 million to implement the law. A report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that between 2003 and 2014, New Hampshire had the highest pediatric cancer rate in the country – with 205 pediatric cancer cases per 1,000,000 in the population. Previously, Senator Shaheen successfully added an amendment to government funding legislation that bolstered support for public outreach to raise awareness of contributing factors for pediatric cancers in New Hampshire.
Funds for the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) & Substance Abuse Prevention Treatment Block Grant
Shaheen fought to increase funding levels for NIDA, within the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and successfully increased funding by $67 million above FY 2022 levels. The funding bill allocates $1.66 billion for NIDA. Having previously secured language in government funding legislation that supports medical researchers studying addiction, namely the NIH’s Helping to End Addiction Long-term (HEAL) Initiative, Shaheen successfully built on those efforts in this legislation by including $355 million through NIDA to improve outcomes for those suffering from chronic pain and opioid and stimulant addiction.
Additionally, Shaheen helped negotiate a $100 million increase in funding for the Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant.
Early Education Investments
Senator Shaheen worked to include a $1.86 billion increase to $8.02 billion for Child Care and Development Block Grants to states, as well as a $960 million increase to Head Start, funding the program at nearly $12 billion for FY 2023. The new law additionally includes an increase of $25 million to $315 million for Preschool Development Grants. Shaheen has been a champion for funding to support child care and early education in the Senate. She has led efforts in Congress to assist the child care sector, which has been among the hardest hit by the pandemic. In the emergency COVID-19 relief legislation that passed Congress and was signed into law in 2020, and the American Rescue Plan enacted in March 2021, Shaheen successfully included language that provided $50 billion dollars in urgently needed support for child care.
Special Education Programming
The omnibus includes a more than $900 million increase for special education, which funds Individuals with Disabilities Education Act State Grants at a total of $15.154 billion.
Support for the Great American Outdoors Act
Senator Shaheen supported allocation of funding provided by the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA) to priority projects for New Hampshire and the region, including $967,900 for deferred maintenance at the White Mountain National Forest from the National Parks and Public Land Legacy Restoration Fund, as well as $3 million for the Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge and $1.5 million for Great Thicket National Wildlife Refuge through the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF). The funding law also allocates $200 million to state conservation grants and $125 million to Outdoor Recreation Legacy Grants that support close-to-home outdoor recreation opportunities in communities in New Hampshire and around the country.
Northern Border Regional Commission Resources
Senator Shaheen helped secure $40 million for the Northern Border Regional Commission (NBRC), which is a $5 million increase above the FY 2022 funding level and the highest the program has ever been funded. The NBRC helps address community and economic development needs throughout the Northern Forest region. In February, Senator Shaheen introduced the Northern Border Regional Commission (NBRC) Reauthorization Act of 2022. This bill will extend the authorization of the NBRC for 10 years and support job creation and community development in the most economically vulnerable parts of rural New Hampshire and the Northeast. To address unique challenges facing rural workforces, the legislation also invests in projects that expand rural access to childcare, health care and affordable housing needs. The NBRC Reauthorization Act also broadens NBRC’s ability to award grants to projects and activities to address the opioid epidemic and other substance use disorders impacting the region. This legislation builds on the members’ previous efforts by adding New Hampshire’s Merrimack County and Maine’s Lincoln County as newly eligible to receive these funds.
Investments in Science and to Advance U.S. Space Exploration
Shaheen secured $9.87 billion – a historic increase of $1.036 billion or nearly 12 percent above last year’s enacted level – in total for the National Science Foundation (NSF). To help implement the bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act of 2022. This is the largest dollar increase for the agency of all time and the largest percentage increase in more than 20 years. This funding will support U.S. competitiveness in key areas like quantum computing, artificial intelligence and climate science, as well as help build an innovative workforce fueled by a diverse pipeline of scientists and engineers. Shaheen also helped secure $1.634 billion for the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to invest in STEM programs that improve competitiveness of domestic manufacturers and strengthen domestic supply chains. In addition, Shaheen secured $3 million to continue research into the prevalence of PFAS in firefighter personal protective equipment. This research is a key component in Shaheen’s bipartisan bill, which was signed into law, that takes important steps to address concerns regarding firefighters’ occupational exposure to PFAS chemicals.
To support America’s continued leadership in space, Shaheen helped secure $25.4 billion for NASA. This will support climate research and space missions. The omnibus also includes funding to support the International Space Station and returning humans to the Moon. In addition, within the $8 billion Shaheen secured for NASA Science, $805 million is for NASA Heliophysics, an increase of $27 million above the FY 2022 level. The University of New Hampshire is a leading heliophysics research institution, with instruments on 16 of 22 operating heliophysics missions.
Increased Funding for the Economic Development Administration and Trade
Senator Shaheen secured $1.12 billion for the Economic Development Administration (EDA), which awards infrastructure and planning grants to communities around the country, including throughout New Hampshire. This level is an increase of $742.5 million above the prior year. This includes $500 million for the newly-authorized Regional Technology and Innovation Hub Program to advance regional innovation and technology-based economic development. It also includes $200 million for the newly-authorized Recompete Pilot Program to catalyze economically distressed communities. Both of these programs were created through the passage of the bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act, which was signed into law earlier this year. The Senator previously opposed efforts by the Trump administration to reduce or eliminate funding for the EDA, which has recently awarded grants to Granite State communities for a wide variety of projects. The EDA funding also includes $4.5 million to assist communities recovering from biomass plant closures.
In addition, Shaheen added $1.5 million for the Bureau of Economic Analysis to the omnibus to continue the annual assessment of the economic value of the outdoor recreation industry – a key sector supporting local economies across New Hampshire. This report, which was created as a result of the enactment of the Senator’s Outdoor REC Act, provides a comprehensive assessment of the role that outdoor recreation plays in supporting jobs and economic growth, allowing policymakers to craft legislation to further support the sector. The funding law also provides over $625 million for the International Trade Administration (ITA), which promotes American exports, supports small and medium-sized businesses and ensures fair trade practices on the global stage. This marks a $55 million increase above FY 2022.
Bolstering Manufacturing Programs
Senator Shaheen worked to include $239 million for NIST manufacturing programs, an increase of $64.5 million or 37 percent above the FY 2022 enacted level. The law provides a $30 million increase for the popular Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP), providing a total of $188 million to improve competitiveness of domestic manufacturers and to strengthen domestic supply chains. And the law includes $51 million for Manufacturing USA Institutes, including $20 million for the first year of a new institute.
Humanitarian Assistance to Address Global Food Insecurity
Shaheen supported measures to include $8.37 billion for humanitarian assistance to address natural and man-made disasters, including $920 million to respond to the impacts of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The law also includes $1 billion for food security and agricultural development programs to bolster global food security and counter Putin’s deliberate attempt to weaponize global food systems and take advantage of the instability that he has created by invading Ukraine.
Engagement in the Balkans
Shaheen, also a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and Chair of the Europe and Regional Security Cooperation Subcommittee, successfully included report language that requires the Secretary of State and USAID Administrator to jointly brief Congress on programs and initiatives being conducted or intended to be conducted to increase bilateral trade between the United States and the Balkans, to reduce youth unemployment in the region and to grow small and medium enterprises to spur economic growth. Shaheen leads U.S. policy toward the Balkans in the U.S. Senate; in October she visited Albania and participated as an OSCE observer for national elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina. This visit expanded on her previous bipartisan congressional delegation with Senators Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Chris Murphy (D-CT) to the region to convey continued U.S. support for its allies amid Russian aggression against Ukraine and the implications for European security in the Balkans.
Assistance for Partner Nations Seeking Pro-Democratic Reform
Senator Shaheen worked to include $132 million in economic and international security assistance for Georgia as it works to advance pro-democratic reforms in the hopes of enhancing greater Euro-Atlantic integration. She also worked to include report language from the Department State to require an update on the Government of Georga’s efforts to strengthen their democratic institutions.
Shaheen is a leader in the Senate on U.S. policy toward Georgia. Last year, Shaheen and Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI) held a hearing on bolstering democracy in Georgia in response to the country’s political crisis. During the hearing, Shaheen and Johnson both agreed on the importance of showing bipartisan support for Georgia’s path to strengthen its democracy and committed to spearheading a resolution in the Senate that expresses that sentiment, which has been approved by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Shaheen led a bipartisan congressional delegation to Eastern Europe last year, which included a stop in Georgia, to reaffirm U.S. commitment to its regional partner and strengthen democratic reforms. Shaheen and Senator Jim Risch (R-ID) previously served as election monitors during Georgia’s 2012 elections.
Advancing the Rights and Role of Women and Girls Around the World
In 2017, Senator Shaheen’s bipartisan legislation with Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), the Women, Peace and Security Act, was signed into law, requiring the U.S. Government to actively work to promote the meaningful participation of women in conflict prevention and peace negotiations. This year, Shaheen built on this progress by securing $150 million for the implementation of a multi-year strategy on women, peace and security, a $15 million increase over the previous year’s funding for this important program. Shaheen successfully secured language to promote women’s participation in International Military Education and Training (IMET) courses. This is in addition to $250 million to prevent and respond to gender-based violence, $75 million more than FY 2022. Shaheen also worked to include $50 million to support women’s leadership programs, which the bill designates as the Madeleine K. Albright Women’s Leadership Program. Furthermore, the bill includes $200 million for the Gender Equity and Equality Action Fund and $15 million for the Office of Global Women’s Issues at the Department of State. Senator Shaheen has championed efforts in the Senate to confirm Dr. Geeta Rao Gupta to be the Ambassador at Large for Global Women’s Issues.
Black Sea Security
Senator Shaheen successfully included report language which requires the Secretary of State to develop a strategy toward the Black Sea region to increase economic ties, enhance security assistance and bolster democratic resilience for countries between the United States and Black Sea countries.
This report language builds from Senator Shaheen’s bipartisan effort with Senator Romney (R-UT) to establish U.S. policy toward the Black Sea Region, which is a critical geopolitical inflection point amid Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine.
Support for a Free and Democratic Belarus
Senator Shaheen successfully fought to include $30 million in funding for democratic assistance to Belarus, including support for democracy programs that promote human rights, free and independent media and political opposition to Lukashenka’s authoritarian regime. As Chair of the Europe and Regional Security Cooperation Subcommittee, Shaheen has been outspoken in her concern for Lukashenka’s support for Putin’s illegal invasion of Ukraine and his regime’s crackdown on dissidents.
ISIS Detainees and Displaced Individuals
Shaheen secured language directing the Secretary of State to brief Congress on the growing humanitarian and security crisis posed by ISIS detainee prisons and displaced persons camps in Syria. As part of that briefing, the Secretary is expected to detail ways in which the U.S. can improve cooperation with our allies to address the threats and conditions in the prisons and camps. This requirement builds on her longstanding efforts to improve U.S. government efforts toward Syria, particularly by enhancing interagency coordination and oversight, an effort she continued with her recently introduced bipartisan legislation, the Syria Detainee and Displaced Persons Act.
Senator Shaheen has long led efforts to address the national security and humanitarian crises caused by the rise and subsequent fall of ISIS. Shaheen created the Syria Study Group to complete a comprehensive assessment of the conflict in Syria and ways to address the consequence of the violence. One of the Study Group’s recommendations included the establishment of the ISIS Detainee Coordinator position Shaheen created in the Fiscal Year 2020 National Defense Authorization Act. In 2018, she and Senator Graham traveled to Syria and Iraq, where they visited the detainee and displaced persons camps and met with officials on ways to address security and humanitarian needs.
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