$1.2 trillion spending package passes US House, awaits Senate approval to avert government shutdown

The US House today passed, on a bipartisan vote of 286-134, a $1.2 trillion measure to fund the government through September. The spending seeks approval by the US Senate before the midnight deadline to avoid partial shutdown of the federal government.

The package includes the final six of 12 appropriations bills for the current fiscal year. It follows enactment last month of a $565 billion measure covering the first six of the normal twelve funding bills.

“Members of Congress on both sides of the aisle once again worked together to avoid a government shutdown and fund programs critical to our country, our state, our communities and our families,” said Rep. Case. “I don’t agree with parts of the measure, but on balance it is a bill that is good for our country and our Hawai‘i.”

The bill contains several provisions supported by US Representative Ed Case (HI-01), a member of the US House Appropriations Committee. Some of the provisions of special interest to Hawai‘i and for which Rep. Case advocated throughout the FY 2024 appropriations process include:

• $106 million to continue work to close the Red Hill fuel tank facility and remediate concerns related to the water crisis;
• $5 million for US Indo-Pacific Command’s Community Engagement Initiative to strengthen ties between the military and the local community;
• $46 million for the Native Hawaiian Education Program;
• $22 million for the East-West Center;
• $1 billion for the Small Business Administration;
• $27 million for the Women’s Business Centers Program;
• $173 million for adult employment and training activities;
• $320 million for Emergency Management Performance Grants, which support state and local emergency management agencies like the Hawai‘i Emergency Management Agency (HI-EMA); and
• $12.3 billion for Head Start, an increase of $275 million from FY 23.

Case highlighted that he was able to secure $1.4 million to fund an emergency power generator for Pali Momi Hospital, a nonprofit hospital in ‘Aiea, as part of his Community Project Funding (CPF).

All of Rep. Case’s 15 CPF requests–totaling almost $50 million–gained approval as part of the appropriations bill.

CPF enables Members of Congress to fund specific projects in their districts. The House’s CPF rules require that each project must have demonstrated community support, must be fully disclosed by the requesting Member, and is subject to audit by the independent Government Accountability Office.

Congress is working to enact its final annual funding bills before the end of the week and prevent a partial government shutdown. Today’s package included six bills: Defense; State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs; Financial Services and General Government; Labor, Health and Human Services and Education; Homeland Security; and the Legislative Branch.