Bergman: Appropriations Package Includes Major Wins For Michigan's First District

Washington, December 17, 2019
Today, Congressman Jack Bergman voted to fund First District priorities in the FY20 spending bill. This bipartisan legislation was negotiated by the House and Senate, with the support of President Trump, to avoid a government shutdown later this week. Congressman Bergman has advocated for long term spending deals that provide stable and continuous funding, stating that, “Continuing Resolutions are not a sustainable path for long-term fiscal stability.”

With today’s vote, Rep. Bergman supported many First District priorities, including: 

  • $75 million for building a new Soo Lock;
  • Providing the largest pay raise for our troops in a decade;
  • Maintaining pro-life protections;
  • $642 million for rural broadband programs, helping communities throughout the First District improve connectivity and competitiveness;
  • Increasing funding for the U.S. Coast Guard, including projects under the Great Lakes Icebreaker Program Office;
  • Extending Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) funding;
  • $1.7 billion funding for the border wall and additional border security;
  • Increasing Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) funding to $320 million;
  • Increasing funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF);
  • Maintaining long-standing Second Amendment protections that were at risk in previous versions of this bill;
  • Extending funding for Community Health Centers and the Special Diabetes Programs;
  • Funding for the Department of Transportation’s Essential Air Service;
  • Maintaining the freeze on Congressional pay;
  • Increasing funding for Rural Development programs; and
  • Fully funding the VA MISSION Act and the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act.

"Rural northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula are no longer forgotten in Washington, D.C.," said Rep. Bergman. "For decades, politicians have made empty promises of building a new Lock in the Soo, providing better care for Veterans, expanding broadband access, and supporting our nation's troops - but the days of empty promises are behind us. While I’m disappointed in the path the spending process has taken, today’s vote provides many hard-fought victories for the constituents of the First District.”

Additionally, the following priorities were included in the spending deal:

  • Increasing funding for water infrastructure projects, including harbor dredging, fishery and ecosystem protection, and fighting invasive species like Asian Carp;
  • Increasing funding for critical VA programs related to suicide prevention, ending homelessness, assisting rural Veterans, and expanding female Veteran health programs;
  • Repealing 3 major Obamacare taxes – the medical device tax, the Cadillac tax, and the Health Insurer tax;
  • Continuing our strong support for Israel by providing $500 million for Israeli Cooperative Programs, including the Iron Dome;
  • Removing burdensome and expensive requirements for truckers in the logging industry;
  • Funding the U.S. Space Force and increasing funding for NASA by $1.1 billion to support the Artemis Initiative returning us to the moon.
  • $425 million for election security programs under the Election Assistance Commission;
  • $43 million for PFAS detection and cleanup through the EPA and $15 million for PFAS research through the Department of Defense; and
  • $6 billion for the Indian Health Service, including $912 million for Indian Health Facilities.