Washington, DC – Today, Congresswoman Lois Frankel (FL-22) released the following statement after the House passed six of the 12 funding bills for fiscal year 2024, which included funding for the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Energy, Housing and Urban Development, Interior, Justice, Transportation, and Veterans Affairs. The package also included funding for 13 local projects that Rep. Frankel requested for Palm Beach County.

 

“In the first six 2024 funding bills, Democrats put People Over Politics and made government work for people. These domestic investments keep our government open and help Americans with the high cost of living, create good-paying jobs, protect women’s rights, honor our commitments to our veterans, and confront the climate crisis,” said Rep. Frankel. “In addition, it includes funding for 13 local projects I requested, which will bring a range of benefits to our Palm Beach County community.”

 

The package includes funding for an array of programs Rep. Frankel advocated for, including:

Food and Nutrition Assistance

·       Full funding for Special Supplemental Nutritional Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) at $7.03 billion (a $1 billion increase).

·       Full funding for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) at $119 billion.

·       Full funding for child nutrition programs at $33 billion.

 

Preventing Violence and Discrimination Against Women

·       $713 million for Office of Violence Against Women (a $13 million increase).

·       $4 million to prevent trafficking of girls.

·       $455 million for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).

 

Everglades and Natural Resources

·       $11 million for National Park Service Everglades restoration.

·       $425 million for South Florida Ecosystem Restoration.

 

Arts and Museums

·       $207 million for each the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities.

·       $65 million for Holocaust Museum.

·       $9.5 million for Women’s History Museum.

 

Support for Veterans, Servicemembers, and Their Families

·       $121 billion for Veterans’ medical care, including $16.2 billion for veterans’ mental health and suicide prevention outreach.

·       $3.1 billion for homeless assistance for Veterans.

·       $2 billion for active duty servicemember family housing.

·       $336 million for child care on military bases.

 

Affordable Housing

·       Preventing eviction of 5 million low-income individuals and families, including through:

o   $9 billion for public housing (a $297 million increase).

o   $4 billion for homeless assistance grants (a $418 million increase).

o   Increasing affordable housing production at local level by 33%.

·       $913 million for housing for the elderly.

·       $30 million for aging-in-place home modification grants to help older Americans safely stay in their homes.

 

Rep. Frankel is also pleased to announce the package includes funding for the following local projects:

·       $4,116,279 for Palm Beach State College to expand its Transportation Technology Workforce Training Program to meet the demand for automotive technicians, contributing to the county's economic growth by training mechanics in an emerging field.

·       $1,000,000 for 211 Palm Beach and Treasure Coast Call Center to create a new facility to meet the growing demand for crisis hotline services, which include suicide prevention, crisis intervention, information, assessment, and referral to community services.

·       $963,000 for Delray Beach to implement a License Plate Reader to better observe, detect, and prevent crime through the use of cameras strategically placed throughout the city.

·       $959,757 for Delray Beach to ensure clean drinking water for its 66,000 residents by rehabilitating repump stations for the city’s potable water system.

·       $959,757 for Palm Beach County to replace old water mains in the potable water distribution system to ensure a clean water supply.

·       $959,757 for Lantana to replace old water mains in the potable water distribution system.

·       $850,000 for the Palm Beach County Food Bank to create a commercial kitchen and food service workforce training facility to decrease the need for nutrition assistance.

·       $850,000 for the Urban League of Palm Beach County to construct a new community facility to foster economic growth and development in the County’s underserved areas.

·       $850,000 for West Palm Beach to construct a pedestrian bridge over Caroline Avenue to improve traffic safety and maintain train schedules.

·       $600,000 for West Palm Beach to purchase a bomb squad robot that will ensure public safety without endangering technicians.

·       $500,000 for the Boys & Girls Club of Palm Beach County to construct a Workforce Readiness Center to provide career exploration and skills training to help propel youth out of poverty and into successful careers.

·       $500,000 for the Lake Worth Beach Community Redevelopment Agency to continue efforts to provide affordable rental and home-ownership opportunities.

·       $500,000 for the YMCA of the Palm Beaches to construct a new facility that will triple the capacity of the current YMCA location to serve roughly 18,000 members annually, stimulating economic growth in the community.

 

 

###