Congressman Kim Votes to Pass Government Funding Legislation

WASHINGTON DC – Today, Congressman Andy Kim (NJ-03)voted to pass H.R. 2471, the Fiscal Year 2022 government funding legislation. The package included provisions championed by Congressman Kim that will create jobs, bolster our national security, and benefit working families, veterans, and small businesses across New Jersey's Third Congressional District.

"I know there's a lot of uncertainty in our communities and at kitchen tables across Burlington and Ocean Counties. I've been laser focused on addressing those needs and am proud to bring critical resources and federal investments back home through this package," said Congressman Andy Kim. "From investing in preventing veteran suicide, to providing disaster loan relief for Jersey Shore homeowners still recovering from Superstorm Sandy, to bringing $300,000 home for Burlington County's Hope One substance abuse unit, and funding the expansion of innovative approaches to community policing in Stafford, I am confident these resources will help our communities and our country. I'm proud to have worked with my colleagues in a bipartisan way to deliver for Burlington and Ocean Counties and I look forward to seeing the impact of these investments for working families across the state."

Provisions championed by Congressman Kim include:

Upholding our Promises to America's Veterans

• $598 million - nearly doubling the funding - for veteran suicide prevention outreach.
  • This funding will go towards counseling and outreach programs in an effort to reduce the rapidly rising number of suicides among our veterans.
  • Congressman Kim led a bipartisan letter signed by 113 Members of Congress to secure this historic funding increase.
• $97.5 billion for veteran medical care.
  • An increase of $7.5 billion over last year, which will help provide care for more than 7 million patients expected to be treated by the VA next year.
• $621 million for veteran opioid abuse prevention.
  • $149 million more than in FY 2021 appropriations
• $3.5 billion to help serve the Veterans Benefits Administration and decrease the VA disability claims backlog
  • This is an increase of $274 million for the Veterans Benefits Administration to complete this work.

Combatting the Opioid Crisis and Strengthening Community Policing

• $300,000 for Burlington County's Hope One substance abuse mobile response unit.
  • With this funding, Hope One will be able to expand its operation for additional days of the week and will be able to visit more locations across the county, helping families struggling with addiction and addiction related issues.
  • Hope One is a successful partnership between the Burlington County Sheriff's Department, Human Services Department, and Health Department.
• $32,000 for On POINT, an important program that connects Bright Harbor Healthcare with participating Ocean County police departments to identify high-risk, frequent utilizers of emergency services to reduce crises and improve police-community relations.
• $3.9 billion for substance abuse treatment, including $1.85 billion for the Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant, $1.525 billion for State Opioid Response Grants, and $101 million for medication assisted treatment.
  • Nearly $100 million more than in FY 2021 appropriations.
• $409.5 million for activities at the Department of Justice authorized by the First Step Act of 2018, including medication assisted treatment.
• Ensuring fentanyl analogues continue to be classified as "Schedule 1" narcotic drugs.

Putting New Jersey's Small Businesses First

• $1 billion for the Small Business Administration, to help small business and entrepreneurs access capital and expand opportunities
• Billions for job training and apprenticeship programs including
  • $9.8 billion for the Employment and Training Administration, who help with job training
  • $235 million for registered apprenticeships that provides training and on-the-job learning experiences, preparing American workers for jobs in today's global economy.
• $55 million for the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA), which recently opened its first business center in New Jersey. Congressman Kim signed a letter in support of opening an MBDA Business Center in New Jersey and recently visited the new center in Camden.

Creating and Supporting Innovation and Jobs of the Future

• Increased opportunities for local small businesses that support our Joint Base and national security.
  • $6.565 billion for the Virginia-Class submarine program, which supports at least nine small parts manufacturers in NJ-03, including DC Fabricators in Florence, Champion Fasteners in Lumberton, Garvey Precision Machine in Willingboro, and Sea Box in Cinnaminson.
• Steadfast support for hundreds of good, high-paying engineering and manufacturing jobs in Moorestown.
  • More than $25 million for the Aegis Ashore system, which supports jobs at Lockheed Martin's Moorestown facility.
• $14 billion for renewable energy investment:
  • Including millions for offshore wind investments that will create good paying jobs in New Jersey.

Helping Working Families Fighting to Get Ahead

• Meaningful disaster loan relief for Jersey Shore homeowners still struggling to recover from Superstorm Sandy.
  • Two-years (through FY 2025) of loan relief for Jersey Shore homeowners facing federal loan recoupment or ‘clawbacks' after Superstorm Sandy.
  • This additional two years of relief comes on the heels of a one-year reprieve Congressman Kimsecured in 2020.
• $50 million for Impact Aid school districts like Northern Burlington Regional and Pemberton
  • This funding helps school districts that lose tax revenue because their boundaries include federal property, such as Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst.
• $2.5 million to support a national conference on hunger in America.
  • Congressman Kim cosponsored an amendment and signed a letter by Rep. Jim McGovern (MA-02) in support of convening a conference on hunger in America for the first time since 1969.
• $16.5 million in continued funding for the Economic Development Administration's (EDA) program to provide assistance to Nuclear Closure Communities.
  • Congressman Kim led a letter to secure this continued funding.
  • Lacey Township recently received a $160,000 planning grant to support redevelopment and jobs in the region after the closure of the Oyster Creek Nuclear Power Station.

Strengthening Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst

• 2.7 percent increase in pay for all military servicemembers.
• Increasing funding for the Science, Mathematics, and Research for Transformation (SMART) Scholarship-for-Service program from $77 million to $79 million.
  • Training the next generation of cybersecurity experts by providing a pipeline for undergraduate and graduate students in STEM fields who have already committed to working in national security.
• $224.7 million for child development centers to support increased capacity and better facilities for the 1.2 million children of active duty servicemembers worldwide.
• Full funding for the State Partnership Program, through which the New Jersey National Guard conducts security cooperation activities with the Republic of Albania.
• $500 million to construct, renovate, repair, and expand public schools on military installations, like our Joint Base.
• Directing the Secretary of Defense to provide a reports on food insecurity in the military. Congressman Kim cosponsored and helped pass into law provisions based on the Military Hunger Prevention Act in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022 and highlighted hunger as a critical issue among military families in a recent Armed Services Committee hearing.

Supporting Ukraine's Fight Against Vladimir Putin and Protecting Our National Security

• $13.6 billion military and economic assistance as well as humanitarian aid for the people of Ukraine.
• More than $3 billion for operations support, deployment of personnel support, and intelligence support.
• $2.65 billion for humanitarian aid (food, health, other urgent support) to Ukrainian refugees forced out of their homes.
• $14 billion for investments in clean energy that would help secure American energy independence
• $200 million to fully support Israeli Cooperative procurement programs (Iron Dome, David's Sling, and Arrow).

Congressman Kim is a member of the House Armed Services Committee, the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and the House Committee on Small Business. More information about Congressman Kim can be found on his website by clicking here.

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