WASHINGTON, D.C. — On Dec. 23, U.S. Representative Mark Pocan (WI-02), a senior member of the House Appropriations Committee, celebrated the passage of the Fiscal Year 2023 (FY23) omnibus appropriation legislation. This $1.7 trillion piece of legislation will fund the federal government through the remainder of the fiscal year and was  signed by President Biden.

“Today is a great day for Wisconsin. This funding legislation provides a major investment in our schools, healthcare, workers, and infrastructure,” said Congressman Pocan. “I’m pleased that 15 Community Project Funding awards for Wisconsin’s 2nd Congressional District will become law. These projects will reach every corner of the district and I look forward to seeing the impact of these projects for years to come.”

The FY23 Appropriations Bill will include a number of provisions benefiting Wisconsin’s 2nd Congressional District, including:

●  $1 million for the Village of New Glarus to construct a new water tower.

●  $250,000 for the Historic Driver Opera House Restoration in Darlington to support the installation of a heating and cooling system and an ADA-accessible elevator and restrooms.

●  $4 million for the Salvation Army of Dane County to construct a new shelter facility for women and families.

●  $3.2 million for the City of Sun Prairie to construct a solar radiation water pollution control facility, increasing the energy efficiency and sustainability of water pollution control operations.

●  $2 million for the Wisconsin River Recreational Bridge, a joint project between Dane and Sauk Counties that will connect bikers and pedestrians to the Great Sauk Trail.

●  $1.2 million for the Boys & Girls Club of Dane County to support the development of the new McKenzie Regional Workforce Center.

●  $1 million for the University of Wisconsin-Madison to upgrade the University’s aging helium plant, securing infrastructure needed by federal researchers on campus performing work funded by the NIH, Dept. of Energy, NSF, Dept. of Agriculture, and more.

●  $1 million for the University of Wisconsin-Madison to enable the Wisconsin Institute for Discovery to expand student-led research for new antibiotics and offer additional high-quality STEM opportunities.

●  $700,000 for Edgerton Community Outreach, Inc. to renovate 210/212 W. Fulton St. and create six units of affordable housing and a home for veterans’ group meetings, senior programming, and public events.

●  $560,000 for the City of Reedsburg toward the construction of a 52,000 square-foot fieldhouse for local residents and to host regional athletic tournaments benefiting the local economy.

●  $500,000 for the City of Baraboo to construct an ADA-compliant ramp with railing and lighting between Water Street and the Oak Street Overlook in order to better connect downtown Baraboo with the Riverwalk/Ice Age Trail.

●  $250,000 for the Dick Wagner Memorial Grant which will be awarded to Our Lives Media to archive documents and tell the story of the nation’s first gay rights law which was passed in Wisconsin in 1982 (AB70).

●  $250,000 for the Jewish Social Services of Madison to assist with refugee resettlement activities.

●  $190,000 for SWCAP Head Start in Dodgeville to build an addition on the existing Head Start building.

●  $100,000 for the Mineral Point Opera House Historic Marquee Replacement, subject to further approval from the National Park Service with respect to work on historic structures.

Additional funding for federal programs, $45B to Ukraine

The bill also sends an additional $45 billion to Ukraine to help its fight for democracy following President Zelenskyy’s speech to Congress last night.

Additionally, numerous increases in funding for vital federal programs were included, including:

●  $28.5 billion for Child Nutrition Programs ($1.66 billion increase)

●  $3.5 billion for the Food and Drug Administration ($226 million increase)

●  $11.2 billion for the Dept. of Commerce ($1.3 billion increase)

●  $9.54 billion for the National Science Foundation ($700.2 million increase)

●  $3.5 billion for the Dept. of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy ($260 million increase)

●  $152 million for the Consumer Product Safety Commission ($13.5 million increase)

●  $1.2 billion for the Small Business Administration ($188 million increase)

●  $25.7 billion for the Federal Emergency Management Agency ($1.5 billion increase)

●  $3.5 billion for the National Park Service ($210 million increase)

●  $10.1 billion for the Environmental Protection Agency ($576 million increase)

●  $207 million each for the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities ($27 million increase)

●  $13.8 billion for the Department of Labor ($652 million increase)

●  $10.5 billion for the Employment and Training Administration ($545 million increase)

●  $299 billion for the National Labor Relations Board ($25 million increase)

●  $120.7 billion for the Dept. of Health and Human Services ($9.9 billion increase)

●  $47.5 billion for the National Institutes of Health ($2.5 billion increase)

●  $9.2 billion for the CDC ($760 million increase)

●  $7.3 billion for the National Cancer Institute ($408 million increase)

●  $3.7 billion for Alzheimer’s and Related Dementias Research ($226 million increase)

●  $12 billion for Head Start ($960 million increase)

●  $4 billion for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program ($200 million increase)

●  $79.6 billion for the Dept. of Education ($3.2 billion increase)

●  $36 million for the Special Olympics ($5 million increase)

●  $134.7 billion for the Dept. of Veterans Affairs ($22.5 billion increase)

●  $2.1 billion for the U.S. Agency for International Development ($108.8 million increase)

●  $58.2 billion for the Dept. of Housing and Urban Development ($4.5 billion increase)

As a member of the Appropriations Committee, which is responsible for drafting all federal funding legislation, Rep. Pocan looks forward to Wisconsin — and Wisconsin’s 2nd Congressional District — receiving the funding it needs and deserves.

A full summary of the bill can be found at https://bit.ly/3GgslNY, and a summary of the $45 billion in aid for Ukraine also included in the bill can be viewed at https://bit.ly/3Z2hDCf.