U.S. Representative Emanuel Cleaver II (D-MO) voted in favor of H.R. 4502, a package of seven government funding bills passed by the House of Representatives that will benefit the health and financial security of American families, create good-paying jobs, rebuild critical infrastructure, ensure our children succeed in the classroom, and advance justice and opportunity for all Americans. Additionally, the package of appropriations bills includes more than $14.4 million secured by Congressman Cleaver for multiple projects in the Fifth Congressional District of Missouri.

“As our nation continues to recover from the worst public health crisis in a century, I was proud to approve this package of funding bills that will support working class Missouri families, make critical investments in communities throughout my congressional district, and help us emerge from the pandemic stronger than ever,” said Congressman Cleaver. “I believe that the government budget reflects our values as a nation-and this package demonstrates that Democrats in Congress are focused on opportunity, prosperity, and justice for American families of every background and in every zip code.”

H.R. 4502 incorporates Community Project Funding for multiple projects throughout the Fifth District, including:

· $3,000,000 for the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) to help provide affordable housing production in low-income neighborhoods, as well as homeownership education, down payment assistance, and minor home repair;
· $2,800,000 million to build the MLK Park Pedestrian Bridge at Brush Creek to connect communities, schools, and affordable housing along the north and south banks of Brush Creek;
· $2,000,000 for Truman Medical Center to create a state-of-the-art substance use treatment center in the heart of Kansas City’s UMKC Health Sciences District;
· $2,000,000 for the Health Care Coalition of Rural Missouri to improve services in Lexington, Missouri and Buckner, Missouri;
· $2,000,000 for Missouri Valley College to build a new 17,000 square foot Health Professions Building to house the Nursing Program and ultimately other health care profession programs;
· $1,259,000 to build a 4,400 sq. ft. Mattie Rhodes Cultural Center to answer the demand for a multi-purpose space that meets the needs of a growing and evolving Westside community in Kansas City;
· $1,000,000 for the demolition and abatement of the former Fitzgibbon Hospital in Marshall, Missouri, so the property can be transformed into 56 safe, affordable workforce housing units for families;
· $200,000 to renovate the 33-year-old Raytown Chamber of Commerce Building and add necessary ADA accessibility at the entrance and interior; and
· $147,000 for the City of Slater to develop new well field protection measures to assure businesses and residents of northeast Saline County with an uninterrupted supply of portable water during periods of seasonal flooding.

“With the passage of this funding package, we are one step closer to receiving much needed federal funding for critical projects throughout the Fifth District,” Congressman Cleaver said. “Whether it is providing additional affordable housing in Marshall, a state-of-the-art substance treatment center in the heart of Kansas City, or a brand new MLK Pedestrian Bridge at Brush Creek, these projects will help create good-paying jobs and strengthen communities that have been hard-hit over the past year. I’m proud of the work we were able to do to get this funding in the final package, and I will continue working overtime to ensure it is signed into law by President Biden.”

Additionally, H.R. 4502 will:

· Support the health and financial security of working families by increasing access to health care, funding for key nutrition initiatives such as SNAP, WIC and child nutrition, and funding for rural development, including broadband, rental and other housing initiatives;
· Invest in infrastructure projects that will create tens of thousands of good-paying American jobs by rebuilding our crumbling infrastructure, including airports, highways, transit, rail, and port systems;
· Propel American into the future by setting us on the course for a clean, affordable, and secure energy future by investing over $14 billion in clean energy and science, which will create tens of thousands of good-paying green jobs;
· Help our children succeed in the classroom by ensuring that K-12 educational institutions have the resources they need to perform, including robust investments in Title I and Special Education, investing in Pell Grants and other financial assistance that ensure students’ success is not limited by income or zip code, and providing funding for Minority-Serving Institutions, including HBCUs, Hispanic Serving Institutions, and Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities;
· Honor our responsibility to American veterans through substantial investments in veterans’ health care, including women’s health care and mental health, combating veterans’ homelessness, creating economic opportunities, and rebuilding military infrastructure; and
· Strengthen the CDC and other health agencies through more robust funding of CDC public health programs to prevent and prepare for potential pandemics and other health crises. It also invests heavily in NIH biomedical research to pursue scientific breakthroughs for diseases such as ALS, Alzheimer’s, diabetes, and cancer. Additionally, it strongly supports the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and other public health resources that focus on substance abuse, mental health, HIV/AIDS and maternal and child health.

“This appropriations package is an assortment of investments that put people first and guarantee our nation is able to build back better than ever before,” said Congressman Cleaver. “While no funding bill is perfect, this is a bill that I am extraordinarily proud to support because of its deliberate focus on American families, jobs, and opportunities for future growth. As it heads to the Senate, I will continue fighting to ensure the needs of Western Missourians are met.”

A detailed summary of all funding in the appropriations package is available at this link <https://appropriations.house.gov/news/press-releases/house-to-consider-appropriations-bills-next-week>.