The Senate Appropriations Committee convened today to approve four key appropriations bills for the fiscal year 2025. The committee passed the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies; Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies; State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs; and Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies bills.
Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, remarked on the bipartisan effort involved in passing these bills. "It’s taken a lot of hard work to get here," she stated. "I’m pleased to say we have marked up another four strong, bipartisan bills...we cannot shortchange our families, we cannot shortchange our communities, we cannot shortchange our future."
The committee will reconvene on August 1 to consider five additional appropriations bills: Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies; Department of Defense; Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies; Department of Homeland Security; and Financial Services and General Government.
The Commerce, Justice, Science (CJS) bill was approved with a vote of 26-3. This bill allocates $73.735 billion in discretionary funding—an increase of $5.2 billion from the previous year. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Chair of the CJS Subcommittee noted that this funding will support various initiatives including sexual assault survivor support, workforce development in advanced manufacturing sectors such as AI, weather satellite maintenance, law enforcement agencies' safety measures among others.
The Interior-Environment bill passed with a vote of 28-1 provides $44.6 billion in total funding for public lands protection among other areas. Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Chair of the Subcommittee on Interior-Environment emphasized its benefits for public lands protection including permanent raises for wildland firefighters.
In a 24-5 vote approval for the State-Foreign Operations bill was achieved allocating $61.605 billion to U.S Department Of State alongside other international programs aimed at enhancing U.S global leadership efforts combating issues like Russian aggression Chinese influence humanitarian crises among others according to Senator Chris Coons(D-DE).
Lastly transportation-housing development appropriation bill securing $98 .737 Billion received almost unanimous approval (28 -1). This aims towards infrastructure improvements reducing homelessness increasing affordable housing options bettering air traffic control system along with record investments into Native housing as highlighted by Sen Brian Schatz(D-HI).
