Skip to Content

news

Press Releases

Congresswoman Escobar Votes to Pass Six Appropriations Bills for Fiscal Year 2024

Washington, D.C., March 7, 2024

Yesterday, Congresswoman Veronica Escobar (TX-16) voted for the Consolidated Appropriations Act which authorizes six funding bills at levels consistent with the bipartisan budget agreement struck by Leader Schumer and Speaker Johnson in January of this year.

“One of Congress’ most basic responsibilities to fund the government has been held hostage by the dysfunction and extremism of House Republicans since October of last year when our country faced its first possible shutdown,” said Congresswoman Escobar. “Despite an agreement between then-Speaker McCarthy and President Biden, House Republicans insisted on disastrous cuts to critical investments to the American people. While not all we wanted, I’m glad to see Speaker Johnson finally allow the first funding bill to get to the floor for a vote that will keep 6 of our government agencies open. And I’m relieved that he accepted most of our Democratic priorities in that bill that help Americans with the high cost of living, create good paying jobs, protect women’s rights, honor our promises to our veterans, and confront the climate crisis. I look forward to the next 2024 funding bill for the remaining agencies.”

Congresswoman Escobar continued, “While I'm proud that hundreds of poison pills and extreme funding cuts were rejected, I'm incredibly disappointed to see the inclusion of a gun provision that has the potential to endanger vulnerable veterans. However, I’m heartened that the guardrail of judicial oversight was included and I remain deeply committed to ensuring gun safety in El Paso and communities across the country."

This package includes the following funding bills: Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies; Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies; Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies; Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies; Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies; and Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies.

Additionally, 14 of the 15 Community Project Funding Requests submitted by Congresswoman Escobar were included in the package. The final request is part of the other package of funding bills expected to be voted on next week. Those passed today are:

 

$850,000 to Construct a Ground Water Storage Tank in Nuevo Hueco Tanks

The funding would be used for the construction of a steel ground storage tank that will hold one-million gallons, a booster station, as well as approximately 8,000 linear feet of 16-inch ductile iron transmission lines to connect to existing transmission lines. 

 

$500,000 to service pipelines in Gateway West-Sparks Water Project

The funding would be used for the installation of 9,019 linear feet of 12-inch PVC pipe, 42 linear feet of 8-inch PVC pipe, connecting new service lines and upgrading old service lines and replacing them with new lines, as well as installing fire hydrants.

 

$959,752 for the Town of Anthony Waste Water Treatment Plant (WWTP)

The funding would be used for upgrades and expansion of the existing Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) in the town of Anthony. 

 

$959,752 for an Arsenic Treatment Plant and Associated Raw & Treated Water Pipelines

The funding would be used for the final design and construction of a 1.73 MGD Water Treatment Plan that will remove arsenic from the Town’s potable groundwater supply.

 

$963,000 for Aerospace Digital Engineering Research

The funding would be used to initiate a research project with El Paso manufacturers to develop pathways using cutting edge research and innovation to produce mission-critical and flight-qualified components and sub-assemblies through the state-of-the-art digital engineering.

 

$975,000 for the Flood Warning Project in El Paso County

The funding would be used to develop the El Paso Flood Warning System to alert residents, businesses, planners, and emergency response personnel about potential flooding in El Paso County before it occurs or as soon as possible after it begins.

 

$7,200,000  for providing better housing and improving quality of life for soldiers at Fort Bliss

This funding would be used for the Planning and Design of Collective Training Barracks required to provide housing for the many transient soldiers from Army Active, Army National Guard, and the Army Reserve supported by Fort Bliss.

 

$800,000  to help providing food assistance to West El Pasoans

The funding would be used to construct a new permanent operations center in the westernmost part of El Paso County which is historically underserved and lacks access to stable food assistance resources. 

 

$550,000 for Rural Utility Service Vehicles (PW)

The funding would be used for the acquisition of new equipment, including four street box sweepers, five tandem dump trunks, five truck tractors, and four grappler bulk waste loader trucks will help facilitate the swift removal of illegally dumped waste and the cleaning of roadways. 

 

$1,050,000 for Rio Vista Rehabilitation

The funding would be used for the rehabilitation of six (6) buildings at the historic Rio Vista Farm for reuse as a small business incubator, workforce and continuing education classrooms, and the community’s first-ever public library.

 

$720,000 for Sun Metro Micro Transit

The funding would be used to purchase a small fleet of electric micro-transit vehicles, charging infrastructure, and appurtenances. 

 

$850,000 for Terminal Bridge Reconstruction

The funding would be used to develop the Terminal Bridge Reconstruction Project (Project). The Project includes design and reconstruction of the Terminal Bridge, which serves as the primary exit from the El Paso International Airport. 

 

$500,000 for Business One-Stop Shop (BOSS) Facility Acquisition and Expansion

The funding would be used for the acquisition of a new facility to house the Business One-Stop Shop (BOSS) program. 

 

$963,000 for Police Department Technology Augmentation

The funding would be used for the acquisition of stationary Outdoor, License plate recognition cameras in the areas identified as a high trafficking.

The text of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2024 is available here. A full summary of the appropriations provisions in the bill is available here. Community Project Funding included in the package is available here.

Individual subcommittee summaries are below:

For more information on the projects submitted by TX-16 for Fiscal Year 2024, click here

Stay Connected