Press Releases

(Washington, DC) – U.S. Congressman Ed Case’s (HI-01) U.S. House Committee on Appropriations today approved three measures funding several of his Community Project Funding (CPF) requests for the upcoming Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 (commencing October 1, 2024).  

The $38.5 billion Interior Appropriations bill funds the Department of the Interior, including the National Parks Service (NPS), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Environmental Protection Agency.

The $59.2 billion Energy and Water bill funds the Department of Energy, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ (USACE) civil works programs and various energy programs.

The $80.5 billion Commerce, Justice, Science (CJS) and Related Agencies Appropriations bill supports the U.S. Department of Commerce, the U.S. Department of Justice and various science agencies.   

The bill includes several of Case’s requests for Member-designated Community Funding Project (CPF) including the follows: 

·        Restoration work at Maunalua Bay conducted by the Department of Land and Natural Resource’s Division of Aquatic Resources. ($1,184,000) 

·        A survey conducted by the Department of Land and Natural Resource’s Division of Aquatic Resources to identify the current range of invasive spread of octocorals at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam. ($400,000) 

·        The purchase of equipment used to support live algae cultures and de-gas incoming acidic seawater for the Hawai‘i Pacific University’s Oceanic Institute. ($350,000) 

·        The establishment of Fireshed Partnerships, bringing together owners and managers of fire-prone unmanaged lands surrounding the state’s most vulnerable communities, conducted by the Hawaii State Climate Commission. ($1,184,000) 

·        Surveys of water and reef quality across the islands and restoration work of coral reefs, conducted by The Nature Conservancy. ($999,000) 

·        The installation of a control valve assembly and waterline connections by the Honolulu Board of Water Supply to improve the reliability and adequacy of O‘ahu’s water supply. ($1,105,800) 

·        The planning and design for long-overdue improvements to Papakōlea’s sewer system conducted by the Hawai‘i Department of Hawaiian Home Lands.  

Case said that the Fireshed Partnerships project will bring together the owners and managers of the fire-prone, largely unmanaged lands surrounding the state’s most vulnerable communities to specify and initiate actions for large-scale, cross-boundary wildfire risk reduction. The project will work towards three objectives:

1.   map and determine available fire-related resources, hazardous fuels, resource needs, and the costs and suitability of site-specific risk reduction strategies;

2.   develop multi-partner fuels management demonstrations, including grazing, fuel breaks and reforestation/green strips, to reduce risk and educate local leadership and other communities; and

3.   formally establish “Fireshed Partnerships” as cross-boundary commitments/memorandum of understandings to implement or raise funds to implement 5-year, spatially contiguous wildfire risk reduction plans at landscape scales.

The House’s CPF rules require that each project must have demonstrated community support, must be fully disclosed by the requesting Member and must be subject to audit by the independent Government Accountability Office. Case’s disclosures are here: https://case.house.gov/services/funding-disclosures.htm.  

“For me, this is a mixed result,” said Case. “While the measures fund many critical national and Hawai‘i priorities, I regrettably had to vote against the measures overall because they severely cut federal investments that will curtail our efforts to protect our environment, defund much of our federal law enforcement efforts, and increase energy costs and jeopardizes our energy security.” 

Further details follow: 

Interior, Environment and Related Agencies Bill 

The Interior, Environment and Related Appropriations bill funds the U.S. Department of the Interior, including the NPS, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Geological Survey, Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Forest Service and various independent agencies including the National Endowments on Arts and the Humanities. The bill’s FY 2025 discretionary funding level is $38.5 billion, or $72 million below the FY 2024 enacted level. 

The bill includes the following CPF requests from Case totaling $2.2 million: 

·        $1,105,800 for the Board of Water Supply to improve the reliability and adequacy of O‘ahu’s water supply by installing control valve assembly and water connections for Manana Wells. 

·        $1,105,800 for the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands to plan and design long-overdue improvements to Papakōlea’s sewer system. 

The bill also includes a number of other priorities he requested, including:

·         $5 million for U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s State of the Birds Activities to respond to the urgent needs of critically endangered birds that now face possible extinction. These funds will help save numerous endemic birds in Hawai‘i that have been devastated by climate change and avian malaria.  

·        $45 million for the U.S. Geological Survey Biological Threats and Invasive Species Research Program. 

·        $13 million to rehabilitate the Mauna Loa Lookout Road at Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, which is critical for visitor safety and improve the visitor experience and access to the Mauna Loa Trailhead and views towards Kīlauea Caldera. 

·         $7 million for critical water infrastructure repairs at Haleakalā National Park, which will address critical life, health and safety issues. 

·         $69 million for the U.S. Geological Survey’s Climate Adaptation Science Centers, which includes the Pacific Islands Climate Adaptation Science Center based out of the University of Hawai‘i-Mānoa. These centers provide regionally relevant scientific information, tools and techniques to resource managers and communities in Hawai‘i in response to our changing climate. 

·        $62 million for State Historic Preservation Offices, which will help preserve Hawaii’s treasured historic properties. 

·        $6 million for the Joint Fire Science Program, which supports a national collaboration of fire science exchanges providing science information to federal, state, local, tribal and private stakeholders. 

·        $4.7 million for Japanese Confinement Site Grants and funding for the Amache National Historic Site, which was one of ten incarceration sites established by the War Relocation Authority during World War II to detain Japanese Americans who were forcibly removed from their communities on the West Coast.  

A summary of the Interior, Environment and Related Agencies Appropriations is here.

Energy and Water Bill 

The Energy and Water bill funds the Department of Energy, the USACE’s civil works programs, the Bureau of Reclamation and agencies focused on nuclear energy. The bill’s discretionary funding level is $59.2 billion, a decrease of $494 million from the FY 2024 enacted level. 

The bill also includes Case’s $600,000 CPF request to fund a Waikīkī Beach Environmental Restoration and Coastal Storm Risk Management Feasibility Study. The work will be performed by the USACE. 

Other energy and water related programs and provisions requested and secured by Case include: 

·        Language directing the USACE to continue building capacity to provide this assistance to vulnerable coastal communities, including tribal, Alaskan Native, and Native Hawaiian communities 

·        $12 million for the USACE’s National Coastal Mapping Program which provides high-resolution elevation and imagery data along the U.S. shorelines on a recurring basis which can provide a better understanding of human uses, issues and constraints in coastal regions 

·        $12 million for USACE’s Coastal Ocean Data System, which funds high-resolution observations and models of coastal ocean waves and shoreline change. 

·         $45 million for flood control and coastal emergencies efforts.

·         $124 million for hydrogen and fuel cell technology development. 

·        $6 million for aquatic ecosystem restoration. 

·        $450 million for Advanced Research Projects for Energy Technologies Programs. 

·        $112 million for marine power technology development. 

·        $12 million for the USACE’s National Coastal Mapping Program. 

·        $500,000 for the USACE’s beach erosion and hurricane damage reduction activities.  

A summary of the Energy and Water Appropriations is here.

CJS and Related Agencies 

The CJS and Related Agencies Appropriations bill supports the U.S. Department of Commerce, including the International Trade Administration, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Institute of Standards and Technology; the U.S. Department of Justice; the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA); the National Science Foundation (NSF) and more. The bill’s discretionary funding level is $80.5 billion, a decrease of $1.3 billion. 

The bill includes five of Case’s CPF requests totaling $4.1 million.  

·        $1,184,000 for the Division of Aquatic Resources for restoration of the Maunalua Fishpond.  

·        $400,000 for the Division of Aquatic Resources to conduct a survey to identify new invasion sites of invasive octocorals beyond Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam.

·        $350,000 for Hawai‘i Pacific University to replace aging equipment used to support live algae cultures and de-gas incoming acidic seawater at the Oceanic Institute. 

·        $1,184,000 for the Hawai‘i State Climate Commission to establish Fireshed Partnerships, bringing together owners and managers of fire-prone, largely unmanaged lands surrounding the State’s most vulnerable communities. 

·        $999,000 for The Nature Conservancy to conduct reef, reef fish and water quality surveys and conduct coral reef conservation and restoration.   

“Rising crime, both related and unrelated to gun violence, is of great concern to us all, and must be combatted at all levels of government,” said Case. 

“State and local law enforcement need increased assistance from our federal government to address crime at the state and local level. The more than $4.2 billion in the bill to help local and state law enforcement will help not only to investigate and prosecute crime but will also go to prevention and education programs to stop crime before it happens.” 

The FY 2025 funding bill makes major investments in federal, state and local law enforcement programs. These include: 

·         $848 million for Byrne Justice Assistance Grants (Byrne-JAG). Byrne-JAG is the leading federal source of criminal justice funding to state and local jurisdictions.

The funds can be used to support a range of program areas including law enforcement; prosecution and court; prevention and education; corrections and community corrections; drug treatment and enforcement; planning, evaluation and technology improvement; and crime victim and witness initiatives. 

·        $667 million, for Violence Against Women Act programs. These programs support comprehensive, cost-effective responses to domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence and stalking.

·        $670 million for Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS). The COPS program is designed to provide funding directly to law enforcement agencies to hire and/or rehire additional career law enforcement officers to increase their community policing capacity and crime prevention efforts. 

·        $88 million for grants to help state governments improve their submissions into the National Instant Criminal Background Check System for gun purchases. 

·        $52 million for grants to reduce the sexual assault kit backlog. 

·        $51 million for the Anti-Methamphetamine and Anti-Heroin Task Forces. 

·        $36.5 billion for the Department of Justice, including $10.3 billion for the Federal Bureau of Investigation and $760 million for the Executive Office for Immigration Review.  

Science Provisions 

“Our funding measure also focuses on our flagship national science programs, which translate into world-leading research and development and science and high-tech engineering projects in our Hawai‘i. 

“The bill ensures that young people across our country can pursue science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM)-related education to lead innovation and contribute to a better economy back home,” said Case. 

The FY 2025 bill’s investments in science include: 

·        $250 million for the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research, which enhances the research competitiveness of Hawai‘i by strengthening STEM capacity and capability. 

·        $104 million for the Climate Laboratories and Cooperative Institutes program to support the maintenance and needed repairs at the Atmospheric Baseline Observatories, including the Mauna Loa Observatory where the famous Keeling Curve proving rapid climate change was developed. 

·        $89 million for STEM Engagement Programs, to inspire young people to pursue future careers in science and engineering. 

·        $9.3 billion for the NSF, an increase of $200 million above the FY 2024 enacted level. 

·        $7.3 billion for science programs at NASA to continue efforts to explore the solar system, other planets and other solar systems. Among other things, this will support space telescopes and efforts to gain scientific knowledge about the Earth’s changing climate. 

·        $7.6 million for the National Institute of Standards and Technology to develop wildland-urban interface risk metrics to mitigate wildfire risk to communities. 

Oceans Provisions 

The FY 2025 bill’s investments in the oceans and coastal communities include: 

·        $120 million for the protection, research and management of marine mammals, sea turtles and other ocean species. 

·         $80 million for the Sea Grant Program, which supports coastal and Great Lakes communities through research, extension and education.

These funds help support the Hawaiʻi Sea Grant Program at the University of Hawaiʻi that concentrates on promoting healthy coastal ecosystems, sustainable fisheries and aquaculture, resilient communities and economies and environmental literacy and workforce development. 

·        $40 million for the Sanctuaries and Marine Protected Areas Program, including the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. 

·         $33 million for the Coral Reef Conservation Program. 

Commerce Department Provisions 

The bill also included Case’s requests for several key U.S. Department of Commerce programs, including: 

·        $489 million for the Legal Services Corporation, which help ensure equal access to justice under the law for all Americans by providing funding for civil legal aid through organizations like Legal Aid Hawai‘i to those who otherwise would be unable to afford it. 

·        $175 million for the Manufacturing Extension Partnership Program. This public-private partnership has centers in all 50 states, including Hawaiʻi, dedicated to serving small and medium-sized manufacturers. 

·        $55 million for the Minority Business Development Agency. This includes $4 million specifically for Native American Business Development Program that awards grants to Tribes and American Indian, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian populations to address barriers to economic development. This also includes $5 million for grants to American Indian, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian entities qualified to provide business, financing and technical assistance. 

·         $420 million for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. 

·         $115 million for the International Trade Commission.

A summary of the CJS and Related Agencies Appropriations funding bill is here. 

These three measures are part of the twelve bills to be taken up by the House Appropriations Committee that will collectively fund the federal government for FY 2025 (commencing October 1, 2024).

The proposed total discretionary funding level is $178 billion, a decrease of almost $2 billion from the FY 2024 enacted level. The bills now move on to the full House of Representatives for consideration.

###