Press Releases

(Washington, DC) – Congressman Ed Case (HI-01) has announced approval by his U.S. House Committee on Appropriations of two more of the twelve bills that will collectively fund the federal government for Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 (commencing October 1, 2021).

The first, the FY 2022 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies Appropriations bill, proposes to fund $124.5 billion in federal military construction and veterans programs.

The second, the FY 2022 State, Foreign Operations Appropriations bill, proposes to fund $62.2 billion to the State Department and other federal agencies and their NGO and private partners for our country’s diplomatic and other non-defense international efforts.

Military Construction, Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies

This measure funds construction and maintenance of our defense facilities throughout the country and world, our national cemeteries and battle monuments, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and various small agencies and programs supporting our nation's some 19 million veterans and their families. In remarks before the full Committee (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBt2I4PmpGg), Case, a member of the subcommittee responsible for this bill, emphasized the significance of this measure for our nation’s defense and for keeping our promise to our veterans.

“This bill is always of special importance to Hawai‘i for many reasons,” said Case. “First, as the center of our national defense in the Indo-Pacific, we must keep our military facilities fully up to date. In doing so, we also provide major assistance to our local businesses and families who earn a major share of their income from the federal government. That point was driven home during COVID-19, when, with tourism decimated, it was our defense economy here that pulled us through.”

“Second, with some 120,000 veterans in Hawai‘i and their families, making up one of the largest percentage of any state in our nation including in such key areas like women and minority veterans, I focus especially on the often unique challenges of delivering full veterans’ health and other benefits in a diverse island state.”

Programs and provisions requested and secured by Case include:

·        $475 million for the Navy’s Shipyard Infrastructure Optimization Plan, which is $379 million above the FY 2021 enacted level, and $225 million above the FY 2022 budget request. This program provides the main source of funding for planned major upgrades in the billions of dollars to Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility, one of just four of our nation’s federal shipyards.

·        $51 million for the West Lock Naval Magazine Annex, which would enable the Army to move its munitions from its current storage magazines at the Navy’s Lualualei Annex near Wai‘anae on the leeward side to the West Loch Annex.

·        $29.8 million for the Veterinary Treatment Facility Replacement at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, which is staffed by Army Veterinary Corps personnel who provide complete veterinary care for all government-owned animals.

·        $2.2 billion for homeless assistance programs for our nation’s veterans, an increase of $246 million above the 2021 enacted level and equal to the President’s budget request. This funding will enhance VA’s ability to reach homeless veterans, which is particularly crucial as the most recent homelessness survey showed that on a given night in January 2020, an estimated 37,252 veterans nationwide were experiencing homelessness.

·        $307 million for Rural Health Initiatives, an increase of $7 million above the 2021 enacted level. This will build upon VA’s success in having served 2.9 million veterans at 600 rural serving sites.

The measure also:

·        Directs the military to address the parking shortage at the Tripler Army Medical Center.

·        Requires the VA to assess the benefits of expanding the Veterans Affairs Accessing Telehealth through Local Area Stations Program in more areas, including Hawai‘i. This program offers veterans the ability to securely access VA care in purpose-built settings from easily accessed locations in their home communities.

·        Directs the VA to ensure equity in support and outreach to WWII Filipino veterans overseas.

State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs

This measure funds U.S. foreign policy programs and agencies, including the Department of State, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), U.S. contributions to the United Nations and its agencies and more. Globally, this bill provides for U.S. foreign assistance in public health, basic education, educational and cultural exchanges, climate change and more.

“Coming on the heels of my BLUE Pacific Act, on which I recently spoke when I reintroduced the measure in the House (https://case.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=560), and my continuing work with the bi-partisan Congressional Pacific Islands Caucus (https://pacificislandscaucus-case.house.gov/) which I created shortly after my return to Congress in 2019, I am very grateful that my Appropriations Committee fully appreciates and funds the critical role the Pacific Islands region plays in our economic and national security interests,” said Case.

“This assists not only our nation, but our Hawai‘i as many of our foreign policy institutions and efforts are located in Hawai‘i and are key contributors to our local economy,” Case said.

Programs and provisions related to the Pacific Islands and the Indo-Pacific requested and secured by Case include:

·        $19.7 million for the East-West Center, representing stable funding year-to-year after a decade of efforts to reduce or even eliminate such funding;

·        $1.6 billion for implementation of the Indo-Pacific Strategy to counter malign influence and promote peace, prosperity and democracy in the region;

·        Report language recommending funds to enhance engagement with the Pacific Islands on strengthening resilience against malign influences, promoting development and good governance and supporting economic growth;

·        Report language urging the U.S. Development Finance Corporation to prioritize investments in the Pacific Islands, especially investments in minority- and women-owned businesses;

·        Report language encouraging the Department of State and USAID to hire locally employed staff in the Pacific Islands to promote and expand our diplomacy and development engagement;

·        Report language supporting coverage of Voice of America on digital and conventional media in the Pacific Islands, including through the pursuit of regional affiliates; and

·        Report language directing the Department of State and USAID to update and submit an Indo-Pacific climate security report assessing the impacts of climate change on U.S. foreign policy in the Indo-Pacific and providing a plan on how best to address such impacts.

The bill also sustains or increases funding for several foreign policy programs supported by Case, including:

·        $1.6 billion for the Green Climate Fund;

·        $1.7 billion for Contributions to International Organizations and $1.9 billion for Contributions for International Peacekeeping Activities, which includes U.S. dues and arrears;

·        $750 million for Educational and Cultural Exchange programs, which include the Fulbright programs;

·        $430.5 million for the Peace Corps, an increase of $20 million over the FY 2021 enacted level;

·        $6.1 billion for the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, including $1.6 billion for the Global Fund;

·        $4.6 billion for maternal and child health programs and combating infectious diseases;

·        $950 million for basic education; and

·        $8.5 billion for humanitarian assistance programs, including refugee assistance and international disaster assistance.

Case’s Appropriations Committee is responsible for allocating some $1.5 trillion in funding to federal government agencies, departments and organizations on an annual basis through twelve separate bills.

The veterans, military construction and foreign affairs funding bills now move onto the full House of Representatives for consideration.

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