Appropriations Requests

I have served since 2019 on the exclusive U.S. House Committee on Appropriations, which is responsible for allocating all federal discretionary spending (all spending other than for mainly federal benefits programs like Social Security and veterans). Under our Constitution, no such spending can occur unless first appropriated (authorized and allocated) by Congress. We make these appropriations annually for each fiscal year; in the current fiscal year our allocation totaled about $1.7 trillion.

My Appropriations responsibilities extend not only to federal program funding but to oversight to assure they are working for the purposes we intend and need. They cover virtually all federal efforts, including agriculture, defense, veterans, science, energy, environment, justice, homeland security, labor, health and human services, education, transportation and housing programs. I focus in Appropriations not only on national programs and needs but in assuring that federal funding is directed to our Hawaii’s own often unique needs.

Each year, before my Appropriations Committee begins our work on the upcoming federal fiscal year in earnest, Members of the U.S. House are able to submit requests to our Committee for inclusion in the annual appropriations bills. Much of the federal funding to Hawai’i and many of the directions to our federal government to take care of Hawai’i have resulted from my own requests, working with my Hawai’i delegation colleagues. More information on my requests and results to date can be found here.

Because the number of requests to Appropriations is limited, I start early on obtaining, developing and prioritizing them. My Appropriations requests for Fiscal Year 2025 (October 1, 2024-September 30, 2025) were submitted in April 2024. If you have any questions about submitting a request for Fiscal Year 2026 (October 1, 2025-September 30, 2026), please contact my DC office for more information.

Most requests fall into two categories: funding to sustain existing or new federal programs (programmatic requests); and funding to support specific projects in our community (Community Project Funding). This page explains these different types of requests and includes links to submit them for consideration. If you need help preparing a request or have any questions about the process, please contact my Washington, D.C. office at (202) 225-2726. To submit a request, please fill out this form.

Community Project Funding

Community Project Funding allows Members of Congress to request direct federal funding for specific projects benefiting the communities they represent. These funds can finance a wide variety of public projects and activities, including the construction and renovation of facilities, the expansion of existing programs, and the planning and design of future initiatives.

To learn more about Community Project Funding click here. You can also view examples of my Community Project Funding requests the Committee appropriated for Hawai‘i in our past appropriations measures here.

My Community Project Funding requests for Fiscal Year 2025 were submitted in April 2024. To discuss a proposal for Fiscal Year 2026, please contact my DC office and fill out this form .

Note: There is no guarantee that Community Project Funding will continue throughout the two-year 118th Congress, which commenced in January 2023.

Programmatic Requests

If your organization or community benefits from existing federal programs, you may wish to submit a programmatic request. These requests seek to increase or redirect funding for federal programs, which often creates more grant opportunities for our state or in some cases sends more federal funds directly to our Hawai‘i. 99% of discretionary federal spending is programmatic in nature.

To submit a programmatic appropriations request, please complete my online submission form based on what Subcommittee will consider the request. I submit requests to the following Subcommittees:

Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration and Related Agencies

The Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration and Related Agencies Subcommittee has jurisdiction over the Department of Agriculture (except the U.S. Forest Service), the Farm Credit Administration, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and the Food and Drug Administration.

Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies

The Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies Subcommittee has jurisdiction over the Department of Commerce, the Department of Justice, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Science Foundation, the Commission on Civil Rights, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the International Trade Commission, the Legal Services Corporation, the Marine Mammal Commission, the Office of Science and Technology Policy, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative and the State Justice Institute.

Defense

The Defense Subcommittee has jurisdiction over the Departments of Army, Navy (including Marine Corps), Air Force (including the Space Force), the Office of Secretary of Defense and various defense agencies. Additionally, the Subcommittee has jurisdiction over intelligences activities, including the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the Central Intelligence Agency. The Subcommittee’s jurisdiction does not include Department of Defense-related construction programs handled by the Subcommittee on Military Construction and Veterans Affairs or U.S. Army Corps of Engineers civil works programs handled by the Subcommittee on Energy and Water.

Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies

The Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Subcommittee has jurisdiction over the Department of Energy, U.S. Corps of Engineers civil works programs, the Department of the Interior, the Bureau of Reclamation, the Central Utah Project, the Appalachian Regional Commission, the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board, the Delta Regional Authority, the Denali Commission, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board and the Tennessee Valley Authority.

Financial Services and General Government

The Financial Services and General Government Subcommittee has jurisdiction over the Department of the Treasury, the District of Columbia, the Judicial Branch and the Executive Office of the President (including the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas Program, the Office of Management and Budget and the Office of National Drug Control Policy). It also covers are wide range of independent agencies including the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the Federal Communications Commission, the Federal Election Commission, the Federal Trade Commission, the General Services Administration, the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Small Business Administration. A full list of the independent agencies is available here.

Interior, Environmental Protection Agency and Related Agencies

The Interior, Environmental Protection Agency and Related Agencies has jurisdiction over the Department of the Interior (except Bureau of Reclamation and Central Utah Project), the Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Forest Service, the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, the Smithsonian Institution, the Council on Environmental Quality and various related agencies. A full list of agencies is available here.

Homeland Security

The Homeland Security Subcommittee has jurisdiction over the Department of Homeland Security, which includes the U.S. Customs Service, the Transportation Security Administration, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the U.S. Coast Guard and the U.S. Secret Service.

Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies

The Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies Subcommittee has jurisdiction over the Department of Education, the Department of Health and Human Services (except the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, the Food and Drug Administration, the Indian Health Services and Facilities and the National Institute of Environmental Sciences), the Department of Labor and various related agencies, including the Corporation for National and Community Service, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the Institute of Museum and Library Services and the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. A full list of the agencies is available here.

Legislative Branch

The Legislative Branch Subcommittee has jurisdiction over the House of Representative and joint Congressional agencies, including the Architect of the Capitol, the U.S. Botanic Gardens, the U.S. Capitol Police, the Capitol Visitors Center, the Congressional Budget Office, the Government Accountability Office, the Government Printing Office, the John C. Stennis Center, the Library of Congress, the Open World Leadership Center and the U.S. Capitol Preservation Commission.

Military Construction, Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies

The Military Construction, Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies Subcommittee has jurisdiction over military construction projects, Base Realignment and Closure projects, the Department of Veterans Affairs and the following veterans-focused agencies: the American Battle Monuments Commission, the Armed Forces Retirement Home, Arlington National Cemetery and the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims.

State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs

The State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs Subcommittee focuses on U.S. diplomatic, development and trade efforts. It has jurisdiction over the Department of State, the United States Agency for International Development, the Peace Corps, the Millennium Challenge Corporation, the Export-Import Bank, the Overseas Private Investment Corporation, the Trade and Development Agency, international offices within the Department of the Treasury, and various related agencies to include the Asia Foundation, the East-West Center, the United States Institute of Peace and the United States-China Economic and Security Review Commission. A full list of the agencies is available here.

Transportation, Housing and Urban Development and Related Agencies

The Transportation, Housing and Urban Development and Related Agencies Subcommittee has jurisdiction over the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Department of Transportation, the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board, the Federal Maritime Commission, the National Transportation Safety Board, the Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation, the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness and the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority.