Warner & Kaine Applaud Wins For Virginia In Appropriations Bill
WASHINGTON -- U.S. Senators Mark Warner (D-VA) and Tim Kaine (D-VA) today applauded passage of the Fiscal Year 2014 Omnibus Appropriations bill, which provides discretionary funding for the federal government through the end of the fiscal year.
“With passage of this appropriations bill, I’m so pleased that a majority of my colleagues agree that a return to normal budget order is far better for our country than shutdown politics and crisis-budgeting,” said Senator Kaine. “This bill offsets the worst effects of sequestration while funding so many critical priorities for Virginia communities. I will also continue to pursue every path – both legislatively, as well as through my role on the Armed Services Committee – to reverse the provision in the budget agreement that makes a reduction to the cost of living increase (COLA) for certain military retirees."
Early Childhood Education: Includes a $1.025 billion increase for Head Start, which will support comprehensive early childhood services for approximately 90,000 additional children and their families and restore cuts from sequestration. It also includes $500 million in funding to expand Early Head Start for children and families from before birth through age three, including the establishment of new Early Head Start-Child Care Partnerships. The bill allows $250 million to be used for grants to help states develop, enhance or expand high quality preschool programs for children ages 4 and over and from low and moderate income families.
Pell Grants: Maintains funding for the Pell Grant program. Combined with mandatory funding, the total maximum award is estimated to rise by $85 to $5,730 and the number of recipients is estimated to increase by 186,000.
Funds American Battlefield Protection Program: Restores $9 million in funding to the American Battlefield Protection Program. In May, Kaine introduced the American Battlefield Protection Program Amendments Act to reauthorize this critical program for five years. In November, Warner and Kaine introduced the Petersburg National Battlefield Boundary Modification Act to expand Petersburg National Battlefield.
Clean Coal: Funds Fossil Energy Research and Development at $562 million, supporting clean coal projects.
Food and Nutrition Programs: Fully funds the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), which provides food and nutrition education to low-income mothers-to-be, new mothers, and infants and children up to age five who are at nutritional risk.
Conservation: maintains $826 million in funding for USDA’s Natural Resource Conservation Service which helps farmers, ranchers, and private forest landowners conserve and protect their land.
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