Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) released the following statement after voting to pass bipartisan government funding legislation through the Senate. Cortez Masto secured full funding for the Indian Community Development Block Grant program, which supports housing and infrastructure improvements on Tribal land, as well as critical investments for rural communities and Nevada’s military installations in the legislation. This is the first of several Senate bills to fund the government, and includes additional funding for veterans and affordable housing programs.
“This legislative package will support rural and Tribal communities, improve our military readiness, protect our veterans, and help more Nevada families access affordable housing,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “I urge my colleagues in the House to stop playing games with the lives of hard-working Nevadans and get to work passing these critical funding bills.”
This legislation supports Military Construction and Veterans Affairs (VA), Agriculture, and Transportation and Housing and Urban Development programs and includes funding Cortez Masto requested for community development and military construction projects across Nevada.
The FY2024 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Act includes:
- Programs to improve military readiness, bolster our strategic partnerships in Europe and the Indo-Pacific, and make significant upgrades to military housing;
- Robust support for expanding veterans’ medical care and benefits, including $347 million to support telehealth and rural medical transportation and $16.2 billion to help veterans access the mental health care they deserve.
The FY2024 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Act includes:
- $75 million Senator Cortez Masto secured for the Indian Community Development Block Grant program, which helps Tribes support housing, community improvement, and economic development projects;
- $7.5 million Senator Cortez Masto requested for the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Veterans Affairs and Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) program to support Native American veterans experiencing homelessness;
- Senator Cortez Masto’s requests to combat human trafficking at transportation centers;
- $1.5 billion for the HOME Investment Partnership program and $4.3 billion for the Community Development Block Grant program to help increase the supply of affordable housing.
The FY2024 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Act includes:
- Funding for Senator Cortez Masto’s priorities to reduce water pollution and fund agricultural research benefiting Nevada’s farmers and ranchers;
- $6 million Senators Rosen and Cortez Masto delivered to help combat Mormon crickets in Nevada and across the West;
- Federal assistance to protect our food supply and help families keep food on their tables.
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