Pete Aguilar: “The House Appropriations Committee has the distinction of being the only congressional committee enumerated in Article I…”

“The House Appropriations Committee has the distinction of being the only congressional committee enumerated in Article I of the Constitution. It is our job to allocate funding across the Federal Government to best serve the American people. To put it more simply, it is our job to solve problems. That is why I wanted to take an opportunity to call attention to some of the problems that the committee has worked to solve over the past few weeks. The gun violence epidemic has devastated communities across our country, including my own. And that is why I am proud that the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill for the upcoming fiscal year has set aside funding for the first time for $25 million for the CDC to study and develop solutions for this epidemic. The bill also makes meaningful investments in combating the opioid crisis that has torn far too many families apart, increasing funding for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. It also ramps up funding to protect title X family planning, helping low-income families access the healthcare that they need. These are only a few of the ways that the House Appropriations Committee has worked to provide real, tangible results to lead to better health outcomes for the American people. I am proud of the work the committee has done, and I look forward to our continued work. ____________________”