Representative Adriano Espaillat Statement on Appropriations Committee Fiscal Year 2023 Energy and Water Development, and Related Agencies Funding Bill.
Legislation lowers costs for working families, creates good-paying jobs, invests in clean energy, and rebuilds water infrastructure
WASHINGTON, DC – Representative Adriano Espaillat (NY-13) issued the following statement during yesterday’s House Appropriations Committee markup to approve the fiscal year 2023 Energy and Water Development, and Related Agencies bill:
“I rise in strong support of this year’s energy and water federal funding bill. As the nation grapples with soaring gasoline prices, it is critical that we not only lower energy costs for American families but enact policies to protect them from high energy prices in the future. This bill does just that by increasing our investment in clean and renewable energy efforts. And for the first time ever, this bill includes $100 million for the Defense Production Act Domestic Clean Energy Accelerator, a new program at the Department of Energy meant to fund domestic manufacturing of renewable energy technologies.
“The measures set out in this funding bill make clear that Congress is prioritizing clean energy, affordable and sustainable housing, and clean water—especially in disadvantaged communities that have been historically marginalized, underserved, and overburdened by pollution.
“Furthermore, this bill includes vital funding to support the work of the Army Corps of Engineers— for fiscal year 2023, the bill provides a total of $8.889 billion, an increase of $545 million above the fiscal year 2022 level. This Corps funding will allow the agency to continue its excellent work, including the New York and New Jersey Harbor Tributaries Focus Area Study which will advise a comprehensive plan for managing future potential coastal storm risks facing the region, including those from predicted sea level and extreme weather events. The Corps plays an integral role in working with governmental partners to help reduce risks to coastal areas and improve resilience to coastal hazards, including natural disasters which have ravished many coastal communities including the Bronx and Harlem, which I proudly represent. I am pleased to support this increased investment and look forward to working with this committee and the Corps to protect coastal communities through nature-based solutions.
“Finally, this bill incentivizes growing the STEM workforce pipeline across the Department of Energy disciplines by encouraging student research participant programs, supporting pre-college research and internship programs, and mentoring experiences to engage high schools locally.
“We must support the next generation of innovators who will build upon and maximize the impact of not only this funding bill but the historic Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s investment. For these reasons, I urge my colleagues to vote YES on this bill.”
For 2023, the Energy and Water bill provides $56.275 billion, an increase of $3.4 billion above the fiscal year 2022 level. The legislation:
* Helps lower energy costs by strengthening America’s energy independence
* Creates tens of thousands of good-paying jobs with a focus on deploying clean energy technologies and the green jobs of tomorrow in communities across the country
* Confronts the climate crisis with more than $16 billion of transformative investments in clean energy and science, which will help develop clean, affordable, and secure American energy
* Rebuilds our nation’s water infrastructure, critical to protecting communities from more frequent and severe storms and to addressing the worsening western drought
* Strengthens our national security by providing for a safe and secure nuclear deterrent and protects our environment by funding legacy nuclear cleanup work
A summary of the bill is here. The text of the draft bill is here. The bill report, before the adoption of amendments in full Committee, is here. In keeping with the Appropriations Committee’s commitment to transparency, information on Community Project Funding in the bill is here.
Representative Espaillat is the first Dominican American to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives and his congressional district includes Harlem, East Harlem, West Harlem, Hamilton Heights, Washington Heights, Inwood, Marble Hill and the north-west Bronx. First elected to Congress in 2016, Representative Espaillat is serving his third term in Congress. Representative Espaillat currently serves as a member of the influential U.S. House Committee on Appropriations responsible for funding the federal government’s vital activities. He is also a member of the House Committee on Education and Labor and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC), where he serves in a leadership role as the Second Vice Chair and is a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, where he serves as Deputy Whip. Representative Espaillat also currently serves as a Senior Whip of the Democratic Caucus. To find out more about Rep. Espaillat, visit online at https://espaillat.house.gov/. | 
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