Rep. Watson Coleman Votes For Omnibus Funding Bill
Today, Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12) voted in favor of $730 billion in non-defense spending in H.R. 2471, the omnibus spending bill. This spending represents an $46 billion increase over last year as the country climbs out of the economic downturn caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The funding includes expanded child-care and early learning programs to serve more working families as parents head back to work and a $2.9 billion increase in education funding including significant increases in career, technical, and adult education as well as increases to student financial assistance and higher education. The bill also has a ten percent increase in funding to mental health resources for children and youth; vitally needed resources for children who have especially struggled during the pandemic.
In addition to the Congresswoman’s other priorities, all ten of her 12th District community funding projects received funds. These include valuable projects like the rehabilitation of the Sister2Sister facility in Somerset, NJ – a program that aids underserved women recovering from cancer treatment, the Dunhams Corner Road reconstruction project in East Brunswick and South Brunswick, and a Capital Health Mobile Simulation Lab which will serve the greater Trenton area with continuing education for healthcare workers and community members.
Included in the omnibus spending is approximately $7 billion in humanitarian aid to Ukraine and fleeing refugees.
The Congresswoman voted not to approve a $42 Billion increase in Defense spending.