SCHUMER, GILLIBRAND DELIVER $18 MILLION FOR FORT DRUM’S URGENTLY NEEDED WHEELER-SACK ARMY AIRFIELD UPGRADES

Funding Follows Senators Delivering $18 Million Last Year For Military Construction Projects To Expand Aircraft Storage & Training Facilities At Fort Drum

After Years Of Advocacy, Senators Say Funding For Wheeler-Sack Army Airfield In Just-Passed Defense Funding Bill Means Funds Are Officially Delivered For Fort Drum

Schumer, Gillibrand: $$ On The Way For Upgrading Wheeler-Sack Army Airfield!

After years of advocacy, U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand today announced that they have delivered $18 million in federal funding to make long-needed upgrades to Fort Drum’s Wheeler-Sack Army Airfield as part of the just-passed Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Defense funding bill, which was signed into law earlier this week. Schumer and Gillibrand explained that upgrading the airfield’s outdated lighting system is a top priority for Fort Drum leadership.

“Wheeler-Sack Army Airfield at Fort Drum is mission-critical to the 10th Mountain Division, our most deployed US Army unit. Without Wheeler-Sack Army Airfield, the 10th Mountain Division would be forced to find other airfields to deploy from, significantly limiting their mobility and deployable readiness. That’s why I’m proud to deliver $18 million in federal funding to upgrade Wheeler-Sack’s legacy lighting and electrical infrastructure,” said Senator Schumer. “Upgrading Wheeler-Sack’s lighting and electrical infrastructure has long been Fort Drum’s top garrison priority, as more than 70% of the lighting system at any given time is rated as ‘not mission capable’ and is held together by duct tape and other makeshift fixes that fall short of long-term solutions. After years of advocacy, I am proud to finally get this funding over the finish line and urge the Army to provide additional funding needed to complete these upgrades.”

“Wheeler-Sack Army Airfield is a vital asset for Fort Drum and the 10th Mountain Division, enabling rapid deployment for one of the Army’s most heavily tasked units,” said Senator Gillibrand, member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. “I am proud to deliver $18 million in federal funding to modernize Wheeler-Sack’s aging lighting and electrical infrastructure. For years, more than 70 percent of the system has been deemed not mission capable. This long-overdue investment strengthens our national security, supports our service members, and ensures Fort Drum can meet the demands of today’s missions.”

“Senator Schumer and Senator Gillibrand have always understood the importance of Fort Drum to the North Country region. Besides being home to our friends and neighbors, the 10th Mountain Division at Fort Drum generates over $2.5 billion in economic activity for the tri-county region each year,” said Jefferson County Administrator Ryan Piche. “Investments in the Wheeler-Sack Airfield will ensure our soldiers and airmen have access to the latest technology when training and deploying from Fort Drum. Continued investment in Fort Drum is good for national defense, good for the 10th Mountain Division, and good for Jefferson County. On behalf of the Jefferson County Board of Legislators, I would like to thank Senator Schumer and Senator Gillibrand for their continued support and advocacy.”

The Wheeler-Sack Army Airfield at Fort Drum serves as the primary departure airfield for the 10th Mountain Division—the most deployed regular US Army unit since 2002—and is a power projection platform for the entire US Army, enabling the rapid deployment of US forces to remote theaters of operation. However, the legacy lighting system for Wheeler-Sack is far beyond its service life, with most of the lighting and electrical infrastructure dating as far back as the 1940s, and currently, more than 70% of Wheeler-Sack’s lighting system is not mission capable. Schumer further explained that if the Army doesn’t follow Congress’s lead and match these funds with accelerated federal investment soon to complete these urgent and overdue repairs to Wheeler-Sack’s lighting and electrical infrastructure, it will significantly degrade the 10th Mountain Division’s mission readiness.

Schumer and Gillibrand explained that the 10th Mountain Division at Fort Drum uniquely relies on Wheeler-Sack Army Airfield for training soldiers, moving troops, and maintaining the base’s hub for unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). The Army has long planned for $70 million in essential, long-overdue repairs and upgrades to the legacy lighting and electrical infrastructure at Wheeler-Sack, but has relied solely on Congress to appropriate the funds, refusing to match congressional dollars and provide the remainder of the project, and failing to pull the project forward in the Army Facilities Investment Plan. The senators said this $18 million will be a key down payment to phase one of the Wheeler-Sack restoration and modernization project, and that they will continue pushing for funds in future fiscal years to complete all five phases of the $200+ million restoration. Additionally, Schumer emphasized the urgency of Wheeler-Sack’s restoration in explaining that as the project continues to receive funding, sections of the airfield will need to temporarily shut down while necessary repairs are completed, further degrading airfield operations.

Schumer has long fought to deliver this funding for Fort Drum. In a meeting with Army Secretary Dan Driscoll last year, Schumer pushed Secretary Driscoll—who served in the 10th Mountain Division and was stationed at Fort Drum—to pull the project forward for insertion in the FY 2026 Facilities Investment Plan (FIP), emphasizing that the Wheeler-Sack lighting repairs has been the garrison’s top infrastructure project under facilities sustainment, restoration, and modernization, for several years. In a personal meeting with Major General Scott Naumann, Commanding General of the 10th Mountain Division and Fort Drum, Schumer previously vowed to fight for this funding.

This announcement follows Schumer last year securing $18.5 million in the Senate’s National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 for Fort Drum in planning and design of an aircraft maintenance hangar addition and an Operational Readiness Training Complex training barracks at Fort Drum, a vital step in unlocking the funding process in future funding bills.

Schumer has worked for years to deliver major federal investments to enhance Fort Drum’s capabilities. Schumer fought for years, personally calling the former Army Secretary, Defense Secretary, and Army Chief of Staff to deliver over $27 million in federal funding to construct a new railhead at Fort Drum, a top priority for the base. The senator also delivered over $21 million for a new Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Hangar at Fort Drum, and he secured $27 million for Fort Drum in the FY 2022 omnibus to replace the base’s existing water supply that was vulnerable to multiple forms of contamination, requiring Fort Drum to purchase half of its water supply from a municipal source. Schumer additionally secured nearly $10 million for two major Fort Drum projects in the end-of-year spending package for FY 2023.

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Shaheen Tours Phoenix Tailings, Highlights Pair of Bipartisan Critical Minerals Bills to Boost Domestic Production and Stockpiling

**Shaheen champions pair of bipartisan bills in Congress that would strengthen domestic and allied production of critical minerals to secure supply chains and reduce reliance on China**

(Exeter, NH) – Today, U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) visited Phoenix Tailings to tour its recently opened, cutting-edge rare earth metallization facility. During the visit, Shaheen discussed her new bipartisan legislation, the SECURE Minerals Act, as well as her bipartisan bill to coordinate production with trusted allies. Shaheen’s newly-introduced SECURE Minerals Act would support the domestic supply of critical minerals needed to boost our economic and national security through the creation of a new Strategic Resilience Reserve (SRR). Shaheen was joined by senior executives from Phoenix Tailings. Photos from today’s event can be found HERE.

“We use critical minerals to build just about everything in modern technology—but right now, China controls too much of the supply chain. That costs us good-paying jobs and economic opportunities in New Hampshire while ceding enormous leverage to one of our top adversaries in a way that threatens our national security,” said Senator Shaheen. “It was great to visit Phoenix Tailings’ facility in Exeter, where they’re creating a new approach to process critical minerals in the Granite State completely independent from China. Importantly, they’re extracting rare earth minerals from existing tailings, making the entire supply chain more sustainable. My bipartisan SECURE Minerals Act would support businesses like Phoenix Tailings to expand domestic production and processing—creating good-paying jobs and powering our economy while reducing our reliance on China.”

In the fall of 2025, Phoenix Tailings opened a new plant in Exeter. This facility specializes in turning rare earth inputs, such as oxides and powders, into finished rare-earth metals and alloys. These materials are essential for producing magnets and other advanced manufacturing products. Phoenix Tailings has endorsed Shaheen’s bipartisan SECURE Minerals Act.

Critical minerals have emerged as a key chokepoint in the global economy and give the People’s Republic of China enormous leverage. Shaheen’s recently introduced SECURE Minerals Act would play a vital role in building greater resilience in the U.S. economy from external threats and creating good-paying jobs at home. As part of creating a new SRR, this bill prioritizes support for projects that recycle, reuse or repurpose critical minerals or extract minerals from mining or industrial waste. Last year, Shaheen and U.S. Senator John Curtis (R-UT) introduced bipartisan legislation to bolster partnerships with allies to secure the global supply of critical minerals. The bill both authorizes U.S. participation in the Mineral Security Partnership and authorizes the President to form an international coalition focused on securing reliable critical mineral supply chains and the components that depend on them.

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Slotkin Warns Gabbard, Intelligence Leaders: Do Not Use the Intelligence Community to Target Americans

WASHINGTON D.C. — U.S. Senator Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) sent a letter to Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, Director of the Central Intelligence Agency John Ratcliffe, Acting Director of the National Security Agency Lieutenant General William Hartman, and Acting Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency Major General Constantin Nicolet. Slotkin, a former CIA analyst, raised concerns that the Trump Administration may be using U.S. intelligence personnel, tools, and resources to target Americans in violation of our laws and the Constitution.

Read the Bloomberg article here.

“I write today with my deep concerns that the Trump Administration is using our intelligence community to target American citizens and to request your assurances that you have not and will not focus the organizations you oversee on the American public. As you know, the IC exists to defend the United States against foreign adversaries—not to monitor, investigate, or target Americans,” Slotkin wrote.

“Turning these tools against our own citizens would not only be illegal but would undercut longstanding American values of a right to privacy and ability to speak out against our government without fear of retribution,” Slotkin continued.

Slotkin’s concerns stem from actions such as President Trump’s NSPM-7 memorandum that purports to label groups who oppose the administration’s policies as “domestic terrorists,” the creation of “weaponization working groups” led by Director Gabbard, and Director Gabbard’s involvement in the seizure of 2020 election records in Fulton Country, GA. Slotkin has been sounding the alarm on many of these concerns since last year.

Slotkin called on intelligence leaders to confirm, in writing, that no intelligence personnel, tools, or resources are being used to surveil or target Americans and to reaffirm those leaders’ commitment to operating within the Constitution and federal law.

The full text of the letter can be found here.

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ICYMI: Sen. Sullivan Talks Arctic Security, Russia-China Incursions & Historic Coast Guard Build-Up with Fox News

WASHINGTON— In a recent article on FoxNews.com, U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), discussed the rapidly changing strategic landscape in Alaska’s Arctic as increasing activity from Russia and China demonstrate the growing need for enhanced strength and investments in U.S. Arctic national defense. The article follows a hearing chaired by Sen. Sullivan, chair of the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Coast Guard, Maritime, and Fisheries, where U.S. Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Kevin Lunday confirmed that the Coast Guard is considering home-porting up to four new Arctic Security Cutters in Alaska, part of an eleven-ship initiative under the U.S.–Finland Icebreaker Agreement and the ICE Pact.

Sullivan also emphasized the strategic importance of reopening the Naval Base on Adak Island in Alaska, noting that restoring a U.S. military and maritime presence in the Aleutians would dramatically extend America’s operational reach in the North Pacific and Arctic, closing a critical gap as Russian and Chinese activity continues to surge near Alaska’s western flank. Sullivan has long stressed the need to steel America’s presence in the region through robust defense investments and highlighted congressional momentum, including historic investments in the Coast Guard he championed in the Working Families Tax Cuts Act (WFTCA) and the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), to enhance capabilities and infrastructure in Alaska.

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Russia, China squeeze US Arctic defense zone as Trump eyes Greenland

Sen. Dan Sullivan highlighted funding and plans to reboot WWII-era base on far-flung Adak

By: Charles Cretiz

February 4, 2026

EXCLUSIVE: After U.S. officials detected a sharp rise in Russian and Chinese military incursions near Alaska — including a growing number of joint operations — Sen. Dan Sullivan is warning that the Arctic has become an active security front. And he's pushing Congress to accelerate icebreaker construction, reopen Cold War–era bases and bolster U.S. defenses in the region.

Sullivan’s warning comes as new data show foreign military traffic near Alaska climbing sharply, a trend he says has gone largely unnoticed outside the region even as Moscow and Beijing coordinate more closely. He argues the activity has exposed how thin U.S. Arctic capabilities have become and why Washington is now scrambling to catch up.

"Let’s just say the world's largest fleet of oceanographic survey ships wasn't off the coast of Alaska to ‘save the whales,’" Sullivan told Fox News Digital in an interview.

…

Sullivan, R-Alaska, recently chaired a Senate Commerce Subcommittee hearing examining the U.S. Coast Guard’s Arctic presence and discussed a new U.S.-Finnish deal to secure crucial new icebreaker craft and funding from the recent tax-cut law funding for at least three USCG Arctic security cutters amid a record $25 billion total investment in Coast Guard prowess.

Sullivan shared data with Fox News Digital showing a sharp rise in Russian, Chinese and joint Sino-Russian military aircraft and maritime incursions into the U.S. Air Defense Identification Zone, or ADIZ, a security buffer stretching beyond 12-nautical-mile sovereign U.S. airspace where foreign craft are required to identify themselves.

Since 2019, there have been more than 100 Russian aircraft, four Chinese vessels and, most alarmingly, more than a dozen joint operations that have entered the ADIZ, Sullivan said.

President Donald Trump's ongoing friction with Denmark over Greenland reflects the growing importance of the Arctic for the administration, Sullivan said. As melting ice opens new shipping lanes, energy access and military routes, Alaska is becoming a front line in the contest for economic and strategic dominance.

Click here to read the full article.

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Van Hollen, Alsobrooks Announce Nearly $30 Million for Maryland Water Infrastructure, Investments in Environmental, Bay Restoration

Today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee and Subcommittee on Interior Environment, and Related Agencies, and Senator Angela Alsobrooks (both D-Md) announced $29,636,000 in direct federal funding for 28 community-led projects throughout Maryland within the fiscal year 2026 Interior and Environment appropriations bill – which was enacted into law as part of a 3-bill government funding package passed by Congress and signed into law in January. These projects – submitted and secured by the Senators – will improve the safety and reliability of drinking water infrastructure, modernize stormwater management systems, and preserve historic sites in communities across Maryland. Additionally, despite the Trump Administration’s proposed deep cuts to many initiatives supporting Chesapeake Bay restoration, within this bill the Senators defended, and in some cases increased funding for several critical programs – including the Chesapeake Bay Program, the National Park Service Chesapeake Gateways Network, and the Chesapeake WILD program, which was created by bipartisan legislation authored by Senator Van Hollen.

“Federal dollars can make a big impact when we invest them directly in projects that support our communities’ needs. That’s why we fought to deliver these federal funds to local priorities – from improving access to clean water to preserving important historical sites that support our economy. Within this bill we also delivered funding to continue our efforts to restore Maryland’s greatest natural treasure – the Chesapeake Bay – rejecting the Trump Administration’s attempt to slash the resources that support this vital work. We worked hard to secure the investments in this legislation to ensure it reflects the priorities of Marylanders and our communities,” said Senator Van Hollen.

“The Chesapeake Bay is the heart of Maryland, and Senator Van Hollen and I are committed to protecting it. The conservation and sustainable use of the Bay benefits not just Maryland, but the entire nation, given its economic, ecological, and historical significance. The Bay feeds commerce, supports ecosystems, and sustains communities across the mid-Atlantic. We will keep fighting to invest in our state, economy, and environment,” said Senator Alsobrooks.

Highlights for Maryland in the Fiscal Year 2026 Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Funding Bill

Congressionally Directed Spending

Project Name: Aberdeen's Swan Meadows Water Infrastructure Project

Applicant: Army Corps of Engineers

Project Description: Funds will be used to replace aging sewer and water lines in Aberdeen, improving water infrastructure for 300 residential units.

Project Location: Harford County

Amount Included: $2,000,000

Project Name: Canal Place Preservation and Development Authority for Sediment Testing and Remediation

Applicant: Canal Place Preservation and Development Authority

Project Description: Funds will be used to test and remove contaminants from sediment around the Industrial Dam on the Potomac River in Cumberland, MD, and to develop methods to more efficiently remove sediment to improve water quality.

Project Location: Allegany County

Amount Included: $500,000

Project Name: Chesapeake Bay Trust for Translating Science from the Pooled Monitoring Research Program

Applicant: Chesapeake Bay Trust

Project Description: Funds will be used to synthesize 10 years’ worth of scientific data to inform effective practices to clean up the Chesapeake Bay.

Project Location: Anne Arundel County

Amount Included: $178,000

Project Name: City of Bowie for Cast Iron Pipe Lining

Applicant: City of Bowie

Project Description: Funds will support the upgrade of a water main supplying Bowie residents with water improving drinking water quality and enhancing public safety by ensuring that fire hydrants in the city maintain adequate water pressure.

Project Location: Prince George's County

Amount Included: $1,092,000

Project Name: City of Hagerstown for Storm Drain Network Upgrades

Applicant: City of Hagerstown

Project Description: Funds will be used to restore and repair parts of Hagerstown's century-old stormwater system in order to address new stresses on the system from the increasing frequency and severity of storm and flooding events.

Project Location: Washington County

Amount Included: $1,000,000

Project Name: City of Rockville for Lead Service Line Inventory Investigation

Applicant: City of Rockville

Project Description: Funds will be used to identify and prioritize lead service lines for replacement in order to improve public health by eliminating lead exposure risks associated with the unknown pipe materials.

Project Location: Montgomery County

Amount Included: $500,000

Project Name: City of Rockville for Orangeburg Lateral Replacement

Applicant: City of Rockville

Project Description: Funds will be used to replace failing pipes to prevent sewage backups, overflows, and ground contamination in order to safeguard public health and the environment.

Project Location: Montgomery County

Amount Included: $1,092,000

Project Name: City of Rockville for Wastewater Collection System Rehabilitation

Applicant: City of Rockville

Project Description: Funds will be used to replace failing pipes that currently pose risks to public health, including sewer backups, overflows, and environmental contamination.

Project Location: Montgomery County

Amount Included: $1,092,000

Project Name: City of Westminster for Water Purification System

Applicant: City of Westminster

Project Description: Funds will be used to support the first indirect water reuse facility in Maryland, providing the City of Westminster a permanent drought-resistant new water source.

Project Location: Carroll County

Amount Included: $1,092,000

Project Name: County Commissioners of Worcester County for Newark Water Treatment Plant Replacement

Applicant: County Commissioners of Worcester County, MD

Project Description: Funds will be used to replace the Newark Water Treatment Plant, which is over 50 years old and has exceeded its useful life. The replacement water treatment plant will provide enhanced water treatment capabilities for the community and a reliable source of clean water.

Project Location: Worcester County

Amount Included: $2,550,000

Project Name: Easton Utilities for Windmill Pump Station Enhancement

Applicant: Easton Utilities Commission

Project Description: Funds will be used to address stormwater overflows that result in sewage spills that impact local communities and pollute the Chesapeake Bay. The project will significantly reduce public health threats and environmental pollution by moving the existing sanitary sewer system out of the flood plain.

Project Location: Talbot County

Amount Included: $2,868,000

Project Name: Garrett County Sanitary District for Gorman Water Source Project

Applicant: Garrett County Sanitary District, Inc.

Project Description: Funds will be used to provide water source redundancy by drilling a new production well to replace the previous production well that collapsed.

Project Location: Garrett County

Amount Included: $1,659,000

Project Name: Garrett Park Town Hall for Historic Preservation, Save America's Treasures

Applicant: Town of Garrett Park

Project Description: Funds will be used to restore and renovate Garrett Park Town Hall, including repairing the historic facades, removing an aging addition, rebuilding the rear addition, upgrading building systems, and meeting accessibility standards.

Project Location: Montgomery County

Amount Included: $500,000

Project Name: Middletown Wastewater Treatment Enhanced Nutrient Removal Upgrade

Applicant: Town of Middletown

Project Description: Funds will be used to upgrade treatment facilities to support enhanced nutrient removal.

Project Location: Frederick County

Amount Included: $470,000

Project Name: Mount Clare Museum for Historic Preservation

Applicant: National Society of Colonial Dames in the State of MD

Project Description: Funds will be used for exterior restoration and repair work at the Mount Clare Museum site, an 18th-century industrial plantation in Baltimore. The Museum tells the story of the site, which was home to the Carroll family and more than 200 enslaved servants, laborers, and artisans who built it.

Project Location: Baltimore City

Amount Included: $100,000

Project Name: Mount Vernon Place Conservancy, Inc. for Revitalization and Restoration of the North and South Park Squares

Applicant: Mount Vernon Place Conservancy

Project Description: Funds will be used to support revitalization efforts at Mount Vernon Place which includes the first monument to George Washington and four parks that surround it. The revitalization will improve the parks for residents and visitors.

Project Location: Baltimore City

Amount Included: $500,000

Project Name: Preservation Maryland for Restoration of Fort Frederick

Applicant: Preservation Maryland

Project Description: Funds will be used to support the restoration of the 18th century-era Fort Frederick, a national historic landmark that was used in the French and Indian War, the Revolutionary War, and the Civil War.

Project Location: Washington County

Amount Included: $500,000

Project Name: Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse for Restoration, Save America's Treasures

Applicant: United States Lighthouse Society, Inc.

Project Description: Funds will be used to support an assessment of necessary restoration efforts to protect and maintain the historic Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse.

Project Location: Anne Arundel County

Amount Included: $75,000

Project Name: Town of Hurlock for Waste Water Treatment Plant

Applicant: Town of Hurlock

Project Description: Funds will be used to replace critical equipment at the town’s wastewater treatment plant nearing the end of its useful lifespan.

Project Location: Dorchester County

Amount Included: $2,795,000

Project Name: Town of Indian Head for Anchor Point Booster Station

Applicant: Town of Indian Head

Project Description: Funds will be used to support the design, permitting and construction of a new water pumping station and wellhouse to replace a failing well.

Project Location: Charles County

Amount Included: $1,092,000

Project Name: Town of Indian Head for Mattawoman Woods and Dogwood Lifts

Applicant: Town of Indian Head

Project Description: Funds will be used to support the design, permitting, and construction of two new sewage lift stations to replace the aging lift stations at Mattawoman Woods and Dogwood locations.

Project Location: Charles County

Amount Included: $800,000

Project Name: Town of New Windsor for Water and Sewer System Improvements

Applicant: Town of New Windsor

Project Description: Funds will be used to upgrade an aging water and sewer system, including well exploration and testing, and addressing lead and copper issues. This project will increase the quality and quantity of water for residents? and decrease sewer treatment expenses.

Project Location: Carroll County

Amount Included: $500,000

Project Name: Town of North East for Rolling Mill Water Pump Station

Applicant: Town of North East

Project Description: Funds will be used to replace and relocate the aging, deficient Rolling Mill Finished Water Pump Station from the 100-year floodplain in order to improve pump redundancy and protect drinking water.

Project Location: Cecil County

Amount Included: $1,950,000

Project Name: Town of Oakland for Water System Improvements

Applicant: Town of Oakland

Project Description: Funds will be used to replace Oakland’s antiquated water system infrastructure. The proposed project is necessary to correct critical distribution failures, including low pressure and volume issues, and ensure compliance with the International Fire Code.

Project Location: Garrett County

Amount Included: $1,092,000

Project Name: Town of Smithsburg for Water System Improvements

Applicant: Town of Smithsburg

Project Description: Funds will be used for the replacement of an aging cast iron sewer force main, construction of package sewer pump stations, and demolition of existing dilapidated pump stations. This will correct inflow and filtration, rehabilitate the sewer, and prevent sewer overflows to the stream.

Project Location: Washington County

Amount Included: $306,000

Project Name: Town of Trappe for Wastewater Treatment Plant Upgrades

Applicant: Town of Trappe

Project Description: Funds will be used to upgrade the existing and aging Waste Water Treatment Plant infrastructure with new equipment to improve the water quality of the Chesapeake Bay.

Project Location: Talbot County

Amount Included: $1,149,000

Project Name: WSSC for Sewer Rehabilitation in Montgomery County

Applicant: Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC Water)

Project Description: Funds will be used for sewer rehabilitation work in Montgomery County. This includes replacing aging sewer infrastructure at risk of failure, thereby mitigating potential sewage overflows and protecting public and environmental health in the surrounding communities.

Project Location: Montgomery County

Amount Included: $1,092,000

Project Name: WSSC for Sewer Rehabilitation in Prince George's County

Applicant: Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC Water)

Project Description: Funds will be used for sewer rehabilitation work in Prince George's County. This includes replacing aging sewer infrastructure at risk of failure, thereby mitigating potential sewage overflows and protecting public and environmental health in the surrounding communities.

Project Location: Prince George's County

Amount Included: $1,092,000

Additional priorities secured by the Senators in the FY26 Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies funding bill include:

Chesapeake Bay Programs: The bill supports the restoration and protection of the Chesapeake Bay, providing:

$93 million for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Chesapeake Bay Program, a $1 million increase over last year.

$8 million for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Chesapeake WILD Program;

$8 million for Chesapeake Bay Ecosystem Science work through the United States Geological Survey (USGS) Land Management Research Program.

$45.5 million for the USGS Biological Threats and Invasive Species Research Program which supports research into Chesapeake Bay invasive blue catfish – a major threat to a healthy Bay ecosystem.

$28.9 million for the USGS Ecosystems Mission Area which supports activities at the Patuxent Research Refuge (home of the Eastern Ecological Science Center) in Laurel, MD – the site of important Chesapeake Bay wildlife and migratory bird research.

$3.027 million for the National Park Service Chesapeake Gateways Network; and report language highlighting the important functions of the Chesapeake Bay Office in Annapolis, Maryland.

The bill provides $8.8 billion for the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) critical responsibilities protecting our environment and people’s health – $1.8 billion above the level in House Republicans’ bill and $4.7 billion above the level requested by President Trump. This includes:

$4.41 billion for State and Tribal Assistance grants which support states like Maryland in pollution reduction efforts from brownfield remediation and air quality management to toxic substance compliance and pesticide enforcement. This funding also supports states like Maryland with water infrastructure projects and includes:

$2.8 billion for the Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds which support water a wide array of water infrastructure projects in Maryland and across the country.

$41 million for EPA Sewer Overflow and Stormwater Reuse Grants. This grant funding helps municipalities address stormwater management challenges, which in turn help reduce flooding and pollution, protecting public health and important water bodies like the Chesapeake Bay.

$72.3 million for the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) program. Through WIFIA, EPA provides direct financing for large water infrastructure projects; this program has supported critical wastewater, drinking water, and flood mitigation projects in Maryland.

$40 million for the National Estuary Program, including $850,000 for the Maryland Coastal Bays National Estuary Program.

$11.2 million for National Scenic and Historical Trails. Maryland is home to the Captain John Smith Chesapeake, the Star-Spangled Banner, and the Washington-Rochambeau National Historic Trails.

$95.4 million for Urban Indian Health programs. This funding supports healthcare programs for tribal members and descendants. Maryland is home to American Indian and Alaska Native communities and three State-recognized Tribes: the Piscataway Indian Nation, Piscataway Conoy Tribe, and Accohannock Tribe. Due to a history of government policies that forced Native American relocation and assimilation, many Tribal members now live off reservations in urban settings. Ensuring access to comprehensive, culturally relevant health care is critical for our American Indian and Alaska Native communities – in Baltimore and beyond – especially important given that American Indian and Alaska Native people continue to face significant disparities in health outcomes and coverage.

$14.97 billion for the Department of the Interior to protect and manage our national parks, national wildlife refuges, and other federal lands, conserve and protect wildlife, and more. This includes $1.65 billion for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, $1.42 billion for the United States Geological Survey (USGS) – which provides critical scientific data that informs Chesapeake Bay restoration activities – and $3.27 billion for the National Park Service. Within NPS’ overall funding:

$31 million for the National Heritage Partnership Program, a $1.75 million increase over FY25, a funding boost to reflect the needs of newly designated heritage areas such as the Southern Maryland National Heritage Area which will receive $157,500.

$205 million for the Historic Preservation Fund, including $62.15 million for State Historic Preservation Offices, which supports work to preserve historic places across Maryland.

$12.5 million for the National Park Foundation (NPF). NPF is the official nonprofit partner of NPS. With this funding, NPF will catalyze private investment and create partnerships to invest in programs and projects across our National Parks.

Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF): The bill provides $900 million for federal land acquisition and financial assistance to states provided through the LWCF under the Great American Outdoors Act. This program is critical for improving recreational access to our federal lands, protecting iconic landscapes, delivering grants to states and local governments to create and protect urban parks and open spaces, and providing farmers and ranchers with easements to allow them to continue to steward their private lands in the face of development pressures. This includes:

$750,000 to the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) for land acquisition at the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge in Maryland.

$1.1 million to NPS for acquisition of a Historic Preservation Training Center in Maryland.

National Wildlife Refuge System. The bill provides $522 million for the National Wildlife Refuge System. It also includes report language supporting the work of Chesapeake Marshlands National Wildlife Refuge Complex to develop and implement march restoration and protection plans and additional report language directing DOI to prioritize hiring and retention at Chesapeake Marshlands Complex National Wildlife Refuge.

$310 million for the Forest Service’s State, Private, and Tribal Forestry work, which supports sustainable forestry practices on public and private lands in Maryland, including $37 million for the Urban and Community Forestry program.

National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH): $207 million


Van Hollen, Alsobrooks Announce Over $50 Million for Maryland Public Safety, Bay Preservation, and Research Projects in Key Government Funding Bill

Today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee and Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (CJS), and Senator Angela Alsobrooks (both D-Md) announced $58,708,000 in direct federal funding for 39 community-led projects throughout Maryland within the fiscal year 2026 CJS appropriations bill – which was enacted into law as part of a 3-bill government funding package passed by Congress and signed into law in January. These projects – submitted and secured by the Senators – address a range of priorities including strengthening public safety, restoring the Chesapeake Bay, and improving the research capabilities of Maryland’s institutions of higher education.

“Federal dollars can make a big impact when we invest them directly in projects that support our communities’ needs. That’s why we fought to deliver these federal dollars to local priorities – from efforts in strengthening public safety, to improving the health of the Chesapeake Bay, to supporting STEM education and research at our colleges and universities. Within this bill we also fought to reject the Trump Administration’s attacks on NASA Goddard, NOAA, and NIST – agencies that employ thousands of Marylanders and do critical work to protect our coastal communities against extreme weather, restore the Bay, advance American innovation, and more. In addition to these priorities, I worked to include a provision requiring the Administration to submit the contracted and completed architectural, engineering, and security plan for the new FBI headquarters building for review by the Appropriations Committees – before they can spend a dime of the reprogrammed construction funds. After the Trump Administration ignored the decades-long site selection process for a new FBI Headquarters, this was an important step to reassert Congress’s oversight role in the relocation of the FBI headquarters and to ensure it meets the bureau’s mission and security needs. Like any product of bipartisan compromise, this legislation is not perfect – but it includes many hard-fought investments we secured to meaningfully advance the priorities of Maryland’s communities,” said Senator Van Hollen.

“My north star is fighting for Marylanders to live not just on the margins, but to live beyond their wildest dreams. In order for Maryland families to truly thrive, we must invest in our state. The federal funding for Maryland included the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies funding bill targets crime and gun violence prevention, critical research and STEM learning labs, blue catfish mitigation efforts, air quality research, and more. While I remain committed to fighting this Administration and their constant attacks on our state – including their witch hunt of federal workers, I will keep working across the aisle to get the funding Maryland deserves and needs to thrive,” said Senator Alsobrooks.

Highlights for Maryland in the Fiscal Year 2026 Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Funding Bill

Congressionally Directed Spending

Project Name: Addressing Air Quality Research

Applicant: Goucher College

Project Description: Funds will support installation of weather stations and air quality sensors and research tools to fill critical data gaps in urban heat mapping in Baltimore to show where heat builds up during hot weather. This research will also bolster educational opportunities at Goucher and the local community.

Project Location: Baltimore County

Amount Included: $151,000

Project Name: Animal Rescue Program

Applicant: The National Aquarium

Project Description: Funds will be used to bolster the National Aquarium’s Animal Rescue Program to support response and rehabilitation for stranded or injured animals in the Chesapeake Bay and related educational efforts throughout the state.

Project Location: Baltimore City

Amount Included: $725,000

Project Name: Assisting Maryland Small Businesses in Effectively Utilizing the Transformative Power of AI

Applicant: University of Maryland, College Park

Project Description: Funds will support the Center for Artificial Intelligence at the University of Maryland’s Smith School of Business, which will assist small businesses in identifying AI solutions to improve their operations.

Project Location: Prince George's County

Ammount Included: $1,031,000

Project Name: Behavioral Health Services for Community Violence Intervention Network

Applicant: Associated Catholic Charities Inc.

Project Description: Funds will be used to provide support to Violence Interrupters involved in community-based programs to prevent violence through mediation and expand behavioral health services for community members to maximize the effectiveness of crime prevention efforts.

Project Location: Baltimore County

Amount Included: $431,000

Project Name: Bio-Design Innovation Hub

Applicant: Maryland Institute College of Art

Project Description: Funds will establish a new Bio-Design Innovation Hub that will provide educational, training, and research opportunities in the emerging fields of biodesign and biomanufacturing.

Project Location: Baltimore City

Amount Included: $897,000

Project Name: Biomedical Research and Training Center

Applicant: Hood College

Project Description: Funds will be used to build out the Biomedical Research and Training Center, including labs, classrooms, and meeting spaces, as part of Maryland Tech Council’s BioHub initiative to train students and workers in biotechnology.

Project Location: Frederick County

Amount Included: $2,500,000

Project Name: Blue Catfish (Invasive Species) Mitigation

Applicant: Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR)

Project Description: Funds will be used to conduct research and data collection to address invasive catfish populations in the Chesapeake Bay and better understand ecosystem impacts from various harvest methods.

Project Location: Anne Arundel County

Amount Included: $2,000,000

Project Name: Career Empowerment for Second-Chance Baltimore Citizens

Applicant: National Center of Institutions and Alternatives, Inc

Project Description: Funds will be used to provide trade-skills training and wraparound services to promote employment in heating, ventilation, air conditioning, refrigeration, and trucking, providing Marylanders with skills in a highly in-demand industry.

Project Location: Baltimore County

Amount Included: $500,000

Project Name: Center for Precision Aquaculture

Applicant: University of Maryland, Baltimore County

Project Description: Funds will support the creation of the UMBC Center for Precision Aquaculture, which will perform research to develop innovative aquaculture to ultimately increase domestic production and address national food security.

Project Location: Baltimore County

Amount Included: $1,500,000

Project Name: Chesapeake Global Collaboratory

Applicant: University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science

Project Description: Funds will support the development of a new Chesapeake Global Collaboratory for partnerships in research to improve the health of the Chesapeake Bay and other waterways in the region.

Project Location: Dorchester County

Amount Included: $1,000,000

Project Name: Computer Aided Dispatch Replacement

Applicant: Baltimore Police Department

Project Description: Funds will be used to upgrade the City’s Computer-Aided Dispatch System, which is used by fire, police, and various city agencies to respond to emergencies and efficiently manage incoming calls for service.

Project Location: Baltimore City

Amount Included: $3,700,000

Project Name: Countywide Program Expansion and Crime Prevention Initiative

Applicant: Prince George's County Boys & Girls Club

Project Description: Funds will be used to employ a coordinated, countywide crime prevention initiative aimed at supporting youth in making positive choices and reducing their risk of involvement in violence or substance use.

Project Location: Prince George's County

Amount Included: $1,000,000

Project Name: Digital Forensics Unit Upgrades

Applicant: Charles County Sheriff's Office

Project Description: Funds will be used to upgrade obsolete equipment to assist and expedite the processing of digital evidence.

Project Location: Charles County

Amount Included: $534,000

Project Name: Donnelly Science Center Research Lab

Applicant: Loyola University Maryland

Project Description: Funds will be used to modernize teaching and research lab spaces and update equipment to support instruction and learning in state-of-the-art classrooms.

Project Location: Baltimore City

Amount Included: $2,000,000

Project Name: Early STEM Learning Initiatives

Applicant: National Children's Museum

Project Description: Funds will support the development of new exhibits and STEM programs aligned with NASA’s STEM education mission at the National Children’s Museum, which serves tens of thousands of visitors from Maryland.

Project Location: Prince George's County

Amount Included: $1,200,000

Project Name: Enhancing Crime Lab Forensic Capabilities

Applicant: Montgomery County, Maryland Police Department

Project Description: Funds will be used to purchase new equipment for the County's forensic lab to ensure it continues to analyze evidence accurately, efficiently, and reliably.

Project Location: Montgomery County

Amount Included: $1,192,000

Project Name: Equipment for the Center for Education and Research in Microelectronics

Applicant: Morgan State University

Project Description: Funds will be used to acquire additional equipment for Morgan State's Center for Education and Research in Microelectronics and to train the next generation of leaders in semiconductor design and manufacturing.

Project Location: Baltimore City

Amount Included: $3,400,000

Project Name: Expansion of Trauma and Victim Services

Applicant: Center for Hope, Inc.

Project Description: Funds will be used to enhance Center of Hope’s network of violence intervention and prevention programs focused on intimate partner violence, child abuse and exploitation, elder justice, human trafficking, and community violence.

Project Location: Baltimore City

Amount Included: $800,000

Project Name: Forensic Technology Training Center

Applicant: Loyola University Maryland

Project Description: Funds will be used to procure new forensic sciences technology and equipment and to support a new forensic technology training center to train students, researchers, and law enforcement.

Project Location: Baltimore City

Amount Included: $965,000

Project Name: Group Violence Reduction Strategy Expansion

Applicant: City of Baltimore

Project Description: Funds will be used to expand the Group Violence Reduction Strategy in the City. This evidence-based practice engages those at the highest acute risk of gun violence with law enforcement, social services, and community members to reduce crime.

Project Location: City of Baltimore

Amount Included: $1,184,000

Project Name: Gun Violence and Juvenile Diversion Program

Applicant: Town of Bladensburg

Project Description: Funds will be used to purchase the necessary equipment to establish two community-based violence prevention programs for at-risk youth by creating a boxing-based mentorship program and an educational video gaming-based engagement program that will build positive relationship between youth and police

Project Location: Baltimore County

Amount Included: $450,000

Project Name: Gun Violence Intervention

Applicant: Anne Arundel County, Maryland

Project Description: Funds will be used to support violence prevention and intervention efforts in neighborhoods experiencing the highest levels of gun violence as part of a coordinated strategy to reduce violent crime.

Project Location: Anne Arundel County

Amount Included: $1,000,000

Project Name: Joint 911 Public Safety Center Technology

Applicant: Anne Arundel County, Maryland

Project Description: Funds will be used to procure equipment and technology to support a Joint 911 public safety center that builds on the existing partnership between Anne Arundel County's Public Safety, Fire, and Police Departments to better respond to local emergencies.

Project Location: Anne Arundel County

Amount Included: $3,500,000

Project Name: Molecular Biology Research Laboratory

Applicant: Morgan State University

Project Description: Funds will construct and equip a new, cutting-edge microbiology lab that will conduct research on chronic health issues and train the future biomedical workforce.

Project Location: Baltimore City

Amount Included: $5,500,000

Project Name: Montgomery County Sheriff's Office Gun Violence Prevention

Applicant: Montgomery County Sheriff's Office

Project Description: Funds will be used for a covert vehicle upfitted with a firearms vault to conduct surveillance and conduct operations for cases to prevent gun violence.

Project Location: Montgomery County

Amount Included: $70,000

Project Name: Office Technology Modernization and Cybersecurity Enhancements

Applicant: Office of the States Attorney for Baltimore City

Project Description: Funds will be used to replace outdated computer systems to prevent data loss, enhance security, improve efficiency, and ensure reliable network performance for the State's Attorneys Office.

Project Location: Baltimore City

Amount Included: $775,000

Project Name: Planetarium Equipment

Applicant: Frostburg State University

Project Description: Funds will be used to purchase new equipment for Frostburg State University's Planetarium to support STEM education in Western Maryland.

Project Location: Allegany County

Amount Included: $2,808,000

Project Name: Pollution-Monitoring Project and Equipment

Applicant: EarthReports, Inc. dba Patuxent Riverkeeper

Project Description: Funds will be used to acquire equipment and study the Patuxent River to collect up-to-date and real-time data on runoff into the river and its possible sources in order to reduce pollution inflow and improve water quality.

Project Location: Prince George's County

Amount Included: $1,057,000

Project Name: Public Safety Communications Modernization Project

Applicant: Town of Riverdale Park

Project Description: Funds will be used to enhance emergency response capabilities by upgrading the police department’s outdated communication system to improve officer safety, interagency coordination, and public protection, ensuring faster, reliable communication for first responders in the Riverdale Park area.

Project Location: Prince George's County

Amount Included: $179,000

Project Name: Quantum Computing Breakthrough Against Cancer

Applicant: The Maryland Center at Bowie State University

Project Description: Funds will be used to purchase a quantum computer for use in cancer research to accelerate detection and therapy development. The Center supports activities to further enhance the educational, research, and service mission of Bowie State University.

Project Location: Prince George's County

Amount Included: $700,000

Project Name: Rapid Rehousing & Abuser Intervention for Victims of Domestic Violence

Applicant: YWCA of Annapolis and Anne Arundel County

Project Description: Funds will be used to provide education, job skills/readiness, re-housing and relocation assistance to individuals fleeing domestic violence, and to support a 28-week court-mandated program to prevent abuse.

Project Location: Anne Arundel County

Amount Included: $697,000

Project Name: Real Time Intelligence Center

Applicant: Montgomery County Police

Project Description: Funds will be used to support operations at the Real-Time Crime Center to improve public safety, strengthen community relations, and enhance law enforcement efficacy.

Project Location: Montgomery County

Amount Included: $2,100,000

Project Name: SAFE Center

Applicant: The University of Maryland, College Park

Project Description: Funds will be used to update data and research infrastructure to improve the SAFE Center’s ability to monitor human trafficking, identify service gaps, and support survivors.

Project Location: Prince George's County

Amount Included: $700,000

Project Name: SMCSO Mobile Command Vehicle

Applicant: St. Mary's County Sheriff's Office

Project Description: Funds will be used to design and purchase a mobile command center for law enforcement and public safety operations in St. Mary's County.

Project Location: St. Mary's County

Amount Included: $800,000

Project Name: Statewide Program Expansion and Crime Prevention Initiative

Applicant: Boys & Girls Clubs of Metropolitan Baltimore

Project Description: Funds will support the Boys & Girls Clubs in Maryland’s statewide crime prevention initiative focused on building positive relationships between youth and law enforcement and curbing the opioid crises.

Project Location: Baltimore City

Amount Included: $2,000,000

Project Name: STEM Forward

Applicant: Chinese American Parent Association of Howard County

Project Description: Funds will be used to expand STEM education efforts in Howard County by connecting young students to educational programming around coding, earth-sciences, robotics, and engineering.

Project Location: Howard County

Amount Included: $1,046,000

Project Name: The National Center to Accelerate Cures

Applicant: Blackbird Laboratories, Inc.

Project Description: Funds will be used to advance innovative testing platforms through new medical development methods resulting in a stronger domestic supply chain and ultimately delivering safer and more effective treatments to patients faster and more efficiently.

Project Location: Baltimore City

Amount Included: $3,000,000

Project Name: UMBC Laboratory for Flood Risk Impact Assessment and Adaptation

Applicant: University of Maryland, Baltimore County

Project Description: Funds will be used to establish a new Laboratory for Flood Risk Impact Assessment and Adaptation to conduct research into flood risk threats in Baltimore and small towns along the Chesapeake Bay.

Project Location: Baltimore County

Amount Included: $1,031,000

Project Name: UMD Violence Reduction Research Initiative

Applicant: The University of Maryland, College Park

Project Description: Funds will be used to support innovative research to reduce violence in Maryland and the National Capital Region.

Project Location: Prince George's County

Amount Included: $975,000

Project Name: UM-MIND X-CHANGE

Applicant: University of Maryland, Baltimore

Project Description: Funds will be used to purchase and house advanced microscopes for a consortium comprised of the UMD School of Medicine, Morgan State, UMBC, the MD Psychiatric Research Center, and UMCP, in order to improve basic and clinical research on the brain and its disorders.

Project Location: Baltimore City

Amount Included: $2,910,000

Project Name: Watershed Research Equipment

Applicant: Anacostia Watershed Society

Project Description: Funds will support acquisition of a new watercraft and related equipment to support and expand educational outreach and programming to protect and restore the Anacostia River.

Project Location: Prince George's County

Amount Included: $250,000

Project Name: Youth Violence Prevention Project

Applicant: Youth Advocate Programs, Inc.

Project Description: Funds will support violence prevention by providing intensive mentorship, wraparound services, and job training for high-risk youth.

Project Location: Baltimore County

Amount Included: $450,000

Additional priorities in the FY26 Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies funding bill include:

Key Bill Points & Highlights:

FBI Headquarters: Following the Trump Administration’s efforts to ignore the decades-long site selection process for a new FBI Headquarters, Senator Van Hollen included a provision requiring that, prior to spending reprogrammed construction funds on the Headquarters, the FBI must submit the contracted and completed architectural and engineering plan for the new headquarters building, including the security plan, for review by the Appropriations Committees. This provision reasserts Congress’s oversight role in the relocation of the FBI headquarters and will help ensure the new headquarters meets the mission and security needs of the FBI.

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA): The bill provides $24.44 billion for NASA, which is $5.63 billion above President Trump’s request. The bill rejects the administration’s devastating proposal to cut NASA Science by 47% and terminate 55 operating and planned missions. It instead provides $7.25 billion. The bill provides $1.6 billion for Astrophysics, including $300 million to complete the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope to investigate dark energy and the formation of galaxies and stars and $150 million to ramp up development of the Habitable Worlds Observatory that will search for potentially habitable planets, both of which are being developed at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. The bill also provides $500 million for the Dragonfly mission to explore Titan, the largest moon of Saturn—led by the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory—and $100 million to ramp up development of the Geospace Dynamics Constellation (GDC) to better understand the Sun’s impact on the Earth—led by Goddard. The bill continues support for a new “Earth Observatory,” which is a collection of five missions to implement the Earth Science Decadal Survey, and the Landsat Next mission to ensure continuity of the longest space-based record of Earth’s land surface. The bill also provides increases for Hubble and James Webb Space Telescope operations and science to ensure full utilization of these incredible assets.

The bill includes critical resources to support the goal of returning Americans to the Moon and of eventually landing on Mars, providing $7.78 billion for Exploration, which is $117 million above fiscal year 2025. The bill supports progress on the Artemis Campaign, including sufficient funding for NASA to meet the ambitious goal of returning humans to the Moon by 2028.

Aeronautics is supported at $935 million, equal to fiscal year 2025 and $326 million above President Trump’s budget request, to ensure continued U.S. leadership in aviation and to invest in sustainable aviation technologies. The bill rejects President Trump’s shortsighted request to eliminate the NASA Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Engagement programs and provides $143 million for the programs. This includes: the Space Grant ($58 million), the Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Technology ($26 million), and the Minority University Research and Education Project ($45.5 million).

The bill also includes language regarding recent reports of consolidation at Goddard, noting Congress is concerned about potential negative impacts to operations and capabilities at the Center. The bill directs NASA to preserve all the technical and scientific world-class capabilities at Goddard, including those that will be used to complete any mission funded in fiscal year 2026 by Congress during any campus consolidation. In addition. the bill directs NASA to, no later than 30 days after the enactment of this act, contract a study with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering. and Medicine regarding the current technical and scientific capabilities housed at Goddard, what capabilities are positioned to ensure long-term success of the NASA mission, including for future cutting-edge scientific discovery and crewed space exploration, and what facilities are needed to house and operate those capabilities.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA): The bill provides $6.171 billion for NOAA, which is headquartered in Silver Spring, $1.67 billion above President Trump’s request. NOAA provides critical weather prediction that people, businesses, and communities rely on each and every day. The bill provides $1.46 billion for the National Weather Service to improve weather prediction capabilities, including a $10 million increase to bolster staffing at Weather Forecast Offices. The bill also provides $1.67 billion to maintain the current generation of NOAA weather and climate satellites and to invest in next-generation satellites—$135 million above President Trump’s request. It rejects more than $300 million in proposed cuts to the National Marine Fisheries Service, which ensure sustainable management of U.S. fisheries.

Climate Research: The bill supports investments to advance critical climate research. In particular, it provides $224 million for climate research at NOAA, rejecting President Trump’s push to eliminate much of this funding, and it provides $2.15 billion for NASA Earth Science, rejecting President Trump’s proposed 53% budget cut. Funding for NOAA includes $32 million for the National Ocean and Coastal Security Fund, which improves the resilience of coastal communities around the country.

Maryland’s Coasts: Funding for NOAA includes $32 million for the National Ocean and Coastal Security Fund and $81.5 million for Coastal Zone Management Grants, which improve the resilience of coastal communities around the country. It also includes $7.1 million for the NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office, including $3.25 million for oyster restoration activities—an increase of $1.5 million—and $80 million for the National Sea Grant College program and $14 million for Sea Grant Aquaculture program, all of which support improved health and productivity of the Chesapeake Bay. The bill also includes $2.5 million for a new menhaden survey in the Chesapeake Bay to ensure the sustainability of a critical species.

National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST): The bill rejects the administration’s proposal to slash NIST research and standards work by $150 million and instead invests a total of $1.847 billion for NIST, including $1.25 billion to spur research advances in cutting-edge fields like carbon dioxide removal, artificial intelligence, quantum information science, and cybersecurity. The bill maintains the Senate bill level of $128 million in base construction funding, an increase of $40 million over President Trump’s budget request and the fiscal year 2025 level, to repair and upgrade major NIST research facilities, including facilities at NIST’s main campus in Gaithersburg, Maryland.

Department of Commerce: The bill provides $11.132 billion for the Department of Commerce, $744 million more than fiscal year 2025 and $2.4 billion more than President Trump’s budget request. This includes: $400 million for Economic Development Assistance Programs (EDAP), which is $30 million more than was available in fiscal year 2025, including $41 million for the Regional Technology and Innovation Hub (Tech Hubs) Program—enough for up to two implementation grants for designated Tech Hubs. It also includes $175 million for the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) Program.

Census Bureau: The bill provides a $108 million increase over fiscal year 2025 for the Census Bureau, which is headquartered in Suitland, to bolster the agency’s preparations for the 2030 Census and its ability to continue producing high-quality data.

Department of Justice: The bill provides $37 billion for the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the critical grant programs it administers, which help keep communities safe.

Addressing and Preventing Violence Against Women: The bill provides $720 million for grants provided by the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) and rejects President Trump’s proposal to combine OVW with the Office of Justice Programs (OJP). The OVW funding level is an increase of $7 million above fiscal year 2025 and is $215 million more than President Trump’s budget request. Funding is provided for multiple competitive and formula grant programs that support training for police officers and prosecutors, state domestic violence and sexual assault coalitions, rape prevention programs, lethality assessment and homicide reduction initiatives, domestic violence hotlines, women’s shelters, transitional housing, and rural support services.

Continued funding is provided for several OVW programs authorized in the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) Reauthorization Act of 2022, including a restorative justice program and the Abby Honold Act. In addition, $12 million is provided for a grant program to increase access to sexual assault nurse exams, which will support grants for regional Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) training, salaries for SANEs, and Sexual Assault Forensic Examiners (SAFEs), and technical assistance and resources to increase access to SANEs and SAFEs.

The bill also includes $10 million in continued funding to incentivize states to adopt laws that protect the rights of sexual assault survivors.

The bill provides $50 million to support the Sexual Assault Kit Initiative, which is administered by the Bureau of Justice Assistance. This program supports multi-disciplinary community response teams tasked with developing and implementing comprehensive reform regarding sexual assault, including reducing the backlog of rape kits at law enforcement agencies. Additionally, the bill provides increased funding for other programs that are critical to assisting survivors, including: $79.5 million for the Sexual Assault Services Program; $55 million for Legal Assistance for Victims grants; $51 million for Transitional Housing Assistance grants; $50.5 million for the Rural Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, and Stalking Program; and $14.5 million for grants to assist governments exercising Special Tribal Criminal Jurisdiction.

Supporting Crime Victims: The Crime Victims Fund (CVF) provides critical support through direct assistance and programs offered by victim service providers to survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse, human trafficking, and other violent crimes. The bill makes $1.95 billion from the CVF available in fiscal year 2026. Of this amount, $97.5 million is designated for efforts to assist Tribal victims.

Maintaining Critical DOJ Oversight: The bill rejects President Trump’s request to cut DOJ’s Office of the Inspector General (OIG) by 30%, or $42 million compared to fiscal year 2025. The agreement maintains $139 million in funding for the OIG, providing the funding necessary so that it can detect waste, fraud, abuse, and misconduct at the DOJ.

Strengthening Police-Community Relations: The bill provides dedicated funding of $18 million for the COPS Community Policing Development program, as well as $15 million for the Law Enforcement Officer De-escalation Act. The bill provides a total of $35 million for three grant programs dedicated to preventing hate crimes. The bill also provides a total of $50 million for the Community Violence Intervention and Prevention Initiative—a proven, evidence-based strategy that reduces violence and saves lives, which President Trump’s budget request sought to eliminate.

Supporting State, Local, Tribal, and Territorial Law Enforcement: The Byrne Justice Assistance Grants (JAG) program is funded at $964 million, of which $346 million is released from Byrne JAG core funding to states and territories. Funding is also included for programs that support officer mental health and wellness ($6 million), and the purchase of bulletproof vests ($30 million). COPS Hiring is funded at $253 million, which will help hire approximately 1,260 more police officers nationwide.

Responding to Substance Use Disorder in Our Communities: The bill provides communities and first responders with dedicated grant program funding to respond to substance use disorder and to crack down on drug trafficking. The bulk of this funding is for Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act grants, which receive $403 million to fund specialized court docket programs like drug, mental health, and veteran treatment courts and substance abuse treatment programs administered by state and local correctional facilities. The bill also funds the COPS anti-heroin task force program at $34.5 million and the COPS anti-methamphetamine task force program at $13.5 million.

Rejecting Trump’s Attempts to Gut Federal Law Enforcement and DOJ Grants: The bill rejects President Trump’s proposal to merge the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) into the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and to substantially reduce resources for both, gutting the main federal law enforcement agencies charged with enforcing our nation’s gun and drug laws and keeping people safe. It also rejects President Trump’s efforts to dismantle DOJ’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) by restricting that funding to activities only related to fighting major drug trafficking organizations and transnational organized crime—not immigration raids. It also continues to fund and maintain all DOJ grant-making components as independent offices, rejecting President Trump’s attempts to not only gut critical resources that help support victims of crime, but to diminish OVW and the COPS Office existence as independent entities with subject matter and grants expertise, as Congress set them up to be under law.

Juvenile Justice: The bill provides $375 million for grant programs within the Office on Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, which is $74.5 million above President Trump’s budget request. The bill increases funding for long-standing programs and provides $105 million for Missing and Exploited Children Program grants; $43 million for Victims of Child Abuse Act grants; and $105 million for youth mentoring grants.

Supporting Tribal Businesses and Economic Development: The bill provides significant additional resources for Tribes and indigenous communities, including $5 million for the Office and Native American Business Development in the Office of the Secretary of Commerce, $6.5 million to support Tribal businesses through the Minority Business Development Agency, and another $5 million for the Assistance to Indigenous Communities program at EDA, which is specifically designed to address the needs of indigenous communities that have historically suffered from a lack of investment in core economic development needs.

Promoting Competition and Enforcing Antitrust Laws: The bill promotes economic freedom and opportunity by guaranteeing at least $245 million in funding for DOJ’s Antitrust Division—$12 million, or 5%, above fiscal year 2025. The bill also includes language allowing the Antitrust Division to retain and use all of the pre-merger filing notification fees it collects in fiscal year 2026—even if those collections exceed the $245 million appropriation for the agency.

Economic Development: The bill provides $466 million for community economic development through the Economic Development Administration. This includes $41 million for the Regional Technology and Innovation Hubs (Tech Hubs) Program—enough for EDA to fund two implementation grants. This also includes $100 million for Public Works grants, $10 million for newly-authorized Workforce Training Grant Programs, and $50 million for the Regional Innovation Program. EDA awards infrastructure and planning grants to all 50 States.

Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS): The bill includes $235 million, an increase of $44 million over fiscal year 2025, for the Bureau of Industry and Security. BIS plays a critical role in enforcement of Russian and Belarussian export controls and efforts to counter Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. It also supports stringent export control measures on high-end technologies, including an increase of no less than $10 million strengthen enforcement of export licenses for semiconductors, like the Nvidia H200, with end users in the People’s Republic of China.

National Science Foundation (NSF): NSF is funded at $8.75 billion, rejecting President Trump’s ludicrous proposal to cut federal investment in this essential scientific research and innovation by 57%—which would have returned NSF to its fiscal year 2000 funding level just as our global competitors are doubling down on their investments. The bill invests $7.18 billion for NSF’s research and related activities, level with fiscal year 2025, to help drive U.S. economic competitiveness, including investments in artificial intelligence and quantum information science, and the Directorate for Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships. NSF’s education and training programs to build tomorrow’s innovation workforce are funded at $938 million, rejecting President Trump’s proposal to eliminate these programs. This funding level for NSF should support nearly 10,000 new competitive awards and more than 250,000 scientists, technicians, teachers, and students.

Legal Services Corporation (LSC): The bill rejects President Trump’s proposal to eliminate LSC and instead provides $540 million for LSC. The bill also makes permanent a provision to permit LSC recipients to operate with boards of directors that composed of as little as 33% attorneys without requiring appointment by bar associations, greatly improving recipients’ ability to have fiscal experts and community representatives on their governing bodies. Additionally, the bill includes language to reinforce the existing legal requirement for LSC to receive its appropriation as an annual installment, ensuring that LSC recipients can continue providing services without interruption. LSC is the largest funder of civil legal aid in the country, and its grantees serve millions of low-income Americans every year, helping them with family law, domestic violence, housing, fraud, and other legal matters.


Following Warner, Kaine Pressure, DHS Inspector General Launches Audit of DHS Data Privacy Abuses

WASHINGTON – Following pressure from U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA), the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Inspector General has launched an audit of DHS data practices, including those used by ICE, in response to serious concerns about potential data privacy abuses and the misuse of sensitive personal information. In a letter to the senators, Inspector General Joseph Cuffari confirmed that his office has initiated an audit to assess how DHS components collect, store, use, and share sensitive personal data, and whether those activities comply with the law.

Warner and Kaine previously raised the alarm that DHS may be collecting and utilizing sensitive data about U.S. citizens and non-citizens in ways that may circumvent civil liberties, including those guaranteed by the Fourth Amendment, while operating with insufficient oversight and accountability.

“Within one week of receiving our letter, Inspector General Cuffari has initiated an audit to determine how ICE and other DHS components are collecting, storing, using, and sharing sensitive personal information, and if they are following the law when doing so,” said the senators. “This is an important first step in investigating if Americans’ data is being misused. We appreciate the Inspector General’s recognition of the serious risk that unrestrained or illegal DHS activities pose to individuals and communities. Given DHS and the Trump administration’s unyielding infringement on Constitutionally protected freedoms and violation of privacy rights under the pretense of immigration enforcement, this audit must be swift, thorough, and independent. We will monitor this audit closely to ensure that outcome.”

Read Sens. Warner and Kaine’s letter to Inspector General Cuffari here. Read Inspector General Cuffari’s response here.

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NEWS: Sanders, Welch, Balint Secure More than $100 Million for Vermont in Federal Funding Bills

MONTPELIER, VT – The Vermont Congressional Delegation, U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.), and Rep. Becca Balint (VT-At-Large), today announced more than $100 million in federal funding they secured on behalf of 69 projects addressing critical needs across Vermont. The funding for these Congressionally Directed Spending projects, or “earmarks,” was included in the three fiscal year 2026 appropriations packages passed by Congress and signed into law in November, mid-January and last week.

“I am proud to announce that — alongside Senator Welch and Representative Balint — the Vermont delegation secured more than $100 million in federal funding on behalf of 69 Congressionally Directed Spending projects addressing critical needs across Vermont. That includes important projects in affordable housing, health and dental care, environmental infrastructure needs and much more. This agreement also includes the largest increase in mandatory funding for community health centers in a decade: which is, I might add, $1.2 billion more than the Republicans originally put on the table. This funding will support the 11 Community Health Centers across our state that provide high-quality primary care to one out of every three Vermonters — over 200,000 people across 93 sites,” said Senator Sanders. “At a time when our nation faces incredible challenges, ensuring the federal government pays attention to the needs of working Vermonters remains my top priority. I look forward to working with the folks responsible for these projects, as well as with the federal agencies responsible for getting the money out the door, to ensure the work begins as soon as possible so Vermonters can see real results.”

“I fought to secure nearly $60 million in federal funding for Vermont through the Congressionally Directed Spending process — I’m proud this money will be invested right back into Vermont communities. These funds will support projects that will make a huge difference in every corner of our state — from building more affordable housing to expanding access to vital health care services, and implementing important public safety and infrastructure upgrades. These funds will also help jump-start projects that support flood-impacted and rural communities,” said Senator Welch. “Federal funding is crucial to supporting local projects that make Vermonters’ lives better, but President Trump’s backwards priorities have jeopardized the success of these projects. I’ll keep up the fight to protect Vermonters’ taxpayer dollars and bring money back to the Green Mountain State.”

“Strong communities need strong foundations: safe water, reliable housing, good schools, and emergency services we can count on,” said Rep. Balint. “I’m proud to have secured over $13.5 million in Congressionally Directed Spending projects that tackle these priorities for our state. Over time, these projects will help our towns grow, our neighborhoods flourish, and our people thrive. I look forward to seeing them progress and will keep fighting to turn federal dollars into tangible improvements for Vermonters.”

Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS) projects shared by the delegation include $1 million for wastewater infrastructure in Burlington and $850,000 for the Winooski River Bridge replacement.

Sanders and Welch jointly secured $26,350,000 across nine projects, including $12 million for the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board to construct affordable housing, $4.6 million for the University of Detroit Mercy to build a state-of-the-art dental clinic and training site in Colchester, $4 million for Vermont Army National Guard training facilities, and $5,250,000 for water and wastewater infrastructure projects in Richmond, Montpelier, Burlington and Addison County.

Sanders and Balint jointly secured $750,000 for the town of Highgate to construct a wastewater discharge system enabling the town to develop housing and commercial use properties.

Sanders’ individually-secured CDS projects include an additional $10.5 million for affordable housing and shelter projects across the state, $4,450,000 to support renewable energy infrastructure through the Vermont Electric Cooperative, and $2,498,000 for Vermont’s 13 Career and Technical Education Centers to address critical workforce shortages our state faces in medicine, construction, and manufacturing.

Sanders also secured $2,385,000 for outpatient care for substance use disorder at the Johnson Health Center, $2,000,000 for the Vermont Department of Public Safety to upgrade its communications equipment, $1,662,000 for health care education at the Community College of Vermont, and $1.5 million for a new highway garage and fire station in Newark.

Welch-championed CDS projects include $5.25 million to help construct new affordable housing in Middlebury, $3.2 million for the Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation to create over 350 jobs and spur economic development, and $2.7 million to UVM to foster a local and regionally skilled research workforce. Welch also secured $2 million for the Vermont Office of Economic Opportunity to weatherize 120 homes, $1.4 million for Northeastern Regional Hospital to construct new community pharmacies in the Northeast Kingdom, and $250,000 for the Vermont Department of Economic Development to provide help for Vermont businesses hurt by President Trump’s tariffs and trade war.

Balint secured funding for all 15 projects that she submitted — the maximum allowed under House rules. That includes $4.8 million to build housing in Brattleboro, Springfield, Fairlee and Hinesburg, plus an additional $2,132,000 for water and wastewater projects in Troy and Riverton Village that will deliver clean water to existing homes and allow for new housing development. Balint’s projects also provide more than $1.4 million for Pownal Valley Fire Department to build a new central station and for Granville Fire Department to upgrade their firehouse. Lyndon Institute will also receive $488,000 for the Lyndon Early Childhood Education and Workforce Development program, run in partnership with Northeast Kingdom Community Action (NEKCA).

Additional information is available here on projects secured by Sanders, Welch and Balint.

Organizations and municipalities interested in applying for Congressionally Directed Spending in the future can sign up for Sanders’ e-newsletter, the Bernie Buzz, to get notified when the fiscal year 2027 application process opens.

Vermonters are encouraged to sign up for Welch’s newsletter and check his website for future CDS updates.

For updates on this process from Balint, Vermonters can subscribe to her newsletter or reach out anytime to her office via her website or phone (802-652-2450).

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Welch Delivers for Communities in Northwestern and Central Vermont

Welch secured federal funding to help build new affordable housing, support education opportunities, improve infrastructure, and recover from floods

Welch secured nearly $60 million total for Vermont communities

BURLINGTON, VT – U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Ranking Member of the Senate Agriculture Subcommittee on Rural Development, Energy, and Credit, today announced that he has secured $58.68 million in federal funds to support 38 Vermont projects, including projects in Northwestern and Central Vermont, following the passage of eleven annual appropriations bills for Fiscal Year 2026. Senator Welch nominated project recipients through the Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS) process.

“I’m fighting every day for Vermont families, businesses and farmers—and I’m excited to see how this new federal funding improves our communities. This Congressionally Directed Spending invests taxpayer dollars right back into our cities and towns, helping jumpstart projects to build more housing, create new jobs, and recover from the 2023 and 2024 floods. I’ll keep working with our Delegation and state and local leaders to support Vermonters,” said Senator Welch.

These funds will support all Vermont communities, including communities in Northwestern and Central Vermont:

$5,250,000 for Ascend Housing Allies Incorporated to help construct a 21-unit, fully affordable, rental apartment building in Middlebury.

$4,600,000 for the University of Detroit Mercy and the Vermont State Dental Society to establish and support clinical dental training in Vermont for up to 64 dental students from the University of Detroit Mercy School. (shared project)

$2,700,000 for the University of Vermont (UVM) to create a Wet Lab Technician Certificate Program to foster a local and regional skilled workforce and expand UVM’s research enterprise.

$2,000,000 for the Vermont Army National Guard to complete construction of a general-purpose administration building on Ethan Allen Force Base. (shared project)

$1,700,000 for the City of Montpelier to accelerate drinking water system upgrades. (shared project)

$1,350,000 for the Town of Richmond to upgrade the 50-year-old Richmond Wastewater Treatment Facility. (shared project)

$1,200,000 for Addison County Community Trust to address the aging and failing water systems infrastructure in Hillside Manor, a 29-unit affordable housing community in Starksboro. (shared project)

$1,000,000 for the City of Burlington for new infrastructure upgrades for the South End Wastewater Storage. (shared project)

$1,000,000 for the City of Burlington to improve drinking water quality and increase the usable volume of the emergency back-up water supply of drinking water. (shared project)

$664,000 for the Lamoille County Regional Planning Commission to add ten streamgages and two precipitation sensors in the Lamoille River basin.

$600,000 for the Town of Berlin to improve the town’s drinking water system and expand service along the Water Main System Loop.

$557,000 for Norwich University’s School of Nursing Teaching and Simulation Center to enhance the center with additional equipment and medical infrastructure.

$996,000 for UVM to expand and sustain its Bridges to Health Community Health Worker program across all rural Vermont communities.

$850,000 for Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTRANS) to help fill the state’s funding gap for the ongoing $49.5 million Winooski River Bridge replacement project. (shared project)

$814,000 for Vermont Youth Conservation Corp (VYCC) in Richmond to help families struggling with food insecurity.

$694,000 for UVM Health Network for hospital safety improvements.

$500,000 for the Intervale Center’s Conservation Nursery in Burlington to expand the statewide riparian restoration and land conservation projects.

$500,000 for the Town of South Hero to restore and upgrade the Old White Meeting House, the oldest municipal building in Grand Isle County.

$500,000 for the Army Corps of Engineers for a new flood control study of the Winooski River watershed in Montpelier and Barre following the 2023 and 2024 floods. (shared project)

$250,000 for Spectrum Youth to expand school-based mental health services for middle and high school students in Chittenden and Franklin counties.

Senator Welch’s CDS wins also include projects that will benefit Vermonters in the NEK and across the State, including:

$12,000,000 for the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board (VHCB) to support the creation of permanently affordable rental housing and the development of shelters in Vermont. (shared project)

$2,000,000 for the Vermont Office of Economic Opportunity for home repair and remediation. This is expected to support 120 homes over a five-year period.

$1,187,000 for the Vermont Department of Corrections for peer recovery coaches at six correctional facilities and 12 probation and parole offices across Vermont.

$750,000 for VHCB to expand the Vermont Farm and Forest Viability Program’s capacity to serve working lands businesses, with a focus on beginning farmers and businesses.

$375,000 for the American Association of State Climatologists to prepare Vermont’s first comprehensive drought plan, create an inundation flooding platform to better predict flood risks, and more.

$250,000 for the Vermont Department of Economic Development to provide technical assistance to small and medium enterprises in responding to an increase in costs associated with tariffs.

View the full list of projects championed by Senator Welch here.

Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS) funding was included in a $1.2 trillion bipartisan funding agreement that included 11 of the 12 annual appropriation bills, including Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies; Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies; Energy and Water Development; Financial Services and General Government; Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies; Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies; Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies; Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies.

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Welch Delivers for Communities in Southern Vermont and the Upper Valley

Welch secured federal funding to create hundreds of new jobs, improve infrastructure and public safety, and support Vermonters recovering from substance misuse

Welch secured nearly $60 million total for Vermont communities

BURLINGTON, VT – U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Ranking Member of the Senate Agriculture Subcommittee on Rural Development, Energy, and Credit, today announced that he has secured $58.68 million in federal funds to support 38 Vermont projects, including projects in Southern Vermont, following the passage of eleven annual appropriations bills for Fiscal Year 2026. Senator Welch nominated project recipients through the Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS) process.

These funds will support all Vermont communities, including communities in Southern Vermont and the Upper Valley:

$3,250,000 for Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation to create a new industrial park in Brattleboro that will spur economic development and add up to 350 new jobs in the next seven years.

$1,000,000 for the Town of Woodstock to upgrade the 40-year-old Woodstock Main Wastewater Treatment Facility to optimize treatment and energy use.

$774,000 for the Town of Hartford Police Department for public safety upgrades to enhance Hartford’s emergency communications infrastructure, modernize its emergency response capabilities, and improve dispatch capacity.

$598,000 for the Rockingham Municipal Fire Department SR Station to build a new fire station with expanded emergency services.

$500,000 for Bennington First Congregational Church to upgrade the historic church building to improve accessibility and protect the historic structure.

$373,000 for Turning Point of Springfield to reduce substance misuse and increase recovery in rural, high-risk communities by expanding Peer Recovery Coaching and Community Coalition engagement.

“A new infusion of federal funds will soon help Vermont create new jobs, update outdated infrastructure and emergency response systems, and support folks recovering from substance misuse. Congressionally Directed Spending projects direct taxpayer dollars right back to projects that strengthen and improve our cities and towns—I’m fighting for Vermonters in Washington and will always stand up for rural communities throughout the Green Mountain State,” said Senator Welch.

Senator Welch’s CDS wins also include projects that will benefit Vermonters in the NEK and across the State, including:

$12,000,000 for the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board (VHCB) to support the creation of permanently affordable rental housing and the development of shelters in Vermont. (shared project)

$2,000,000 for the Vermont Office of Economic Opportunity for home repair and remediation. This is expected to support 120 homes over a five-year period.

$1,187,000 for the Vermont Department of Corrections for peer recovery coaches at six correctional facilities and 12 probation and parole offices across Vermont.

$750,000 for VHCB to expand the Vermont Farm and Forest Viability Program’s capacity to serve working lands businesses, with a focus on beginning farmers and businesses.

$375,000 for the American Association of State Climatologists to prepare Vermont’s first comprehensive drought plan, create an inundation flooding platform to better predict flood risks, and more.

$250,000 for the Vermont Department of Economic Development to provide technical assistance to small and medium enterprises in responding to an increase in costs associated with tariffs.

View the full list of projects championed by Senator Welch here.

Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS) funding was included in a $1.2 trillion bipartisan funding agreement that included 11 of the 12 annual appropriation bills, including Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies; Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies; Energy and Water Development; Financial Services and General Government; Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies; Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies; Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies; Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies.

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Welch Delivers for Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom

Welch secured federal funding to help build new pharmacies, support farmers and kids, and create jobs in the NEK

Welch secured nearly $60 million total for Vermont communities

BURLINGTON, VT – U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Ranking Member of the Senate Agriculture Subcommittee on Rural Development, Energy, and Credit, today announced that he has secured $58.68 million in federal funds to support 38 Vermont projects, including projects in the Northeast Kingdom, Senator Welch nominated project recipients through the Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS) process.

These funds will support all Vermont communities, including communities in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom:

$2,000,000 for the Vermont Army National Guard to construct a readiness center in Northeast Vermont. (shared project)

$1,400,000 for Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital to construct new pharmacies in Caledonia County to address the recent loss of pharmacies in Caledonia towns.

$1,000,000 for Craftsbury Saplings to expand available childcare slots to meet the needs of the community and add nine new full-time jobs.

$100,000 for the Center for Agricultural Economy for farm-to-school education and local food school nutrition.

“I fought hard to secure nearly $60 million in federal funding for Vermont through the Congressionally Directed Spending process—I’m proud this money will be invested right back into Vermont communities, including in the NEK. This funding will help build new pharmacies, create jobs and support students, children, and families right here in Vermont,” said Senator Welch.

Senator Welch’s CDS wins also include projects that will benefit Vermonters in the NEK and across the State, including:

$12,000,000 for the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board (VHCB) to support the creation of permanently affordable rental housing and the development of shelters in Vermont. (shared project

$2,000,000 for the Vermont Office of Economic Opportunity for home repair and remediation. This is expected to support 120 homes over a five-year period.

$1,187,000 for the Vermont Department of Corrections for peer recovery coaches at six correctional facilities and 12 probation and parole offices across Vermont.

$750,000 for VHCB to expand the Vermont Farm and Forest Viability Program’s capacity to serve working lands businesses, with a focus on beginning farmers and businesses.

$375,000 for the American Association of State Climatologists to prepare Vermont’s first comprehensive drought plan, create an inundation flooding platform to better predict flood risks, and more.

$250,000 for the Vermont Department of Economic Development to provide technical assistance to small and medium enterprises in responding to an increase in costs associated with tariffs.

View the full list of projects championed by Senator Welch here.

Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS) funding was included in a $1.2 trillion bipartisan funding agreement that included 11 of the 12 annual appropriation bills, including Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies; Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies; Energy and Water Development; Financial Services and General Government; Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies; Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies; Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies; Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies.

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