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Washington, D.C.— Congressman Henry Cuellar (D-TX-28) voted in favor of the fiscal year 2022 Financial Services and General Government funding bill. The bill passed on a 33 to 24 vote.

For fiscal year 2022, the bill includes $29.1 billion in funding, an increase of $4.8 billion over 2021. The funding bill includes many of Congressman Cuellar’s legislative priorities for the constituents of the 28^th Congressional District of Texas:

• $10,409,066,000 for the General Services Administration (GSA) Federal Buildings Fund, an increase of $1,343,577 from last year. This includes:
• $616,702,000 for construction and acquisition of federal sites
• $221,976,000 for acquisition and construction of federal buildings and United States courthouses
• Secured language for Land Ports of Entry, Centers of Excellence, to help expedite the processing of asylum seekers at the southwest border
• Secured language for Mexico-American Border Coordinators for freight infrastructure maintenance and development
• $330,000,000 for the Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund program to support targeted investments in rural and impoverished communities, an increase of $60,000,000 from last year.
• $323,800,000 for SBA Entrepreneurial Development Programs, an increase of $51,800,000 from last year.
• $20,000,000 for State Trade Expansion Program (STEP), an increase of $500,000 from last year.
• $30,000,000 for Community Volunteer Income Tax Assistance matching grants program.

“The COVID-19 global pandemic caused many challenges for ordinary Americans and small business owners simply looking to make ends meet. The pandemic also exposed gaps in our border processing centers and federal building capacities. While I have continued to advocate for pandemic rescue opportunities, the residents of my district deserve more support. That is why I voted in favor of the FSGG funding bill,” said Congressman Cuellar. “We must continue to support our men and women in blue and green by providing them with the necessary resources to secure our southern border. We must also provide resources to underserved businesses while boosting consumer potential. Through the 2022 funding bill, we will secure our southern border, protect our democracy, rebuild the IRS, support working and middle-class families. I thank Chairwoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) and Subcommittee Chairman Mike Quigley (D-IL) for their support of south Texas communities.”

Additionally, the FSGG FY22 funding bill:

• Assists small businesses and entrepreneurs through the Small Business Administration and Community Development Financial Institutions
• Protects our democracy with Election Security Grants to ensure the integrity and safety of our elections
• Rebuilds the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to finally crack down on big corporations and the wealthy who aren't paying their fair share and to provide better customer service to working families navigating the tax system
• Supports working and middle-class families by increasing funding for consumer protection activities at the Consumer Product Safety Commission and the Federal Trade Commission
• Confronts the climate crisis by providing funding to start the transition of the Federal vehicle fleet to electric and zero emission vehicles

A summary of the bill is here. The text of the bill, before the adoption of amendments in full Committee, is here. The bill report, before the adoption of amendments in full Committee, is here. In keeping with the Appropriations Committee’s commitment to transparency, information on Community Project Funding in the bill is here.

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