WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) has announced key provisions he supported in the bipartisan $460 billion Fiscal Year 2024 appropriations package, which passed the Senate in an overwhelming 72-24 vote and has been signed into law by President Joe Biden. In addition to the $454 million in Congressionally-Directed Spending (CDS) investments secured by King and the Maine delegation, the annual spending bill will support jobs, invest in national security and improve the quality of life for Maine people across the state.

“The 2024 appropriations bill includes a wide range of provisions that will strengthen communities across our state, invest in our national defense and improve life for Maine people. From increasing affordable childcare at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard to providing critical mental health services and suicide prevention services for veterans, this bipartisan spending bill will be a game changer for communities across our state,” said Senator King.

“This bill also takes important steps to help stop the flow of deadly drugs like fentanyl into our communities, increase counter-narcotics efforts through nautical and border avenues, and fund the construction of eight new Naval ships, including the procurement of a new DDG-51,” continued Senator King. “There is much to be celebrated in this bill and I am proud to have worked across the aisle to get it across the finish line. I look forward to continue working with my colleagues to deliver for Maine.”

Highlights of provisions supported by Senator King in the FY2024 spending bill include:

HEALTH CARE

• $385 million for certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics
• $6 million for Comprehensive Opioid Recovery Centers
• $10.55 million for preventative falls care
• $305 million for Nursing Workforce Development Programs
• $150 million for Health Care Workforce Development Programs

DEFENSE

• $33.6 billion for the construction of eight new Naval ships, including $1.35 billion for advanced procurement of an additional DDG-51
• 5.2% pay raise for servicemember and civilians, as well as $29.6 billion for military housing — the highest pay raise in over 20 years for the military and over 40 years for civilians.
• $167 million to fully fund the Department of Defenses’ (DoD) child care initiatives
• $11.8 billion to support the Coast Guard, including search and research activities, drug interdiction, marine safety and environmental protection, and fisheries enforcement.
• $410.2 million for Navy PFAS restoration
• $384.7 million for Air Force PFAS restoration

WOMEN, CHILDREN & DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES

• $4.05 billion for Homeless Assistance Grants, an increase of over 10%
• $107 million for the Youth Homeless Demonstration Program
• $7.03 billion for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), an increase of $1.03 billion
• Full funding of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to serve an estimated 42 million people per month
• Full funding of Child Nutrition Programs — such as the School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program and Summer EBT Program — which will serve an estimated 5 billion lunches and 2.6 billion breakfasts to kids across the country

VETERAN SERVICES

• $715 million for veteran focused Opioid Prevention and Treatment Programs
• $16.2 billion for mental health services, including $559 million specifically for veteran suicide prevention outreach
• $3.1 billion for Veteran Homelessness Prevention Programs to support access to service, and housing assistance for veterans and their families

SMALL BUSINESS & THE ECONOMY

• $316.8 million to support the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) entrepreneurial development programs

IMMIGRATION & HOMELAND SECURITY

• $495 million to fund a record number of 22,000 Border Patrol Agents
• $125 million for increases to Border Patrol overtime pay
• $11.8 billion to support the Coast Guard’s domestic and overseas missions; including support for critical arctic investments and counter-narcotics programs in the Gulf of Mexico
• 25% increase in counter narcotics programs and support
• $125 million in Department of State funding to support efforts to stop global flows of fentanyl and other synthetic drugs
• Authorization of an additional 12,000 Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs) for Afghan allies who assisted the U.S. government during the war in Afghanistan

JUDICIARY

• Inclusion of the STOP School Violence Act which makes annual grants available to bring evidence-based programs and strategies to schools to prevent acts of violence, as well as encourages the development and operation of anonymous reporting systems and threat intervention teams
• $713 million for grants — the highest level of funding to date — to be provided by the Office of Violence Against Women

ENVIRONMENT & SCIENCE

• $80 million for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Sea Grant to further support coastal resiliency research, coastal workforce development and fishery research programs such as the American Lobster Initiative

EDUCATION

• $1.45 billion for Career and Technical Education Programs
• $1.19 billion for TRIO, a series of federal programs to help low-income students enter and graduate college
• $388 million for Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP), a federal grant program to help prepare low-income middle school and high school students for a postsecondary education
• Increases to the Pell Grant; preserves $900 increase over last two fiscal years, bringing the maximum award for the 2024-25 school year to $7,395

CYBER & NATIONAL SECURITY

• $300 million in funding for the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI) to continue support for Ukraine
• $4.6 million to support additional oversight of the DoD’s activities related to Ukraine
• $21.7 million to fund the Office of the National Cyber Director — a key American security imperative created by Senator King as Co-Chair of the Cyberspace Solarium Commission.

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