Congresswoman Tenney’s Statement on Passage of Government Funding Bill for Fiscal Year 2022

Washington, DC – Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (NY-22) today released the following statement in response to the passage of an omnibus government funding bill for the remainder of Fiscal Year 2022 (FY22). Tenney voted for the defense and security portions of the omnibus, which received bipartisan support and includes critical funding for Rome Lab. She opposed the non-security portion of the bill because it failed to deliver relief to seniors on fixed incomes, address the ongoing energy crisis, or reduce wasteful spending.

“After refusing to pass a bipartisan, long-term funding package three separate times since the end of the last fiscal year, House Democrats have once again proven they are unable to govern effectively. The 2,700-page, $1.5 trillion bloated omnibus bill to fund the government through the end of September was released in the dead of night, leaving Members of Congress virtually no time to read its text, let alone seriously analyze its contents.

“I voted in favor of the defense portion of this omnibus package because it includes important priorities like a 2.7% pay increase for our troops and strategic investments to better equip our military personnel with more effective tools and modernize our nation’s defenses. I also fought hard to secure an additional $30 million in funding for the Air Force Research Lab in Rome, leading to significantly more resources for Central New York’s high-tech eco-system. The brave men and women of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) received an increase of $800 million and the bill also included targeted and much-needed security assistance to Ukraine.

“Unfortunately, the non-security portion of the omnibus package failed to address the severe crises facing our country, while wastefully increasing spending in many areas at a time when inflation is already at record levels. The bill does not defund President Biden’s vaccine mandates and does nothing to jumpstart American energy production, despite the unprecedented energy catastrophe we now face. Further, the bill includes a 21% increase in budgets for congressional offices, while not providing any relief for seniors and those on fixed incomes, who are suffering due to Biden’s inflationary policies.

“While I could not support this portion of the bill, I am pleased that the bill includes several Community Funding Projects I advocated for to benefit our local communities. This includes a water systems improvement project in Frankfort, a broadband expansion project in Sherburne, among several others. I vetted these programs thoroughly and worked with all recipients to make sure the funding requests were targeted and responsible. I am extremely disappointed these important priorities were tied to a partisan spending package that overall is irresponsible and reckless.”

NY-22 wins in defense portions of the omnibus, which Tenney supported:

• $30 million increase in funding for Rome Lab over the President’s budget request, leading to an annual research budget of more than $221 million.
• This includes a $10 million increase for Air Force quantum network testbed, $10 million increase for Air Force ion trap quantum computing, and $10 million increase for Air Force academic partnership intermediary agreements. 
• $18.17 million increase for the Civil Air Patrol.
• $1.8 million for procurement of new Civil Air Patrol Vehicles.

Concerns with non-defense portions of the omnibus, which Tenney opposed: 

• Continues the COVID-19 emergency even though our economy has reopened, Americans are returning to work, and our lives are getting back to normal.
• Fails to end Biden’s overreaching and unconstitutional vaccine mandates.
• Increases funding across the federal government, despite record levels of inflation.
• Continues to fund Planned Parenthood through Title X.
• Increases the IRS budget by $675 million, despite concerns about consumer privacy and overreaching bureaucracy.
• Adds an additional $88 billion in spending this year and $500 billion over the next 10 years, an unsustainable and unprecedented sum.

Community Project Funding secured by Tenney:

• $500,000 for Herkimer County for the Eastern Mohawk Valley Regional transmission main project.
• $3 million for the Town of Vernon for the Vernon Central water project.
• $3 million for the Village of Frankfort for a water system improvements project.
• $600,000 for the Village of Marathon for a water river crossing project.
• $2 million for the Utica Harbor Pedestrian Bridge.
• $3 million for the Griffiss-Woodhaven Revitalization project.
• $212,000 for the Village of Sherburne Broadband Expansion.
• $200,000 for the SkyDome Trusted Smart-X Experimentation Environment.

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