Congresswoman Bush Statement on 2023 Government Spending Bill House Passage
Washington D.C. (Dec. 23, 2022) — Congresswoman Cori Bush (MO-01) released the following statement after the passage of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023, legislation to fund the federal government for fiscal year 2023.
“Today, the House passed a $1.7 trillion bill to avert a government shutdown and fund the federal government for fiscal year 2023. While there are many life-saving provisions in the bill, more than half of the package – $858 billion – prioritizes excessive spending on war and weapons over vital domestic priorities like removing restrictions on and expanding reproductive health care, ending the unhoused crisis, acting urgently to address climate change, adopting widespread health-based approaches to gun violence and public safety, and so much more. These are the priorities that I have long pushed to be fully funded and prioritized so that we can meaningfully make a difference in the lives of every person in St. Louis.
“I came to Congress to save lives and deliver for St. Louis. It’s why I fought for and successfully secured in this bill over $18 million in funding for local projects in St. Louis. That mission is also why I dedicated the final stretch of deliberations around this omnibus package to negotiating with the White House as well as Congressional leaders to secure additional disaster relief for St. Louis. By leveraging my vote on this package, I am proud to have partnered with Senator Roy Blunt to deliver $214 million in investments for public transportation systems nationwide, including for Bi-State Development in St. Louis, to aid recovery needs following natural disasters. This funding was not on the table even as recently as one week ago, but we fought hard, and we won for our community. With that, I voted yes on today’s bill.
“St. Louis, rest assured, I will continue to fight for domestic priorities that strengthen our community’s social safety net while refusing to accept an ever-ballooning defense budget that already exceeds the defense spending of the next nine countries combined. Nor can we accept the continued outrageous spending on inhumane and harmful anti-Black and anti-immigrant policies that increase policing, incarceration, and abuse. As we move toward the 118th Congress, I will continue to lead with the mandate that St. Louis sent me to Congress with: to advance legislation that meets every person’s needs–starting with those whose need is greatest.”
###