Congress passes $2.3 trillion funding bill, including $900 billion stimulus package

The massive $2.3 trillion appropriations bill passed by Congress last night funds the federal government through the end of its fiscal year, Sept. 30, 2021 and provides a $900 billion COVID relief stimulus package.

The stimulus package revives a supplemental federal unemployment benefit at $300 a week for 11 weeks and provides for another round of direct cash payments to taxpayers, this time in the sum of $600 for each adult and child in the household. The payments will be provided to joint filers with adjusted gross incomes of $150,000 or less, head of household filers with AGI of $112,500 or less and individual filers with AGI of $75,000 or less.

It includes $13 billion in SNAP benefits, which will be increased 15% for all participants for six months and ensures access to SNAP benefits for college students. It also includes additional funding for food banks and nutrition programs for seniors, child-care support and rental assistance.

The stimulus package also includes $20 billion for the purchase of vaccines that makes the vaccine available at no charge for anyone who needs it.

It also extends the first round of the Paycheck Protection Program for businesses that have not previously received a loan and provides a second round of PPP for businesses with less than 300 employees experiencing more than a 25% reduction in revenue. It expands the eligibility for PPP to 501(c)(6) entities, which includes business leagues, trade associations and chambers of commerce.

The stimulus package also ensures recipients of the Paycheck Protection Program can deduct business expenses paid with PPP’s forgivable loans.

It also includes $300 million in assistance to fisheries participants to help mitigate coronavirus-related economic impacts.

First Congressional District Rep. Lee Zeldin said the appropriations bill contains a number of legislative items of importance to his district, which he summarized in a press release last night:

The bill permanently repeals the 2008 federal law that required Plum Island to be sold to the highest bidder, something Zeldin has been working to achieve since he took office in 2015.

The appropriations bill also authorizes the construction of the Hashamomuck Cove coastal storm risk management project in Southold and a feasibility study for Wading River Creek hurricane and storm damage risk reduction, flood risk management, navigation, and ecosystem restoration;

The bill directs expedited completion of the feasibility study for improving navigation in Goldsmith Inlet in Southold, and, if justified, directs the pre-construction of the project.

It provides authorization for the construction of the Fire Island to Montauk Point Project, which includes dredging and shoreline projects and spans 83 miles of coastline.

It also preserves the T-Band spectrum or local first responders by repealing 2012 legislation that mandated the sale of the T-Band spectrum.

It provides:

• $30.4 million for the Environmental Protection Agency’s Long Island Sound Program;
• $31.88 million for the Environmental Protection Agency’s National Estuary Program and includes $700,000 per estuary, supporting two NY-1 estuaries, the Long Island Sound and Peconic Estuary;
• $75 million for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Sea Grant College Program.
• $661 million for gender-specific care for women veterans at VA facilities, including $1 million for peer support programs for women veterans and $7.5 million for the Airborne Hazards and Burn Pits Center of Excellence to assist veterans with burn pit claims at the VA;
• authorization for Community Health Centers for three years, including Sun River Health (formerly HRHCare), which has six locations throughout NY-1.

The text of the 5,593-page bill was released just hours before being voted on by both houses of Congress last night.

It passed the Senate 92-6 and the House by a vote of 359-53. Zeldin voted yes.

“However, moving forward,” he said, “there must be a better way to legislate rather than 5,500+ page spending bills released just hours before a vote. The American people deserve nothing less than a thoughtful and deliberative budget process defined by transparency and open debate.”

President Donald Trump last night signed a seven-day stopgap funding measure through Dec. 28 to avoid a government shutdown over Christmas. He is expected to sign the 2021Consolidated Appropriations Act into law.