Evergreen Reporter

Washington, D.C. — On July 13, the Senate Appropriations Committee, led by Chair Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), voted to advance the Financial Services and General Government funding bill for fiscal year 2024 that Senator Murray played a key role in writing. The draft legislation provides $16.95 billion to fund the operations of the Department of the Treasury, the federal judiciary, and more than two dozen independent federal agencies—including the Small Business Administration—and will strengthen our economy, support small businesses, and protect Americans’ bank accounts. Among other things, the bill provides additional funding for the Office of National Drug Control Policy to coordinate the whole-of-government response to the opioid and substance use disorder crises.

Importantly, the legislation includes nearly $80 million to support the repair and alteration of Tacoma Union Station, $12 million for the National Archives in Seattle—$9 million to help plan for a brand-new facility and $3 million for immediate repairs at the current facility that are needed now—as well as $25 million for a program to support Native communities’ access to capital and financial services. Senator Murray also secured more than $7.2 million in the draft legislation in Congressionally Directed Spending requests for four critical projects supporting small businesses across Washington state. The Senate Appropriations Committee voted 29-0 to advance the legislation, where it now awaits consideration by the full Senate.

“This bill is so important, because the strength of our country is directly tied to the strength of our economy—and I mean on Main Street, not just on Wall Street,” Senator Murray said at today’s committee markup. “So, I’m glad we are able to support Treasury’s critical work regulating banks, strengthening our economy, and protecting American workers and savers from paying the price for Wall Street’s mistakes. And we also need to protect their nest eggs—which is why this bill includes funding for FTC which protects Americans from consumer fraud—especially seniors who are common targets of criminals, and funding for the program I established in my bipartisan retirement bill last year to help connect people with retirement accounts from past employers they are missing!”

“This bill also invests in ensuring we have a capable, responsive, and accountable federal government that delivers for the American people,” Murray continued. “Which includes tackling pressing challenges like the opioid and substance use disorder crisis that is causing so much pain in communities across the country—and that’s why I am so glad this bill delivers new and much-needed resources for the office responsible for coordinating our federal response to the opioid epidemic.”

In the draft legislation, Murray secured $12 million for the National Archives in Seattle, nearly $80 million for federal courthouse repairs in Tacoma, and more than $7.2 million in Congressionally Directed Spending requests for four important initiatives to help small businesses in Washington state:

• $12 million for the National Archives in Seattle. The bill provides $9 million to develop the planning and design of a new long-term records storage facility for the National Archives and Records Administration’s (NARA) facility at Sand Point in Seattle, and $3,000,000 to support more immediate repairs needed at the current facility. This facility provides the region’s federally recognized Tribes, local and state governments, and general population with access to invaluable historical resources. In 2019, the federal government attempted to sell the property and relocate the contents—each year since then, Senator Murray has worked to develop a long-term solution that keeps the facility in Seattle.
• Nearly $80 million for repairs at the Federal Courthouse at Tacoma Union Station. The bill provides $79,256,000 to support the repair and alteration of Tacoma Union Station, which serves as a courthouse of the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington. The General Services Administration’s (GSA) Seismic Rating System Report currently lists this property with one of the highest seismic risk ratings in GSA’s portfolio. The station was originally damaged by an earthquake that struck the Puget Sound region in 1965, and retrofitting the building will ensure compliance with modern safety codes and better protect building occupants and visitors in the event of another natural disaster.
• $600,000 in Congressionally Directed Spending for the Ballard Alliance to support the small business incubator space run by the Ballard Alliance. Senator Murray met with small business owners who are part of the Ballard Alliance during a walking tour in Downtown Ballard last summer.
• $500,000 in Congressionally Directed Spending for the Refuge Artisan Initiative’s (RAI) Community and Microbusiness Development Program Initiative. RAI partners with refugee and immigrant women to aid their successful transition to the U.S. through artisan skills training and microbusiness development.
• $4 million in Congressionally Directed Spending for the Regional Port Authority of Chelan and Douglas County to construct workspaces to support small businesses.
• $2.129 million in Congressionally Directed Spending for Tacoma Arts Live’s Small Business Incubator Expansion. Senator Murray visited Tacoma Arts Live and heard from small businesses supported by their incubator program in May.

The legislation also included important funding for national programs that are especially important to Washington state, including:

• $25 million for a Native American Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Program. The bill provides $25 million to support Native communities’ access to capital and financial services. Organizations like the Northwest Native Development Fund, Taala Fund, and Jamestown S’Klallam Tribal Capital have leveraged funds from this program to support economic development in Tribal communities and Native-owned businesses in Washington State.
• $20 million for the State Trade Expansion Promotion (STEP) Program. The STEP program provides invaluable support to small businesses to improve their access to overseas markets and the value of their exports. The Washington State Department of Commerce (WA DOC) has received funding under STEP for 10 years. This year, WA DOC will continue a number of successful export voucher programs, support industry-focused trade shows and missions, and conduct inbound buyer events and export training.

In addition, the draft legislation provides $15 million for the Bureau of Fiscal Service to implement a program to find lost savings bonds, $14 million of which is for Senator Murray’s SECURE 2.0 legislation—signed into law in December—to help people locate retirement accounts from past employers that they are missing or have lost track of. It also funds the brand-new Office of Pandemic Preparedness and Response, which Senator Murray established as part of her bipartisan PREVENT Pandemics Act, and which also was signed into law last year.

“I worked hard to establish the Office of Pandemic Preparedness and Response as part of my bipartisan PREVENT Pandemics Act, because it is clear families need us to do better next time a crisis like COVID strikes—so I’m glad we were able to work together to get this off the ground,” Murray said.

More information on the bill is available HERE.

Original source can be found here.