Washington, DC – Today, Rep. Ron Kind cast his final vote as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives and voted for the bipartisan omnibus appropriations package, a legislative measure to fund the federal government for the fiscal year. Rep. Kind secured the inclusion of his bill, the Chronic Wasting Disease Research and Management Act, in the omnibus package, along with provisions he authored to help Wisconsinites successfully save for retirement. Provisions of his bill, the Federal Land Asset Inventory Reform (FLAIR) Act, were also included in the final omnibus package. Additionally, Rep. Kind applauded the inclusion of funding in the package for 12 Community Projects in Wisconsin’s Third Congressional District. These projects will deliver over $16.5 million in federal funds to Wisconsin’s Third Congressional District.
“The bipartisan appropriations package that passed the House today includes critical investments to help lower the cost of living for hard working families, create jobs, and more,” said Rep. Ron Kind. “I was proud to see my bipartisan legislation to help combat chronic wasting disease included in the package, as well as provisions I authored to create a single database for lands owned by the federal government. Additionally, I was thrilled to see the inclusion of SECURE 2.0 in this legislation, which contains provisions I authored to help hardworking Wisconsinites approach retirement with confidence. Further, I’m proud to have secured funding for twelve projects in Wisconsin’s Third Congressional District in this package. From supporting our firefighters and law enforcement officers to increasing flood resiliency, these projects would make a large impact on our communities, and I’m proud to have advocated for them in Congress.”
For FY2023, Rep. Kind championed funding for the below projects in the Appropriations package that will directly benefit WI-03:
- New Lisbon Police Department– $400,000
- Funding would help the New Lisbon Police Department build a new police station for the community. The current police station is 111-years-old and the structural integrity and cost effectiveness to maintain repairs is straining the Police Department’s operating budget.
- Visit Eau Claire – $750,000
- Funding would help Eau Claire create a pedestrian underpass to connect the west and east sides of Menomonie Street. This underpass will ensure the smooth and safe transfer of pedestrians across Menomonie Street and connect a number of bike and walking trails.
- City of Prairie Du Chien – $4,950,000
- Funding would support the construction of a new Public Safety Center for the Fire, Police, and other Emergency Services. The building will replace the inadequate, outdated, and separate facilities.
- Grant County – $2,026,977
- Funding would contribute to the final phases of the replacement of Grant County’s inadequate public safety communications system. Grant County is building six new radio towers as well as public safety communications equipment on a total of eleven towers throughout the region. These towers will serve rural communities, and the improvements will solve communications problems that have plagued rural safety responders.
- City of Viroqua – $1,223,400
- Funding would help address three separate sewer issues in Viroqua, and support current and future commercial, industrial, and residential development.
- Family and Children’s Center of Wisconsin – $450,000
- Funding would support the Family and Children’s Center of Wisconsin’s project to address behavioral health programming and increase the capacity to serve children and families in underserved areas.
- AdventHealth Durand – $916,000
- Funding would help AdventHealth Durand modernize ambulance bays to enhance the safety of patients, improve efficiency of emergency responders, and spare costly damage to emergency vehicles.
- Gundersen Tri-County Hospital – $1,000,000
- Funding would help Gundersen put solar panels on top of their Whitehall Hospital to support their overall goal to be emission free and reduce energy consumption.
- Village of Viola – $1,751,115
- Funding would help the community recover from devastating floods and develop sites that would not be impacted by future flood events.
- Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater La Crosse – $1,500,000
- Funding would help the Boys and Girls Clubs of La Crosse with their project that focuses on creating opportunities for youth living in poverty and expanding their Terry Erickson club.
- Southwestern Wisconsin Community Action Program – $750,000
- Funding would help expand the current Lancaster Senior Village and create additional affordable rental housing for seniors in Wisconsin’s Third Congressional District.
- Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Chippewa Valley – $1,000,000
- Funding would help the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Chippewa Valley develop a Teen Program Center. The current teen center was constructed in the 1940s and hasn’t been renovated since, and the space is only used at 50% of the current capacity.
Rep. Kind’s legislation, H.R. 5608, the Chronic Wasting Disease Research and Management Act, which passed the House of Representatives with overwhelming bipartisan support was included in the omnibus package. This legislation will help combat chronic wasting disease (CWD) by funding research into CWD prevention and supporting state and tribal efforts to develop and implement management strategies for the disease. There is currently no known cure for CWD and it’s unclear how the disease is transmitted. With this funding, Wisconsin will be able to maintain healthy deer herds and protect its outdoor economy and traditions.
Provisions of Rep. Kind’s legislation H.R. 5522, the Federal Land Asset Inventory Reform (FLAIR) Act were also included in the funding package. This critical piece of legislation will create a single database for lands owned by the federal government. Currently, there is no one comprehensive database to show exactly what lands and infrastructure the federal government owns. A streamlined, searchable database would give land managers access to more precise information and help save taxpayer dollars.
Additionally, Rep. Kind worked hard to help more Wisconsinites successfully save for retirement and improve their long-term financial wellbeing and secured key wins by expanding retirement saving options, including:
- Allowing public schools and nonprofit organizations to participate in Multiple Employer Plans (MEPs) with other small employers in order to pool resources and lower costs
- Extending the start-up credit to small employers that join an MEP
- Support for S Corporations to transition to an ESOP model of ownership
