Diaz-Balart Votes to Encourage Job Creation, Support Southern Florida’s Entrepreneurs in Financial Services Appropriations Bill

WASHINGTON ­­– Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart (FL-25), Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, issued the following statement after the Committee approved the fiscal year 2019 Financial Services and General Government bill.

"The Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Bill supports our main street small businesses and local communities. I recently helped Collier County receive designation as part of Southern Florida's High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA), which is funded in this bill to assist localities to adequately address drug crimes. Giving Collier County and other local governments the opportunity to partner with state and federal agencies to address drug-related issues will better prepare them to combat drug trafficking and the growing opioid crisis. We also provided funding for Small Business Development Centers, a vital resource for entrepreneurs looking to improve their businesses. By supporting small business, we encourage job creation and growth, bringing more revenue to our local economy. The bill also provides for 7 (a) and 504 loan programs through the Small Business Administration, as well as programs that support veteran and women owned small businesses. These mom and pop businesses are the heart of our local economy, and I am proud to support legislation that will help them thrive in our community."

"I congratulate Chairman Frelinghuysen and Subcommittee Chairman Graves on this legislation, and look forward to supporting it on the House floor to provide more opportunities for Southern Florida's bustling entrepreneurial economy."

As a senior member of the House Appropriations Committee, Diaz-Balart worked with his colleagues to secure the following funding in the fiscal year 2019 Financial Services and General Government bill:

• $415 million to fight illegal drugs, including the opioid epidemic, through the Office of National Drug Control Policy
  • $280 million is provided for High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) like those in Southern Florida, including the recently designated Collier County
• $737 million to allow the Small Business Administration (SBA) to support our main street businesses
  • $37.5 billion for 7(a) and 504 small business loans
  • $12.3 million for veterans programs
  • $18 million for Women's Business Centers
  • $130 million for Small Business Development Centers
• $7.2 billion for the operation of federal courts, including those in Southern Florida
• Two provisions to protect the rights of Americans whose properties were confiscated by the regime in Cuba