WASHINGTON, D.C. –Congressman Mario Díaz-Balart (R-FL), Vice Chair of the House Appropriations Committee, issued the following statement after voting to reopen the government: “No shutdown has ever achieved anything, and this one was a colossal failure. All Democrats did was hold hostage the livelihood of Americans, using them as leverage to protect their political survival. After nearly two months of the longest Democrat-led shutdown in history, costing our country $11 billion, thousands of flight disruptions, and missed paychecks and benefits, the American people are exactly where we started, but with billions wasted, families hurt, and safety compromised. This shutdown was not only irresponsible but also dangerous. Air traffic controllers, TSA officers, and thousands of other crucial federal workers were forced to work without pay or furloughed, jeopardizing the safety and security of America. After 42 days, a couple of Senate Democrats finally came to their senses and passed a clean Continuing Resolution, the same solution House Republicans sent to the Senate back in September to keep the government open. I voted to reopen the government to restore regular order and get back to serving the American people. This ensures that vital benefits, such as WIC and SNAP, reach low-income families, and that servicemembers and federal workers, including air traffic controllers and TSA agents, receive their long-overdue back pay. It also allows furloughed employees, such as those at the U.S. agency who oversee the country’s nuclear stockpile, to safely and responsibly resume critical operations. In addition, I supported passage of three Fiscal year 2026 appropriations bills –– Agriculture, Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Legislative Branch — that deliver for our veterans, servicemembers, and their families; support our farmers and growers; strengthen our national security; and ensure that America’s most vulnerable continue to have access to nutritious food.” Here are some of the highlights: Supporting our veterans and veterans’ and military families - $50M for Joint Interagency Task Force (JIATF-S) facility upgrades in Key West,to enhance the capabilities of our southernmost military bulwark against illegal narcotics.
- $115.1B for veterans’ medical care.
- $52.6B to implement that PACT Act and provide health care for veterans exposed to environmental hazards during their service, including burn pits.
- $263.7B for Veterans benefits, including disability compensation programs, education benefits, and vocational rehabilitation and employment training.
- $80M for Veteran Cancer Research going to the Neurology Centers of Excellence.
- $42M for the prevention, diagnoses, and treatment of PTSD going to the National Center for Post-traumatic Stress Disorder.
- $4.5B to improve the housing and quality of life of servicemembers and their families.
- $1.9B for military family housing.
- $1.3B for barracks, dorms, and other unaccompanied housing.
- $1.3B for quality of life facility improvements to include hospitals, schools, child development centers, fitness centers, dining facilities, and mess halls.
- $3.5B for programs to prevent veteran homelessness.
- $659M for the Supportive Services for Veterans Families Program.
- $702M for Housing and Urban Development-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing Program case management.
- $276M for the Grant and Per Diem Program.
- $173M for the Veterans Justice Outreach Program and Legal Services for Veterans grants.
Provides for our farmers and growers - $1.4B for the Farm Service Agency to provide local support for our nation’s farmers and ranchers.
- $1.8B for the Agricultural Research Service to ensure that we maintain competitive edge in agricultural production and innovation.
- $1.2B for the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service to protect U.S. agricultural health from pests, diseases and invasive species.
- $79.8M for citrus health activities and multi-agency coordination efforts to support Florida’s citrus industry.
- Language regarding pasteurized orange juice and Brix levels.
- $109M for rural broadband grants and loans for the most hard-to-reach areas.
Ensure that low-income families have access to nutritious food - $107B in mandatory funding for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
- $8.2B for the Special Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC)
Countering our adversaries - Provides additional resources for the Farm Services Agency to improve the tracking system of foreign-owned land and maintains the Secretary of Agriculture’s position on the Committee on Foreign Investment to protect our farmland from being bought by our adversaries.
- Provides the Food and Drug Administration with the resource and new authorities needed to crack down on the illegal importation, distribution, and sale of e-cigarettes from China and other countries.
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