Press Releases

Today, Congressman Bill Huizenga (MI-02) released the following statement after voting in favor of the Conference Report to accompany H.R. 5895, the Energy and Water, Legislative Branch, and Military Construction and Veterans Affairs (VA) Appropriations Act. This legislation reforms and improves the care West Michigan veterans receive, strengthens water infrastructure across the Great Lakes, and secures our electrical grid. This bipartisan bill passed the House by a vote of 377-20.

“Our veterans put their lives on the line for this nation and we have a responsibility to make sure they have the best care available. This bipartisan bill strengthens oversight and accountability at the VA and prioritizes resources for the MISSION Act, mental health care services, suicide prevention, opioid abuse prevention, and rural health care. This much needed legislation also provides additional resources and reforms to modernize the VA to help eliminate the claims processing backlog and improve results for veterans in West Michigan and across the nation.

“Additionally this legislative package addresses another critical part of our community: Great Lakes infrastructure. When I began the bipartisan effort to restore the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund, only 47% of the funding designated for harbor maintenance was actually used for that purpose. Under this bipartisan bill, 92% of the funds collected in the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund will be used for dredging and harbor maintenance. Specifically, this year’s appropriation includes funding for maintenance for Grand Haven Harbor, Holland Harbor, and Ludington Harbor. Having properly dredged ports & harbors is vital to economic growth and job creation in West Michigan and this bipartisan bill takes an important step toward achieving that objective.”

This legislation has already been passed by the Senate and will now head to the President’s desk to be signed into law.