House Passes Ruiz’s Priorities in Appropriations Package

Washington, D.C. - Today, Congressman Raul Ruiz, M.D. (CA-36) announced that the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 4502, a government funding package, that included numerous high-priority provisions he secured. The spending bills included $10 million in federal funding specifically designated for ten Community Projects spread across the 36th District. The local projects supported by Rep. Ruiz will expand access to health care in Blythe, bring clean drinking water to the Eastern Coachella Valley, and strengthen water treatment and transportation infrastructure in the Pass Area.

'With this vote in the House, we are one step closer to bringing home the millions of dollars in federal funding that I secured for ten community projects in our district,' said Dr. Ruiz. 'From bringing new health care resources to Blythe, to driving economic development in San Jacinto, to expanding clean water access in the East Valley, these projects will bring incredible value to our communities.'

In addition to the funding for local Community Projects, Ruiz secured several funding increases and policy changes that will benefit the 36th District, including a New Start for an Army Corps of Engineers Project at the Salton Sea and a $1.8 billion (30%) increase in funding for the Indian Health Service.

'I am pleased that the House passed my priorities to bring federal resources to the Salton Sea, invest in critical health care programs, and fulfill the United States' trust responsibility to Tribal nations by increasing funding for the Indian Health Service,' continued Dr. Ruiz. 'I look forward to getting this legislation signed into law to improve the lives of my constituents and help us build back better than ever before.'

H.R. 4502 included significant increases in funding for HIV/AIDS research, Alzheimer's research, and community health centers, among other health care investments.

BACKGROUND

Fact sheets for H.R. 4502 - the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, Agriculture, Rural Development, Energy and Water Development, Financial Services and General Government, Interior, Environment, Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Act, 2022 (DeLauro D-CT) can be found below:

For the FY22 Appropriations cycle, Chair Rosa DeLauro (CT-03) announced that each Member of Congress could submit up to ten local community projects for potential funding. All ten of Ruiz's projects were funded by the Committee.

The following 10 projects were included in the FY22 Appropriations Bills:

FY22 Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies

City of Banning, $1.25 million to fund a wastewater treatment facility equalization basin at the current facility to protect the environment from overflows caused by large surges in demand primarily driven by extreme weather.

Coachella Valley Water District, $2.7 million for the Avenue 66 Clean Water Project which will fund the construction of a new water transmission line in the East Valley.

FY22 Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development, and Related Agencies

City of Beaumont, $1.5 million to fund the expansion and widening of Pennsylvania Avenue between 1st Street and 6th Street from its current two lanes to four lanes.

City of Blythe, $500,000 to fund the replacement of an existing 500,000-gallon water reservoir servicing the Palo Verde College and surrounding neighborhood with a new, bolted steel water tank of similar capacity.

Coachella Valley Housing Coalition, $500,000 to fund the rehabilitation and renovation of the Coachella Valley Housing Coalition's Community Development and Service Center.

Soboba Band of Luiseño Indians, $1 million to fund construction of public facilities required to facilitate construction of the 10-acre Soboba Crossroads shopping center in San Jacinto.

FY22 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies

Clinicas de Salud del Pueblo, $1 million to fund the expansion of the Blythe Health Center from 5,766 square feet to 13,768 square feet which will allow the center to accept roughly 6,000 additional patients per year, including the addition of behavioral health and dental services.

Loma Linda University Health Center, $1 million to fund the construction and furnishing of a new 8,000 sq foot FQHC in the Coachella Valley.

Palo Verde Hospital District, $350,000 to assist with the acquisition of a fully integrated mobile health unit with telehealth services.

Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies

Salton Sea Authority, $200,000 for the Army Corps of Engineers for a Salton Sea Project. This project will fund the first phase of the investigation into the 'Imperial Streams, Salton Sea, and Tributaries' Army Corps project which Dr. Ruiz secured in the Water Resources Development Act of 2020.

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