LABOR, HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, EDUCATION, AGRICULTURE, RURAL DEVELOPMENT, ENERGY AND WATER DEVELOPMENT, FINANCIAL SERVICES AND GENERAL GOVERNMENT, INTERIOR, ENVIRONMENT, MILITARY CONSTRUCTION...
Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (Democrat, VA) \u2014 2021-8-3

. Madam , I rise today in support of 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 of 2022. prgtoken I sponsored the 400 Years of African American History Commission Act with Senator Tim Kaine. This bill includes $3.3 million for the Commission to continue their critical work. Since the Commission was first funded in Fiscal Year 2020, it facilitated participation in the 400-year anniversary commemoration of the arrival of Africans in the U.S. colonies at Fort Monroe in Hampton, Virginia; initiated the 400 Distinguished Award to honor African American social justice leaders; supported programing to engage students in historic preservation; and sponsored a documentary film on Black economic empowerment. More recently, the Commission has also launched a series of virtual public education meetings to continue its mission during the COVID-19 pandemic. prgtoken The legislation also includes a major federal investment in Hampton Roads by including $83.7 million for the deepening and widening of the Norfolk Harbor's channels. This project, while authorized, has not yet received its share of federal funds; however, the Port of Virginia has already begun construction on this critical project and these funds will ensure that the project maintains its timeline. The deepening and widening at the Port will allow for larger container and bulk ships visiting the Port of Virginia to arrive and depart fully loaded, providing for safer and more timely passage. The project is expected to deliver nearly $4 billion of benefits to the national economy. prgtoken As a co-chair of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Taskforce, I am also pleased that this package includes much needed support for the restoration of the Chesapeake Bay. This bill provides $90.5 million for the Environmental Protection Agency's Chesapeake Bay program as well as $15 million for the Chesapeake WILD (Watershed Investments in Landscape Defense) Program. I sponsored legislation, with Reps. Sarbanes and Wittman, to prgtoken create Chesapeake WILD grants to leverage the expertise of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service throughout the Bay's 64,000 square mile watershed. These grants will fund on-the-ground work to enhance water quality, mitigate flooding, provide opportunities for recreation, and protect habitat. This funding and these projects will advance efforts to restore the Chesapeake Bay by the 2025 deadline. prgtoken I am also pleased that my amendments supporting essential funding for our National Labs were adopted. These changes highlighted the need for funding for Nuclear Physics and Medium Energy Operations within the Department of Energy's Office of Science. Scientists and researchers at Jefferson Lab, located i