WASHINGTON, DC — This week, after submitting a funding request for critical national security needs, the Biden Administration sent Congress a $56 billion emergency funding request to address critical needs of American families and communities.  This request includes: $23.5 billion for natural disaster relief, $16 billion for child care stabilization, an extra $1.6 billion to help families lower their energy bills through LIHEAP, and $1.55 billion to counter the scourge of fentanyl.

Today, U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, issued the following statement on the President’s supplemental funding request:

“Congress needs to take bipartisan action to help lower costs for families, strengthen our economy, and keep people safe.  The President’s supplemental funding request includes critical funding to tackle urgent priorities.  Congress should work together to advance this package and help working families afford the necessities of life.”

The proposed supplemental spending package comes on the heels of the U.S. House of Representatives finally electing a new Speaker and shortly after the September 30 expiration of vital child care funding from the American Rescue Plan law (P.L. 117-2). This Reed-backed child care funding, which provided $93 million for child care in Rhode Island, helped child care providers nationwide keep their doors open.   Senator Reed has pressed for legislation to replenish funding for this critical child care program for a full year.

A report released by The Century Foundation (TCF) shows that as these American Rescue Plan child care funds dry up, child care for millions of children and families nationwide could begin to disappear.  TCF projects that without Congressional action, a projected 3.2 million child care slots could be lost and roughly 70,000 child care programs could close, hurting working families and local economies.  Parents nationwide will be forced to either pay more for child care or pull their children from care and work fewer hours.

Reed stated: “Every family deserves top-notch child care they can afford and the federal government should be a partner that provides a sustainable, reliable source of funding.  The research and evidence is clear: quality, affordable child care is a public good and an economic imperative that expands opportunity.”

Earlier this week, the Biden Administration released $3.7 billion in Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) funds to help Americans pay their home energy bills.  This resulted in Rhode Island receiving an allocation of $24,039,524.  However, Reed says it is critical to provide states with additional funding to help people stay warm and keep the heat on this winter.  Earlier this month, Senator Reed led a bipartisan letter calling on the administration to include supplemental LIHEAP funding in any additional request submitted to Congress for FY24 appropriations. 

“I was pleased to deliver over $24 million to help Rhode Islanders in need cover some of their home energy costs.  But with winter fast approaching, additional LIHEAP aid is needed to address the underlying and enduring problem of Americans not being able to afford the high cost of energy.  I’m glad the administration included supplemental funding for LIHEAP in its request.  Now, Congress must act on a bipartisan basis to help those in need, particularly seniors on fixed incomes and impoverished households with young children,” said Reed.

Senator Reed is scheduled to attend an Appropriations Committee hearing next week on the President’s national security supplemental request and says he looks forward to working with his colleagues on the committee to pass both the national security and domestic priorities supplementals.

“It is imperative to get these bills done and Congress must work together to tackle and pass both our domestic and national security priorities,” concluded Senator Reed.