House Passes FY19 Interior Appropriations Bill, Approves Increases to the Historic Preservation Fund
The House of Representatives passed the FY19 Interior Appropriations Bill as part of a minibus package (H.R 6147). During consideration of the bill, the House voted to approve several amendments that restored and increased funding for the Historic Preservation Fund (HPF).
- Representatives Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) Michael Turner (R-OH), Denny Heck (D-WA), Joe Courtney (D-CT), Adam Smith (D-WA), Bill Keating (D-MA) and John Katko (D-NY) offered an amendment to increase funding for the HPF by $5 million, restoring the HPF to FY18 levels.
- Representatives James Clyburn (D-SC), Alma Adams (D-NC) and Terri Sewell (D-AL) submitted an amendment to increase funding for the HPF by $2 million for the Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) preservation program.
- Rep. Sewell submitted an amendment to use funds from the Department of Interior's departmental operations to increase funding to the Civil Rights Movement grant program by $2.5 million.
- Rep. Shelia Jackson Lee (D-TX) offered an amendment for an additional $500,000 for grants to underrepresented communities and an amendment for an additional $1 million of HPF funds be directed to the HBCU preservation program.
All of these amendments were approved by voice vote.
H.R 6147 was approved along a mostly party line vote with democrats largely objecting to cuts to the EPA and policy riders. The House passed Interior Appropriations bill now funds the Historic Preservation Fund at $101.41 million, $4.5 million above FY18 enacted levels (stay tuned for a complete breakdown). The Senate is expected to take up their Interior Appropriations bill next week.
Thanks to everyone that reached out to your Representatives on short notice and urged them to support these critical increases to the Historic Preservation Fund! Also a huge thank you to Representatives Blumenauer, Turner, Heck, Courtney, Smith, Keating, Katko, Clyburn, Sewell, and Adams for their continued and vocal support of the Historic Preservation Fund. Preservation Action will be sure to alert with any additional opportunities to reach out to your members of Congress during the appropriations process.
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