WASHINGTON—Today, Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib commented on the passage of H.R. 4502, a package to fund the federal government in the next fiscal year, which included several key wins on behalf of Michigan’s 13th Congressional District.

“Throughout my time in office I’ve stayed deeply connected to the residents and communities I serve. In the wake of recent flooding in our district, I went door-to-door to hear firsthand from my residents about what they needed and what mattered most to them,” Congresswoman Tlaib said. “What I heard is that residents are concerned about affordable housing and neighborhood revitalization, they want to see investments in education and job training, and they want to live in communities where everyone has the opportunity to thrive. I was proud to vote for several appropriations bills that will deliver important resources to our communities.

“Our country needs to invest in people and not broken structures that continue to target communities of color with over-policing and incarceration. I voted against several FY2022 appropriations bills, including the supplemental, that did not prioritize my residents’ needs and failed to address the concerns that many of us have about policing at the Capitol and at home, escalating military spending, and support for repressive regimes.

“I will never stop fighting for my district. I worked closely with colleagues and I was proud to support the ‘minibus,’ which included direct funding to community organizations on the ground who are helping deliver critical services from housing to youth empowerment.”

Congresswoman Tlaib celebrated the following projects’ inclusion in the legislation:

1. Boys and Girls Club of Southeastern Michigan: funding for improvements to the Fauver-Martin Club in Highland Park that empowers young people and increase entrepreneurship;
2. City of Inkster: funding for a construction of a Senior Wellness Center to help our seasoned residents thrive in the City of Inkster, Michigan;
3. City of Wayne: funding for the rehabilitation of the Goudy Park Amphitheater that serves as community space for families and local community work;
4. Ecorse Creek, Wayne County: funding for the Preconstruction Engineering and Design of the North Branch Ecorse Creek watershed detention basin that will help address the increased flooding of homes in Dearborn Heights;
5. Enterprise Community Partners, Inc: funding for much needed home repairs for our residents;
6. ProsperUs Detroit Micro Lending: funding to support entrepreneurship and small business development in the district;
7. Ruth Ellis Center: funding in order to provide safe, affordable, identity-affirming housing for multiply marginalized black and brown residents of Detroit, with a focus on those who identify as LGBTQ+ between the ages of 18 to 30 and people living with HIV;
8. Southeast Michigan Community Alliance, Inc.: funding for the creation of Wayne-Westland Build Your Future: Pathways To The Workforce proposed program which is designed to address the community need for an integrated career readiness system;
9. Urban Neighborhood Initiatives: funding to address climate change and resiliency through the inclusion of green infrastructure, providing services to residents that include solar charging stations and portable kits that provide internet connectivity for residents in times of natural disasters; and
10. Eastside Community Network: funding to be used for the rehabilitation of the Eastside Community Network headquarters into The Stoudamire Wellness HUB for residents on Detroit’s Eastside that helps advocate for public health on the east side of our district.

Representative Tlaib also secured the following critical appropriations language in the legislation to protect civil rights, deliver economic and racial justice, and advance climate action:

• Directing the Federal Insurance Office to study how the use of non-driving factors, including credit scores, education levels, credit history and marital status have affected auto insurance rates in traditionally underserved communities;
• Urging federal regulators to ensure that the use of technologies like artificial intelligence and machine learning in anti-money laundering enforcement doesn’t implicitly discriminate against Muslim Americans who often see their bank accounts suddenly and erroneously closed due to disproportionate scrutiny from financial institutions;
• Directing the Securities and Exchange Commission to report on the short-term and long-term risks climate change poses to the municipal bond market; and
• Recommending the Office of Personnel Management revise its drug-testing employment guidelines for states where marijuana is legal, like Michigan.

Residents of 13th District Strong will feel the impact of the new federal dollars included in this historic package in their homes and communities. In addition to the aforementioned funding for community projects, the District will also receive:

• $621,000 in new funding to support local job training programs for adults and youth;
• $29.0 million in new funding for public schools supporting children at risk of being left behind; and
• $40.0 million in new funding to strengthen veterans’ health care programs.

“How we spend our tax dollars is a reflection of our nation’s principles and priorities,” Rep. Tlaib added. “I look forward to returning to helping residents in 13th District Strong take full advantage of everything this legislation will deliver, from food assistance to early childhood education to strengthening our public health to creating new clean energy jobs.”

This package now goes to the Senate for consideration.