Pocan Votes to Fund Government, Send Aid to Ukraine

March 10, 2022
Press Release

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Representative Mark Pocan (WI-02), a senior member of the House Appropriations Committee,voted to pass a $1.5 trillion package to fund the United States government and provide aid to Ukraine as part of the FY2022 Omnibus Appropriations agreement.

"This historic government funding package is huge for Wisconsin and the rest of the country. These federal investments will lower the cost of living for working families, create jobs, and tackle some of our biggest challenges from expanding access to affordable healthcare and mitigating climate change. This bill also makes sure all of the funds promised to Wisconsin through the American Rescue Plan, more than $1 billion outstanding, are delivered to the state."

The bill also provides critical humanitarian relief to Ukraine.

" Since Vladimir Putin launched his unprovoked war, millions of Ukrainian civilians have suffered unnecessarily, creating a humanitarian crisis not seen in Europe since World War II. This funding will help the more than 2 million refugees fleeing their home country, support those who remain, and ensure Ukraine can continue to defend itself from the Russian invasion."

Rep. Pocan also championed funding for nine projects included in the bill that will directly benefit WI-02 residents. These include:

  • $39.7 million toward a new plant breeding facility at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The existing World War II-era building, which is shared by U.S. Dept. of Agriculture researchers, is outdated and in severe need of replacement
  • $2 million for a Men's Homeless Shelter in Madison.
  • $1 million toward the construction of the Center for Black Excellence & Culture in Madison.
  • $500,000 for a new Boys & Girls Club in Beloit.
  • $220,000 for renovating a decommissioned elementary school into a community center in Reedsburg.
  • $200,000 for a Centro Hispano of Dane County facility expansion allowing it to provide additional programming and classes such as workforce and career development, family support services, and immigration support.
  • $200,000 for the Green County Aging and Disability Resource Center to create a mobile health outreach unit.
  • $1.2 million for weather satellite instrumentation for UW-Madison that will support work performed by NASA and NOAA.
  • $174,000 for the Wisconsin Small Business Development Center located at UW-Madison.

The text of the spending package, H.R. 2471, is available here. Explanatory statements are available here. A full summary of the 12 regular appropriations bills is here. A summary of the Ukraine supplemental is here and a one-page fact sheet is here.

Individual subcommittee summaries and one-page fact sheets are below:

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