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Evans Co-Leads Bill to Re-Authorize Healthy Food Financing Initiative

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Dwight Evans (2nd District of Pennsylvania)

Program brings healthy food, grocery stores to both urban & rural communities; Evans helped create Pa. program that became national model

PHILADELPHIA (May 23, 2025) – Congressman Dwight Evans (D-PA-3) is co-leading a bill (H.R. 3506) to re-authorize the Healthy Food Financing Initiative (HFFI) with Congresswoman Shontel Brown (OH-11), vice ranking member of the House Agriculture Committee. 

HFFI is a public-private partnership providing loans, grants, and technical assistance to improve access to fresh, healthy food in urban and rural underserved communities. HFFI assistance programs are administered through the Department of Agriculture and the Treasury’s Community Development Financial Institutions Fund (CDFI).   

“I was proud to play a leading role as a state legislator in creating the Pennsylvania Fresh Food Financing Initiative, which became the model for this national program. I appreciate Congresswoman Brown’s partnership on keeping HFFI in place to bring healthy food to underserved urban and rural communities across the country,” said Congressman Evans. “I continue to believe that food is medicine, and that every American should have access to affordable, healthy food. It’s one of the best tools in the preventive health-care toolbox!”

“Every family, no matter their zip code, should be able to put fresh, healthy food on the table,” said Congresswoman Brown. “HFFI has enjoyed bipartisan support because it benefits urban and rural communities, farmers and consumers. From supporting the revitalization of Cleveland’s West Side Market to giving farmers and entrepreneurs new opportunities, HFFI is about more than just food – it is about health, equity, and economic growth. As we shape the next Farm Bill, I’m proud to partner with Congressman Evans to champion HFFI, an initiative with a proven track record of improving food access and investing in underserved neighborhoods.”

According to the USDA, to date HFFI has awarded over $25 million in funding through the HFFI Targeted Small Grants Program and an additional $40 million was awarded in grants to 16 public-private partnerships through the HFFI Local and Regional Healthy Food Financing Partnerships Program. 

In addition to the authorizing language, Brown leads the annual appropriations request letters for HFFI. Earlier this month, Brown and Evans led two letters to House appropriators requesting robust funding for HFFI in Fiscal Year 2026.

For more information on HFFI, click here. 

Evans represents the 3rd Congressional District, which includes Northwest and West Philadelphia and parts of North, South, Southwest and Center City Philadelphia. He recently announced that his office returned to or saved $4.5 million for constituents in 2024 in cases involving federal agencies such as the IRS, Social Security Administration and Department of Veterans Affairs. The 2024 figure brings Evans’ office’s total to more than $45.5 million returned to or saved for constituents during his first eight years in Congress.

Evans serves on the influential House Ways and Means Committee, including its Subcommittee on Health. The committee oversees Social Security, Medicare, taxes, and trade. Evans’ website is evans.house.gov and his social media handle is @RepDwightEvans on YouTube, Bluesky, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Threads.

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Evans Fights Trump ‘Reverse Robin Hood’ Bill That Would Kick Over 50,000 Philadelphians Off Medicaid

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Dwight Evans (2nd District of Pennsylvania)

PHILADELPHIA (May 22, 2025) – Congressman Dwight Evans (D-PA-3) said the fight isn’t over to stop a bill pushed by President Trump that would kick more than 50,000 Philadelphians off Medicaid health coverage. The House of Representatives passed it Thursday morning.

“This bill now goes to the Senate, and if they change it, the bill will have to survive another vote in the House. All of that provides more time for Americans to find out what’s in this ‘Reverse Robin Hood’ bill that would steal from the working class to give the richest another tax cut,” Evans said. “So I and my Democratic colleagues are going to KEEP fighting!”

“I fought this bill in a nearly 18-hour committee markup that went overnight, and I voted against it repeatedly in the overnight House session where Republicans narrowly passed it. A House Republican 31 years younger than me missed the vote because he fell asleep, but I stayed up to fight for the 26,000 people in my district who would lose Medicaid coverage. Denying health coverage for 259,000 Pennsylvanians will NOT ‘make America healthy again!’”

Evans said the Center for American Progress estimated the bill would take Medicaid coverage away from more than 50,000 people in Philadelphia and about 259,000 Pennsylvanians overall. CAP also estimated the Medicaid denials would result in more than 150 deaths per year in Philadelphia and 819 deaths statewide.

“Trump and his House Republican enablers’ bill would pile on work documentation requirements – basically, more paperwork – that would kick millions of Americans off Medicaid. This program is vital for kids, seniors, and many people who are unable to work because of disabilities, illness, school, or serving as a caregiver for children or other relatives. And the Republican cuts to Medicaid and SNAP food aid in the bill roughly equal their $1 trillion in tax cuts for people making over $500,000 per year.”

“The Trump-Republican bill would also force $500 billion in cuts to Medicare, which covers nearly 3 million Pennsylvania seniors. I think protecting health care for kids, seniors, and other vulnerable Pennsylvanians – and keeping our hospitals open – are both more important than giving another tax cut to Elon Musk and others who don’t even need it!” Evans said. 

Evans urged Pennsylvania’s two U.S. senators, John Fetterman (D) and David McCormick (R), to oppose the bill.

Evans represents the 3rd Congressional District, which includes Northwest and West Philadelphia and parts of North, South, Southwest and Center City Philadelphia. He recently announced that his office returned to or saved $4.5 million for constituents in 2024 in cases involving federal agencies such as the IRS, Social Security Administration and Department of Veterans Affairs. The 2024 figure brings Evans’ office’s total to more than $45.5 million returned to or saved for constituents during his first eight years in Congress.

Evans serves on the influential House Ways and Means Committee, including its Subcommittee on Health. The committee oversees Social Security, Medicare, taxes, and trade. Evans’ website is evans.house.gov and his social media handle is @RepDwightEvans on YouTube, Bluesky, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Threads.

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Bonamici Condemns GOP Tax Bill That Would Devastate Medicaid, SNAP

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Suzanne Bonamici (1st District Oregon)

WASHINGTON, DC [5/22/25] – Today Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici condemned the House Republican reconciliation bill, which passed the house on a partisan vote.

Bonamici denounced the legislation on the House floor ahead of the vote. The video can be found here, and the full remarks are below.

“The news today is about a bill. It’s a big bill. The Republican’s big, bad bill, which is cruel, cold-hearted, and completely unnecessary. And it’s not even fiscally responsible; it’s actually going to add to the deficit.

“This massive bill, which is more than a thousand pages, was – and is being – negotiated behind closed doors. The debate started at 1 o’clock in the morning in the darkness of night. This bill is going to strip health care and food assistance from millions of Americans so billionaires can get trillions of dollars in tax breaks. Mr. Speaker, who’s afraid of the big, bad bill? Well a lot of people are, and for good reason.

“Make no mistake, if you rip health care away from millions of Americans, people will die. Right now, this is the largest Medicaid cut in history. In fact, the headline today summarizing the score on this bill from the Congressional Budget Office said, ‘Wealthy gain, low-income people lose from GOP megabill.’ They’re right. There are about 1.4 million Oregonians on Medicaid, including 1 in 3 children. I challenge my colleagues to go to a pediatric cancer wing and tell a child with leukemia and their parents that they can’t afford life-saving treatment. If you don’t have the courage to tell them to their face, then don’t support this bill. 

“This bill takes food from hungry children. SNAP helps more than 775,000 Oregonians, 50 percent of whom are children, to put food on their table. This bill would lead to a significant reduction in food benefits for families. 

‘I tell you, billionaires can eat caviar in their mansions, on their yachts, and while launching celebrities in rockets on vanity tours of space, but everyday Americans will be left unsure about whether they’ll have enough to feed their families.  

“The top 20 percent of income earners will get at least 68 percent of the benefits in this bill while Oregonians and Americans who benefit from Medicaid and SNAP will be left to suffer.  

“Because of this big bad bill for billionaires, student loan borrowers could be in debt until they die. Many students who get Pell grants will be harmed. This bill will raise monthly student loan payments for working and middle-class borrowers, affecting 15 million people across the country. That includes more than 50,000 Oregonian students and families who with this bill will have limited options for repayment relief. And no question – unless they are from a wealthy family, this bill will close the doors of opportunity for the next generation to access affordable college education. 

“Families will pay more for groceries, gas, insurance, and utilities, but oil companies and corporate executives will be getting tax breaks.

“This bill will hike the average household electricity bill by about 10 percent, forcing families to pay more while corporate polluters get a windfall. Nationwide, families would pay an extra $6 billion.  Republicans are going to make it easier for corporate polluters to poison our water and air. We’ll see an increase in the number of wildfires and floods that devastate communities, and that will lead to continued skyrocketing insurance premiums and property damage. 

“Farmers and ranchers are collateral damage. This bill greenlights more drilling and mining that will spoil water supplies used for irrigation and livestock – poisoning the land while fossil fuel CEOs profit. 

“Public lands belong to all Americans – not billionaire donors. But Donald Trump and congressional Republicans are going to privatize, drill, and destroy them for profit and that will eviscerate the very spaces that make us ‘America the beautiful.’  

“And finally, tucked into this bill is a 10-year block on state regulation of artificial intelligence, which might make sense if we had policies at the federal level for safety, security, and bias, but we don’t. And the public will face unchecked harm.

“For all these reasons and more, I oppose this misguided legislation and urge my every one of my colleagues to vote no.”

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Stauber Supports House Passage of the Big, Beautiful Reconciliation Bill

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Pete Stauber (MN-08)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – With the support of Congressman Pete Stauber (MN-08), the House of Representatives passed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. 

Stauber made the following statement after the vote: 

“The American people gave us a mandate in November, and today, House Republicans delivered. This big, beautiful bill will put working Minnesotans first by providing real tax relief for families and job creators, protecting Medicaid for the most vulnerable, unleashing American energy and mineral dominance, securing our borders, and restoring peace through strength. I was proud to support it and help craft the energy portion of this legislation. Rest assured, we will not stop working until we get this critical legislation onto the President’s desk.”

Specifically, this legislation will do the following: 

  • Increases wages by $6,100-11,600 per worker, and a typical family with 2 kids will see take-home pay rise by up to $13,300.
  • Makes the successful 2017 Trump tax cuts permanent, protecting the average taxpayer from a 22% increase.
  • Increases the Child Tax Credit to $2,500 per child, establishes an optional savings account for newborns with a $1,000 credit added, and strengthens paid family leave.
  • Implements no tax on tips, no tax on overtime, and slashes taxes on Social Security.
  • Unleashes American manufacturing dominance by rewarding companies that build new factories in the U.S. and lowering taxes for businesses producing domestically.
  • Reverses Biden-era policies that locked up American resources, ensuring affordable energy and creating jobs across the nation. 
  • Funds the completion of a border wall, additional frontline personnel, and technology to close the exploitable gaps and assist officers in intercepting deadly illicit drugs.
  • Enhances our national security by providing the funding for at least one million annual removals and 10,000 new Immigration and Customs Enforcement personnel.
  • Protects Medicaid and SNAP for every eligible American by removing waste, fraud, and abuse within these programs.
  • Funds President Trump’s Golden Dome missile defense shield to protect American families, invests in American shipbuilding using American steel, and modernizes our military.

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Golden votes against GOP’s reckless budget bill

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jared Golden (ME-02)

Spending package would increase costs for Mainers and make the largest health care cut in history to fund tax breaks for the rich

WASHINGTON — Congressman Jared Golden (ME-02) this morning voted against the GOP’s budget reconciliation bill, which would take health care away from millions of Americans, further rig the tax code in favor of the wealthiest households and corporations and add $3.1 trillion to the national debt by 2034. 

The bill passed along party lines in a 215-214 vote.  

“The House GOP had every opportunity to work across the aisle to write a budget that put middle-class families first. Instead, they’re ramming through an extreme agenda that takes health care away from the working poor and borrows trillions of dollars to fund a package of tax cuts tilted in favor of those at the top,” Golden said. “Mainers want more health care, not less. They want a tax code where everyone pays their fair share. And they want Congress to get its fiscal house in order. This bill fails on each of those fronts, so this is one of the easiest ‘no’ votes I’ve ever taken.”

The budget bill — crafted under reconciliation rules that will allow it to pass with a simple majority in the Senate — would cut $800 billion from Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

Medicaid provides health coverage to 236,000 people in CD2 — more than one-third of the population — according to KFF, while roughly 50,000 Mainers qualify for health insurance tax credits on the state’s ACA marketplace, coverME.gov. The bill’s elimination of enhanced ACA tax credits will increase health care costs by an average of $180 per month for tens of thousands of Mainers. 

The bill’s cuts to food assistance through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance program — which helps 1 in 8 Mainers get the food they need — will put more than 18 million kids nationally at risk of losing school meals. 

The bill uses those savings to partially cover the cost of roughly $5 trillion in tax cuts, with most of the benefit going to the wealthiest households through provisions such as tax breaks for millionaire heirs and deductions for high-income households in high-income states. “In 2027 it gives households earning more than $1 million a year an annual tax cut of roughly $90,000, while low-income households receive an average of just $90 from the tax cuts — the same households who will then bear the brunt of cuts to Medicaid and SNAP,” according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

In a last-minute amendment to the bill, House GOP Leadership added language that bans insurance plans sold on the ACA marketplace from covering abortion care — an attack on women’s reproductive freedom made under cover of darkness. 

Finally, the bill continues Congress’s bad habit of using deficit spending to finance federal expenditures, running up a national debt that threatens the future of critical programs such as Medicare and Social Security. The reconciliation bill would add $3.1 trillion to the national debt, according to the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget. This comes at a time when interest on the debt costs the federal government more every year than on national defense or Medicare and second only to Social Security as an annual line item in the federal budget 

The bill now heads to the Senate for consideration.

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Golden, Fitzpatrick reintroduce bill to ban foreign donations in state, local referendums

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jared Golden (ME-02)

WASHINGTON — Congressman Jared Golden (ME-02) and Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01) today reintroduced the Stop Foreign Funds in Elections Act, which would ban foreign nationals from making political contributions in state and local ballot initiatives and recall elections. 

“Foreign nationals should never be able to buy influence in state and local elections, but that’s exactly what current campaign finance laws allow,” Golden said. “I’ve long been proud to partner with Rep. Fitzpatrick on making America’s political process cleaner and fairer, and this bipartisan bill would nationalize another one of Maine’s important reforms: banning foreign contributions in all elections.”

“American people. Foreign nationals have no place influencing our laws, our ballots, or our future. Whether it’s a presidential race or a local referendum, every taxpayer-funded election must be protected from foreign interference. This bipartisan legislation closes a dangerous loophole and sends a clear message: our democracy is not for sale,” Fitzpatrick said.

While the Federal Election Campaign Act bars foreign donations in federal, state and local elections, the Federal Elections Commission and Supreme Court have interpreted that the term “election” in the law only applies to candidate campaigns — not ballot initiatives, recall referendums or other forms of lobbying and issue advocacy.

Maine is one of only 15 states to pass its own law banning foreign contributions in ballot initiatives.

Golden has fought to limit foreign influence in American elections during his time in Congress. Last year, the Stop Foreign Funds in Elections Act was part of Golden’s Government Integrity and Anti-Corruption Plan, a set of 14 bills designed to prevent political leaders from leveraging their position for profit, increase transparency and reduce the influence of dark money and foreign interference in American democracy.

Full text of the legislation can be found here.

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Golden, Luttrell introduce bipartisan bill to eliminate statute of limitations for Gold Star survivor benefits

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jared Golden (ME-02)

WASHINGTON — Congressmen Jared Golden (ME-02) and Morgan Luttrell (TX-08) today introduced the Supporting our Surviving Spouses Act, which would eliminate the six-year statute of limitations on survivor benefits for Gold Star spouses. 

Golden began work on the bill following outreach from a constituent whose husband passed away while on active duty in 2012, who said she was not informed of her eligibility for a portion of survivor benefits until more than a decade later. The constituent applied for the benefits owed, but was denied by the Department of Defense, which said her eligibility window had expired. 

“Gold Star families should never lose out on survivor benefits because of arbitrary red tape,” Golden said. “This is a serious problem that’s hurting people who’ve already lost so much. Getting them the resources they’re entitled to is a basic responsibility of our government, and I’m glad to work across the aisle to remove barriers that prevent it from happening.” 

“Our commitment to Gold Star families shouldn’t expire on a timeline, especially when some families don’t even know they’re eligible until it’s too late,” Luttrell said. “I’m proud to co-lead the Supporting our Surviving Spouses Act to ensure surviving spouses of those killed after 9/11 can claim the benefits they’re owed no matter when they apply.” 

Under the current Barring Act, any claims against the federal government — including those by military spouses to receive survivor benefits — must be made within six years. If that statute of limitations passes without a claim being completed, agencies no longer have jurisdiction to process it. While a waiver system for extenuating circumstances does exist, veterans service organizations have told Golden that successful waivers are extremely rare — a reality which has denied Gold Star families of the benefits they’d otherwise receive.

The bill has been endorsed by the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, and Disabled American Veterans. 

Full text of the legislation can be found here.

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING:

“The Department of Maine Veterans of Foreign Wars is proud to support this bill which will remove the six year statute on these claims,” Steven SanPedro, state commander of the Department of Maine Veterans of Foreign Wars said. “We feel that a surviving spouse deserves all benefits to include monetary for the sacrifice their loved ones gave to their country. By passing this, the country will be “Honoring Their Contract” to our veterans, our military, and their families.” 

“There shouldn’t be a time limit for families to access the survivor benefits they’re entitled to after the loss of a loved one. But the current law prevents many spouses from ever being able to do so,” Maine Legionnaire Matthew Jabaut said. “Making survivor benefits payable, no matter when claims are made, is the right thing to do — plain and simple. I’m appreciative to Congressman Golden for leading the charge on fixing this real problem.” 

“The Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS) greatly appreciates Congressman Jared Golden and Morgan Luttrell, Chairman of the Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs Subcommittee for introducing the Supporting our Surviving Spouses Act,” Bonnie Carroll, president and founder of TAPS said. “This important legislation will allow military surviving families more time to file a claim for survivor benefits, by removing the six-year statute of limitations on line of duty deaths. Ensuring our surviving families the support and benefits they deserve is our nation’s sacred obligation and we urge swift passage of this critical legislation.” 

“Families of fallen service members should never be burdened with unnecessary legal obstacles and arbitrary timeframes to receive the benefits they rightfully deserve,” Joy J. Ilem, national legislative director of Disabled American Veterans said. “By eliminating restrictive statutes of limitations, the Supporting our Surviving Spouses Act acknowledges the lasting impact of service and sacrifice, reinforcing our nation’s unwavering commitment to those who bear the ultimate burden. DAV applauds Rep. Golden for introducing and championing this critical legislation.” 

 

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Golden submits amendment to ensure accountability for harm to rural Americans from proposed health care cuts

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jared Golden (ME-02)

WASHINGTON — Congressman Jared Golden (ME-02) has submitted an amendment to the House GOP’s budget reconciliation bill to create accountability for proposed health care cuts, should they be passed into law. 

“The health care cuts Congress is considering would be devastating, particularly in rural districts like mine,” Golden said. “Should the GOP succeed in taking health care away from millions of Americans, they should have to reckon with the harm they cause. Accountability requires data, so my amendment will ensure we have hard figures on how many Americans have lost coverage, seen health outcomes decline, or even died as a result of these cuts.” 

The amendment would require the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC) to conduct a study one year after enactment, and annually thereafter, on the effect on rates of uninsurance, health outcomes and deaths among residents of rural areas.

Residents of rural America are more likely to use Medicaid/CHIP for health care than those who live in urban areas, according to a study from the Georgetown University McCourt School of Public Policy. Rural hospitals are particularly dependent on payments from Medicaid/CHIP, 

“Medicaid plays a significant role in sustaining the viability of rural healthcare systems, including hospitals, clinics, community health centers, and long-term care,” said National Rural Health Association CEO Alan Morgan in February. “A strong relationship exists between Medicaid coverage levels and the financial viability of rural hospitals, of which about half are currently operating on negative margins and cannot sustain further cuts. Reductions in Medicaid funding will force rural providers to reduce or eliminate essential services or close their doors, limiting access to care for rural residents.”

Medicaid provides health coverage to 236,000 people in CD2 — more than one-third of the population — according to KFF. 

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Rep. Cleaver Votes Against GOP Budget That Rips Healthcare and Food Assistance from Working Class Families to Fund Tax Cuts for the Wealthy

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Emanuel Cleaver II (5th District Missouri)

The Republican budget proposal would make the largest cuts to Medicaid and SNAP in history while providing an average tax break of $389,280 to the wealthiest 0.1%

(Washington, D.C.) – Today, U.S. Representative Emanuel Cleaver, II (D-MO) voted against the Republican budget proposal that would rip healthcare away from nearly 14 million Americans, take food assistance away from millions more through cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and explode the national deficit by approximately $3.8 trillion to expand tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans. According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, the legislation takes from the poorest Americans to give another tax break that overwhelmingly benefits the wealthiest in the nation.

“Today, my Republican colleagues in the House of Representatives passed one of the most reckless and fiscally irresponsible bills that I have ever seen in my time in Congress, guaranteeing a massive redistribution of wealth from the poorest families to the wealthiest one percent, while exploding our national deficit by more than $3 trillion,” said Congressman Cleaver. “At a time when income inequality is at historic levels and working class families are pleading for relief, congressional Republicans are making the largest cuts to Medicaid and SNAP in American history, ripping healthcare and food assistance away from vulnerable families, to give another tax break that lines the pockets of billionaires like Elon Musk and Donald Trump. It is a moral monstrosity that will have devastating repercussions in the years to come if the Senate does not take action to stop it.”

According to estimates, the resolution would increase inflation, with the average American household’s purchasing power falling by $300-$1,250 over the next five years. That does not include the average loss of $2,800 for the average American due to the president’s previously announced costly tariff plans.

The Treasury Department found that the extension of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act would give an average annual tax cut of $32,118 for those in the top 1 percent and an average annual tax cut of $314,266 for those in the top 0.1 percent. When adding additional tax breaks included in the Republican budget proposal, the Penn Wharton Budget Model finds an average benefit of $44,365 for those in the top 1 percent and an average benefit of $389,290 for those in the top 0.1 percent. Nearly half the net benefit of extending the law would go to the top 5 percent of households, or those making more than $450,000 per year.

Meanwhile, according to the Penn Wharton Budget Model, the bottom 40% of households will actually see lower after-tax income if the legislation becomes law, as they only receive a miniscule tax cut while losing access to programs like Medicaid, SNAP, school meals, and more, as well as facing higher costs due to inflationary effects. According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the Republican budget passed by House Republicans would result in the largest Medicaid cuts in American history—which would be particularly devastating to Missouri.

According to several analyses, the Republican budget proposal will:

  • Rip healthcare away from approximately 27,817 Missourians in the Fifth Congressional District, including 13,017 Missourians on Medicaid and 14,800 Missourians receiving coverage through the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Across the state, nearly 212,000 Missourians will lose health coverage through Medicaid and the ACA.
  • Take food assistance away from approximately 18,000 households in the Fifth Congressional District, with more than 150,000 households losing assistance from the SNAP program across the entire state.
  • Increase healthcare costs for Missourians who receive coverage through the ACA, blowing a $710 annual hole in the budget of the 49,000 Missourians who receive health coverage under the ACA.
  • Increase the cost of higher education for 12,625 students in Missouri’s Fifth Congressional District who receive Pell grants, which make college more affordable for working class families.

“Despite promises to protect Medicaid, lower costs, and fight for working class families across the country, the Republican budget betrayal is the same trickle-down economics that has failed the American people for decades, only on steroids,” said Congressman Cleaver. “It is my hope that sanity will prevail in the Senate, where my colleagues can still block this legislation from harming the most vulnerable members of our community. As it moves closer to the finish line, I will continue speaking out and standing up for those who may not be able to donate to political campaigns but still deserve access to affordable healthcare and nutrition assistance no less.”

 

Emanuel Cleaver, II is the U.S. Representative for Missouri’s Fifth Congressional District, which includes Kansas City, Independence, Lee’s Summit, Raytown, Grandview, Sugar Creek, Greenwood, Blue Springs, North Kansas City, Gladstone, and Claycomo. He is a member of the exclusive House Financial Services Committee and Ranking Member of the House Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance.

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Congressman Cleaver Announces $4 Million Brownfields Grant Has Been Awarded to Kansas City

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Emanuel Cleaver II (5th District Missouri)

The federal funding will be used to clean up 47 vacant parcels known as the Washington Wheatley Vacant Lots site on Agnes Avenue, East 19th Street, and East 20th Street, as well as the former Benson Manufacturing Company Site

(Kansas City, MO) – Today, U.S. Representative Emanuel Cleaver, II (D-MO) announced the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded the City of Kansas City a $4 million Brownfields Cleanup Grant. The federal funding will be used to clean up 47 vacant parcels known as the Washington Wheatley Vacant Lots site on Agnes Avenue, Walrond Avenue, East 19th Street, and East 20th Street, as well as the former Benson Manufacturing Company Site, located at the intersection of East 18th Street and Agnes Avenue.

“The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law invested more than $1.5 billion through EPA’s highly successful Brownfields Program, which included a major increase in EPA Brownfield Grant funding, enabling local communities to clean up, redevelop, and reinvent areas previously contaminated by toxic substances,” said Congressman Cleaver. “I’m pleased to see this highly successful program continue to support the public health and economic development of neighborhoods like Washington-Wheatley in Missouri’s Fifth Congressional District, and I’ll continue pushing for bipartisan solutions that benefit Missouri families like this one moving forward.”

EPA’s Brownfields program began in 1995 and has provided nearly $2.9 billion in Brownfield Grants to assess and clean up contaminated properties and return blighted properties to productive reuse. To date, brownfields investments leveraged over $42 billion in cleanup and redevelopment. Over the years, the relatively small investment of federal funding was able to leverage over 220,500 jobs from both public and private sources.

The Washington Wheatley Vacant Lots were used primarily as residential properties since 1936 and are contaminated with PCBs, semi-volatile organic contaminants (SVOCs), and heavy metals. Operations at the former Benson Manufacturing Company site included the production of fabricated brass, aluminum, and other metal alloys used in aircraft parts, light fixtures, architectural ornamentation, appliances, and aluminum barrels for breweries. Over time, the site also housed a lumber mill, a coal and ice company, a furniture manufacturer, a printing company, a limousine service, and various other commercial businesses. It is contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), petroleum, and heavy metals. Grant funds also will be used to conduct 16 public meetings.

Additionally, the City of Kansas City Brownfield Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) has been selected to receive $2 million because it has a high-performing RLF program with significantly depleted funds. The RLF program has successfully made loans or subgrants leading to 11 cleanup projects that are either completed or in progress. Projects highlighted for use of the funding include the Parade Park Homes Redevelopment site—which Congressman Cleaver has strongly supported—and the Unity Campus.

 

Emanuel Cleaver, II is the U.S. Representative for Missouri’s Fifth Congressional District, which includes Kansas City, Independence, Lee’s Summit, Raytown, Grandview, Sugar Creek, Greenwood, Blue Springs, North Kansas City, Gladstone, and Claycomo. He is a member of the exclusive House Financial Services Committee and Ranking Member of the House Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance.