Press Releases

Congresswoman Gwen Moore Votes in Support of Investments and Key Priorities for WI-04

Today, Congresswoman Moore voted in support of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, which funds six appropriations bills.

This legislation includes final FY 2024 funding for the following appropriations bill: Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies; Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies; Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies; Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies; Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies; and Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies.

“I am pleased to vote in support of this appropriations legislation, which works to fund important programs that serve the needs of millions of Americans, including our veterans, working families, children, women, families, and workers.  In these bills, I worked with my colleagues to fight off deep and dangerous cuts to many programs that help my constituents and communities in my district.  I am also pleased that we largely succeeded in efforts to keep out dangerous anti-LBGTQ, climate, environment, and reproductive health related policy riders.  We stopped Republicans from harmful efforts such as blocking the FDA from dispending mifepristone, limiting food options for SNAP recipients, and restricting gender-affirming care, just to name a few   These efforts were hard-fought and are the result of Democratic leadership standing up for ordinary families and pushing back against GOP extremism.

The funding approved today would support more affordable housing, mental health care for veterans, intervention assistance for veterans facing homelessness, crucial rental assistance for struggling Americans, nutrition assistance for food-insecure families, VAWA programs to reach domestic abuse survivors, and resources to help those experiencing homelessness to stable housing, including a robust increase for the McKinney-Vento Program, one that I have long championed..

While this legislation doesn’t include program funding levels that I had wanted, I am proud that Democrats stopped harmful House GOP cuts that would have devastated and gutted key programs from the Toxic Exposures Fund for our veterans to WIC funding for mothers and their babies.

As a champion for WIC, I stood with my Democrat colleagues in making sure we addressed a looming funding shortfall where, if funding remained at current levels, could have affected millions of children and families. I am so relieved and happy to see there’s $1billion in additional funding for WIC, which is critical given rising enrollment rates and heightened program costs due to inflation. I am also pleased that this legislation includes $368 million for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and includes additional funding I fought for to help the city of Milwaukee address security and related costs as it hosts the RNC later this year.   We also were able to restore public transit funding and Amtrak funding.

And I fully support the health care extenders in this package that would provide funding for community health centers, the teaching health centers program, extensions of both special diabetes programs and further postpone billions in Medicaid cuts to hospitals that large numbers of low-income and uninsured patients.  

But I also know that many other worthwhile programs were flat funded or saw small cuts.  And critical funding decisions about key programs like child care stabilization fund and the Affordable Connectivity Program that I have pressed leaders to address were not included in this package.

While this bill is imperfect, I supported it.  But Congress’ work on FY 2024 appropriations is far from done and I will keep working to ensure that as we work on the final six bills, to keep fighting for programs that help my community and to oppose reckless and harmful policy riders that have no business in these bills.

Lastly, this FY 2024 funding bill includes community project funding that I requested to support local organizations as they address pressing needs right here in MKE,  including housing for domestic violence survivors and for returning citizens, Milwaukee Public Schools, public transit funding, supporting public safety investments, water infrastructure investments, s, and more. I also want to note the support of Senator Tammy Baldwin in securing some of these projects and others that will also benefit WI-04, including for the Sojourner Family Peace Center’s Domestic Violence Homicide Prevention, the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District, and the City of Milwaukee to support Economic Development in the  Menomonee Valley.”

Community Project Funding for Wisconsin’s Fourth Congressional District

• $963,000 for the Milwaukee Police Department Radio Project (CJS)
• Summary: Funding would be used to upgrade the City of Milwaukee’s Public Safety Radio System for the police and fire departments.
• $959,752 for the Village of Shorewood for Lead Service Line Replacement (Interior)
• $959,752 for the Village of West Milwaukee for Water Main and Lead Lateral Replacement Project (Interior)
• $1,000,000 for the Centro Latino Hub (THUD)
• Summary: Funding would be used to establish a culturally competent and bilingual (English/Spanish) central hub of services located in Milwaukee’s near south side To provide) information and referrals to existing services and fill gaps for the top critical resources for this population to help empower and improve the quality of lives for residents in the surrounding community.
• $500,000 for the MacCanon Brown Homeless Sanctuary Inc.'s Increasing Food and Services Access for Homeless Residents within the Amani Neighborhood of Milwaukee (THUD)
• Summary:  Funding would be used to complete the design and construction of areas of a  5-story facility  including a 1,000 square foot commercial kitchen and dining room, equipment for that commercial kitchen, and to construct a medical clinic/health center.  The facilities will be dedicated primarily to serving healthy food and providing preventative health services to severely disadvantaged residents within the surrounding neighborhoods. .
• $500,000 for the Milwaukee County Parks Lagoon Revitalization Project (THUD)
• Summary: Funding would be used to develop recommendations to improve declining water quality in the Veterans Park lagoon, .  one of the busiest areas of the Milwaukee County Park System..  Funding would also go for work at at Washington Park including  critically needed storm water infrastructure improvements to mitigate serious public health and safety concerns..
• $1,000,000 for the Milwaukee County Transit System Clean Diesel Buys Replacement and Faster Bus Project (THUD)
• Summary: Funding would be used to buy new buses and work with the City of Milwaukee to install transit signal priority (TSP) and preemption equipment in Milwaukee.
• $891,000 for the Milwaukee Muslim Women's Coalition: Safe Haven Project (THUD)
• Summary: Funding would be used to purchase an eight-unit apartment building and make security upgrades to provide culturally-sensitive transitional housing for women and children who have been impacted by domestic violence, with a focus on underserved refugee and immigrant Muslim women.
• $1,466,279 for the Milwaukee Public Schools Success Center (THUD)
• Summary: Funding would be used to expand MPS’ Success Center (SC) which supports students and families facing stressors, fears, and pressures that negatively impact mental health.  Funding will expand the program to include students in grades K4-12 and/or locate a second facility to offer the space necessary to accommodate more students and staff.  .  Requested funding would be used to deliver Peace Works, provide mental health services, support caregivers, and offer professional development to equip teachers/staff to provide early interventions supporting student mental health. strengthen schools and the larger community.
• $850,000 for the Project RETURN Re-Entry Housing Program (THUD)
• Summary: Funding would be used to construct housing in Milwaukee to help returning citizens with a demonstrated need for housing. Project RETURN anticipates serving around 50 participants in this residential facility.
• $724,834 for the Re-Imagining Sherman Park (THUD)
• Summary:  Funding would be used to support improvements to the Mary Ryan Boys and Girls Club facility (including renovations to classrooms, front lobby, HVAC, and building safety features)  including a new splashpad, resurfacing basketball courts, addressing drainage issues in the park, re-activating an attractive concessions area, upgrading the Mary Ryan Boys & Girls Club facility
• $850,000 for the Sojourner Shelter Kitchen Improvements (THUD)
• Summary:  The funding would be used to improve the kitchen at a 53-bed emergency shelter serving women, children, and men.  Enhancements to the shelter kitchen will transform survivors’ food experience while allowing greater involvement by volunteers to serve meals...  .              
• $1,000,000 for the Training Workforce for Infrastructure Construction and Engineering (TWICE) Project (THUD)
• Summary: Working with WRTP|BIG STEP, Associated General Contractors-Greater Milwaukee (AGC-G), and the Milwaukee Area Technical College, the project aims to sustain and expand research, education, and training programs dedicated to improving the training and development of the construction and engineering workforce.  This includes using funds to expand artificial intelligence (AI) research in the infrastructure design, construction, and maintenance; to expand educational facility at WRTP|BIG STEP and establish an AI educational laboratory at MATC, and to train a skilled workforce that can utilize technologies such as 3D printing, drone, robotics, and data science to design, build, and maintain infrastructure such as highway pavements, bridges, intelligent transportation systems, and stormwater facilities. 
• $2,000,000 for the Urban Ecology Center Expansion in Washington Park (THUD)
• Summary: Funding would be used to undertake infrastructure upgrades at its facilities in Washington Park including improvements to parking lots, driveway, sidewalks, lighting design and construction, signage, and an observation tower.