House Issues $74B FY20 Funding Bill for Commerce, DOJ, NASA

The House Appropriations Committee released the draft funding bill for NASA and the departments of Commerce and Justice for fiscal year 2020, which would support the initiatives to combat crimes, create jobs, improve U.S. infrastructure and to fight climate change. The Commerce, Justice and Science funding bill issued Thursday would provide $73.9 billion to the agencies, nearly $10 billion higher than the FY19 budget.  

“This year’s CJS funding bill rejects the inadequate and damaging proposals in the Trump Administration’s budget requests, and instead provides needed increases to the key programs in this bill,” said José Serrano, chairman of the subcommittee on commerce, justice, science and related agencies. “This bill will create jobs, drive innovation and address pressing public safety issues.”

The bill includes $32 billion for DOJ, which would go to FBI, Bureau of Prisons and Drug Enforcement Administration to prevent violent crimes and drug and human trafficking, among other law enforcement efforts. The Department of Commerce would receive $16.43 billion to support operations of the Census Bureau, the Economic Development Administration, the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Meanwhile, NASA is expected to increase its science programs, STEM engagement and missions in space with a $22.32 billion budget from the bill. Serrano’s subcommittee is scheduled to discuss the proposed CJS funding bill on Friday.