December 22, 2022

Manchin Votes For FY23 Budget, Secures West Virginia Priorities, Ukraine Aid, ECA Reform

Washington, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV), member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, voted for the Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 omnibus, which includes $45 billion in aid for Ukraine as well as Senator Manchin’s bipartisan legislation to reform and modernize the outdated Electoral Count Act of 1887. Senator Manchin also secured West Virginia priorities in the FY23 federal budget, including more than $228,000,000 for Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS) Requests in West Virginia.

“This afternoon, I voted for the FY23 funding bill that is a bipartisan, fiscally sound compromise. Many of the West Virginia priorities that I proudly fought for, such as increased funding to fight the drug epidemic, resources to boost West Virginia’s growing defense industry and billions of dollars to upgrade water and wastewater infrastructure are included in this omnibus legislation,” said Senator Manchin. “The package also includes $45 billion in aid for the Ukrainian people as they defend their nation against Putin’s unprovoked invasion and deliberate weaponization of energy, as well as my bipartisan legislation to reform and modernize the outdated Electoral Count Act of 1887. I look forward to seeing President Biden sign this legislation into law and as a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I will continue to advocate for West Virginian and American priorities while also working to get our fiscal house in order.”

West Virginia Priority Highlights:

  • Energy Security: Thanks to Senator Manchin’s leadership as Chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, the bill provides $46 billion to the Department of Energy to help innovate our way to a clean energy future while reducing our vulnerability to foreign energy sources. It also bolsters our Strategic Petroleum Reserve by canceling 140 million barrels of mandated sales, ensuring that the reserves remain available for true emergencies.
  • WV Defense Industry ($155 million): Thanks to Senator Manchin’s leadership on the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), the bill provides funding for the West Virginia’s growing defense industry, including $55 million for the Allegany Ballistics Laboratory in Rocket Center and $23,500,000 for the West Virginia National Guard.
  • FIGHT Fentanyl & FREED of Opioids Acts: Extends the schedule I status of fentanyl related substances through the end of 2024, which Senator Manchin supported through his FIGHT Fentanyl Act. It also requires the Food and Drug Administration to review how they approve new opioid drugs, as proposed through Senator Manchin’s FREED of Opioids Act.
  • Increased Funding to Fight the Drug Epidemic ($4.9 billion): Provides targeted funding across the government to fight the drug epidemic, a $345 million increase. This includes $1.6 billion for the State Opioid Response Grant program with a 15% set aside for the hardest hit states like WV – a $50 million increase.
  • Electoral Count Act Reform: Reforms and modernizes the outdated Electoral Count Act of 1887 as a result of Senator Manchin’s work to find a bipartisan solution to secure our elections.
  • STREAM Act: Includes Senator Manchin’s bipartisan bill that allows states to set aside up to 30% of their Abandoned Mine Land (AML) funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law toward acid mine drainage (AMD) treatment, allowing new technology developed by West Virginia University and supported by Senator Manchin to clean up over 100 miles of polluted streams across the state while recovering much needed rare earth elements that can be used in clean energy technologies. 
  • Protecting Rural Telehealth Access: Extends current telehealth flexibilities currently allowed under the Public Health Emergency that Senator Manchin supported through his Protecting Rural Telehealth Access Act to allow doctors to continue offering audio-only telehealth services through the end of 2024.
  • CHIPS and Science Act ($1.8 billion): New funding to implement the bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 to drive American innovation and economic competitiveness, including $8.1 billion in new directed funding for the Department of Energy’s Office of Science – the largest federal sponsor of basic research in physical sciences – to advance materials research, high performance computing and biology in order to maintain global competitiveness.
  • Supporting WV’s Federal Workforce ($49.62 million): Additional funding for key federal facilities in West Virginia, such as the Bureau of Fiscal Service in Parkersburg, FBI CJIS Division in Clarksburg, the CBP Advanced Training Center in Harpers Ferry, and the National Conservation Training Center.
  • Economic Development ($256.4 million): Includes $29.3 million for West Virginia in Abandoned Mine Land Economic Revitalization (AMLER) Grants, $65 million for ARC POWER Grants and $48 million for EDA’s Assistance to Coal Communities. West Virginia has received over $88.1 million in POWER grants since the program began and $227.7 million from the EDA since FY18 – making West Virginia the largest per capita recipient of EDA funds in the country.
  • Clean Water ($2.76 billion): Supports billions in funding to upgrade and improve drinking water and wastewater infrastructure.

Full list of West Virginia priorities can be found here.

West Virginia CDS Highlights:

The FY23 omnibus also provides $228,022,000 in funding for 175 projects Senator Manchin secured through Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS) requests, also known as “earmarks” across the FY23 omnibus – an increase of 87 projects and $61,060,160 in additional funding for the State of West Virginia from FY22.

  • $23.59 million for WVU Hospitals to repurpose the former Viatris Facility, expand the WVU Medicine Children’s Hospital and construct a new research facility for the Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute
  • $6.35 million for the Huntington Sanitary Board to address dangerous flooding that has continued to cause widespread damage across the City
  • $6 million for a new fire station in Morgantown
  • $5 million to fund the Gilbert Creek Connector of the King Coal Highway
  • $4.4 million to make critical upgrades to the failing wastewater treatment plant in Ansted to allow further growth inside and surrounding the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve
  • $3 million to establish the Boone Memorial Hospital and Wellness Center in Danville
  • $3 million for the new Shawnee Sports Complex in Kanawha County
  • $2.9 million to train students in Mingo County for advanced aviation careers
  • $2.5 million for the construction of a new terminal at the North Center West Virginia Airport in Bridgeport
  • $1.5 million to expand access to new businesses at the former Weirton Steel site
  • $1.4 million to construct the Augustine Trail in Charles Town

Full list of West Virginia Congressionally Directed Spending Requests can be found here.