Press Release

Rep. Ami Bera, M.D. (CA-07) voted today for two appropriations packages to avoid a government shutdown and keep the government funded through FY2020.

"I'm pleased to vote to keep the government open and funded, while making strong investments in key priorities for American communities, including for California's 7^th Congressional district," said Rep. Bera. "These bipartisan bills make necessary investments to strengthen our national security, improve our crumbling infrastructure, provide medical care for our veterans, and reauthorizes many critical health care programs."

The appropriations package includes:

• $61 billion for infrastructure investments
• $41.7 billion for National Institute of Health research
• $5.5 billion for wildfire prevention and management
• $2.8 billion for Homeless Assistance Grants
• $25 million for gun violence prevention research
• $15 million for the National Levee Safety Initiative
• Increases the maximum Pell grant by $150

Included in the legislation is language to repeal the Affordable Care Act's Health Insurance Tax (HIT), which would have increased premiums by over $470 per family in 2020. Rep. Bera has led the efforts in Congress to delay and repeal the HIT.

"The Health Insurance Tax would have added burdensome taxes on American families, especially for seniors and those with disabilities," said Rep. Bera. "Repealing the HIT saves Americans hundreds of dollars, which protects small businesses and spurs further innovation. I'm proud that my efforts were passed by Congress in bipartisan manner."

Rep. Bera introduced bipartisan legislation in February 2019 to stop the HIT from going into effect until after 2021.