'Minibus' Spending Bill Passes With 'No' Vote From Congresswoman Meng

FOREST HILLS, QUEENS - Congresswoman Grace Meng recently announced that she has voted against the "minibus," described by GOP House members as a security-oriented spending bill.

The minibus includes four spending bills, as opposed to a 12-bill omnibus, including a $1.6 million allocation toward building a border wall between the United States and Mexico.

The minibus also includes bills concerning energy and water development, military construction, veterans affairs, defense and the Legislative Branch. (For more information on this and other neighborhood stories, subscribe to Patch to receive daily newsletters and breaking news alerts.)

It passed in the House by a vote of 235 to 192.

"H.R. 3219, the so-called 'security minibus,' far from keeping us secure, abandons our morals and priorities," Meng said in the release.

"Not only will it waste $1.6 billion on a senseless border wall, funding that could instead be used for other programs, such as Meals on Wheels or LIHEAP that millions of Americans count on, it will devastate investments in clean energy, hinder pollution prevention efforts and ultimately trigger spending cuts across government agencies that will deeply hurt American families."

Despite Meng's "no" vote on the overall minibus package, a number of items championed by Meng were included in the final vote, according to a recent release.

Some of these items included increasing funding for the Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service, which is responsible for the nation's commercial supply of meat, poultry and egg products in that these products are safe and wholesome as well as correctly labeled and packaged.

Meng also proposed increased funding for the FDA Medical and Radiological Devices Program, which ensures the safety and effectiveness of medical devices while eliminating unnecessary human exposure to manmade radiation.

The congresswoman proposed $5 million for the Children of Incarcerated Parents Program, which is responsible for maintaining parental and family relationships to promote rehabilitation and reduce repeat offenses.

Meng also proposed encouraging the Department of Veterans Affairs to build upon the success of its existing flu immunization program and expand the concept to other immunizations, such as pneumococcal and zoster (shingles) vaccines.

A full list of all items proposed by Meng that have been included in the minibus, as accepted in the recent vote, is on the congresswoman's website.

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