Stauber Priorities for Minnesota Included in Funding Bill

WASHINGTON, D.C. – This week, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 7617, an appropriations package that will fund several federal departments. Included in this package was two of Congressman Stauber's priorities for Minnesota, including an amendment to increase funding for Native American Suicide Prevention Programs and an amendment to bring more opportunities to shipyards in the Great Lakes.

Of his Native American Suicide Prevention amendment, Stauber stated, "Suicide among American Indian and Alaska Natives is more prevalent than any other racial or ethnic group in the United States. As the Representative of a district that is home to five sovereign Chippewa tribes, I am very troubled by the high rates of suicide among Native Americans and am glad to see the bipartisan passage of my amendment to increase funding for Native American Suicide Prevention Programs. These funds will help move us a step closer to ending this devastating epidemic that is currently plaguing Indian Country."

Specifically, Stauber's amendment would nearly double funding for Native American Suicide Prevention Programs.

Watch Congressman Stauber speak on this amendment, HERE.

Of his amendment to bring more opportunities to shipyards in the Great Lakes, Stauber stated, "Currently, the Navy has a tremendous maintenance backlog, but under current law, there are certain restrictions that limit where naval vessels can undertake maintenance repair. As foreign adversaries continue to pose a threat to our national security, ensuring our military readiness is more important than ever. I know shipyards located across the Great Lakes have the ability to serve as a competent service provider to our naval vessels, so I am pleased by the passage of my amendment to bring more economic opportunities to this region."

Specifically, Stauber's amendment would give the Secretary of the Navy the authority to solicit contracts from non-homeport shipyards for maintenance work, to meet surge capacity, should the shipyards meet the Navy's requirements for ship repair work.

Last year, Stauber included an amendment in the 2020 NDAA, requesting the Navy report on the feasibility of doing maintenance work on naval vessels at shipyards other than shipyards in the vessels' homeport. The report was produced this spring, and within the report, the Navy concluded that the law could be modified to allow the Navy to use non-homeport yards to meet surge capacity.

Watch Congressman Stauber speak on this amendment, HERE.