WASHINGTON – After voting for a compromise spending bill, U.S. Senator Chris Murphy, a member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee, on Friday released a statement on a bipartisan budget deal that invests in our country’s national security and domestic priorities.

“This is a really good budget agreement for Connecticut. More money for submarines, helicopters, and engines. Emergency funding for the opioid crisis. New relief for dairy farmers and community health centers. And a generous disaster package for Puerto Rico, to help stem the flow of evacuees to our state. Listen, this deal isn't perfect, but people in Connecticut are sick and tired of Congress just pushing all these critical issues down the road, and this deal gets us much-needed certainty about the future of federal spending and taxes,” said Murphy. “The tax provisions in this bill are also really good news for Connecticut. We protected Newman's Own Foundation from a huge, unintended tax increase, and we won inclusion of big tax breaks for Connecticut's fuel cell industry. Both tax provisions will protect and increase jobs in our state."

Specifically, the two-year bipartisan budget agreement includes:

$6 billion to fight the opioid crisis and help fix our broken mental health system

$20 billion to improve our country’s transportation infrastructure

Over $7 billion for community health centers and funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) for an additional 4 years. CHIP is now funded for 10 years.

$1 billion in relief to dairy farmers, including needed improvements to the Margin Protection Program

$90 billion in recovery funds for the states and territories impacted by Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria, including Puerto Rico, and communities affected by wildfires

Critical defense investments, including robust funding for Connecticut’s industrial manufacturing base

$4 billion to rebuild VA hospitals and clinics

$2 billion to fund medical research at the National Institutes of Health

$5.8 Billion for the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF)/Child Care and Development Block Grants (CCDBG) to help make affordable child care more accessible

A provision to exempt private philanthropic foundations, including Newman’s Own Foundation, from crippling taxes that would destroy their ability to continue philanthropic work

A provision to extend the investment tax credit for fuel cell projects for five years