Kiggans votes to prevent government shutdown

Congresswoman Jen Kiggans (VA-02) issued a statement following the U.S. House of Representatives’ passage of H.R. 10545, the American Relief Act, which extends government funding through March 14, 2025, and provides critical assistance for American farmers and communities affected by recent natural disasters.

In her statement, Kiggans expressed her commitment to avoiding a government shutdown and ensuring military personnel are paid amid ongoing political challenges. She also highlighted the bill’s provisions for national defense and economic relief for Virginia’s Second District.

“From day one, I’ve been committed to doing whatever it takes to avoid a government shutdown and to ensure our troops are paid, no matter the dysfunction in Washington,” Kiggans said. “While the process to reach this point was frustrating, I am relieved Congress found a bipartisan way forward to keep the government open and accountable to the American people.”

Kiggans went on to stress the importance of long-term stability for the military, which faces challenges from the current lack of consistent funding. “Our military needs stability. Delays in funding undermine readiness, disrupt missions, and harm military infrastructure projects,” she said. “I fought hard to ensure this temporary funding bill included support for our defense industrial base, which will help provide job stability for workers in Hampton Roads.”

The legislation passed by the House includes several key provisions aimed at assisting communities across the country, particularly those affected by natural disasters. In addition to funding the government at current discretionary levels through March 2025, the bill also allocates significant resources to Virginia and the broader national defense community.

Key Provisions of the American Relief Act:

• Government Funding Extension: The bill funds the government at current discretionary spending levels through March 14, 2025.
• Support for Military Industrial Base: Provides $5.69 billion to support the submarine industrial base, including wage increases for shipyard workers and infrastructure improvements to support the construction of Virginia-class submarines. The bill also allocates funds for advanced procurement for the Columbia-class submarine.
• Assistance for Farmers: Allocates $10 billion in economic relief for farmers impacted by crop loss, government overregulation, and market volatility.
• Disaster Relief Funding: Provides $100 billion in emergency spending to aid states affected by natural disasters, including Virginia, with funds directed to recovery and rebuilding efforts.
• Health Care Programs: Extends critical health care programs through March 31, 2025, including funding for Community Health Centers, Medicare telehealth flexibilities, and ambulance payments for rural areas.
• Military Construction: Appropriates $1.6 billion for military construction to replace infrastructure and housing damaged by Typhoon Mawar and other storms. The bill also provides $3 billion to repair storm damage at Department of Defense installations, including the Radford Army Ammunition Plant in Virginia.
• National Flood Insurance Program: Extends the National Flood Insurance Program through March 14, 2025.
• Other Key Provisions: The bill also includes an increase in federal cost-sharing for the Francis Scott Key Bridge repair in Baltimore, MD, and resets the PAYGO scorecard to prevent automatic cuts to critical programs such as Medicare, defense, and agriculture.

Kiggans concluded, “We are all tired of political games that cause last-minute scrambles to keep the government running. This bill is a step in the right direction, but we need to keep pushing for commonsense spending reforms that prioritize national security and reduce unnecessary costs to taxpayers. I will continue working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle next Congress to restore fiscal responsibility and focus on the needs of Virginia’s Second District.”

The full bill text of the bill is available here.