Governors Urge Congress to Finalize FY23 Spending Package

States and territories succeed when there is certainty and stability in federal resources.

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Dear Speaker Pelosi, Leader McCarthy, Leader Schumer, and Leader McConnell:

As we approach the December 16 expiration of the latest continuing resolution funding the federal government, we write to express our hope that Congress can complete its appropriations work by that deadline and finalize and enact an Fiscal Year 2023 spending package. As Governors around the country prepare their own state budgets for the coming year, they depend on funding certainty from Congress.

As you develop funding language, we urge the inclusion of funding for the CHIPS and Science Act, which authorized $10 billion to support tech hubs in states throughout the country, and which the National Governors Association supported during the law’s negotiation and passage this past summer.

We also urge the inclusion of the bipartisan State, Local Tribal, and Territorial Fiscal Recovery, Infrastructure, and Disaster Relief Flexibility Act (S. 3011/H.R. 5735) in the next legislative or spending vehicle. This legislation, approved by unanimous consent in the Senate on October 19, 2021, would provide additional flexibility under the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds that was included in the American Rescue Plan Act and assist with the implementation of this major program.

Furthermore, we encourage Congress to continue support for programs that expire on December 16, including an extension of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program and the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Programs (MIECHV). TANF provides funding to help states and territories deliver benefits and services that help families experiencing poverty achieve economic mobility, and MIECHV provides grants to states and territories to support home visiting programs for at-risk pregnant women and families. Additionally, we request an extension of the increased federal medical assistance percentage (FMAP) program for Puerto Rico, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, and the U.S Virgin Islands.

We also encourage Congress to continue working on serious permitting reform that could accelerate the timeline for infrastructure projects around the country while still protecting the environment. The United States is among the slowest nations in the developed world in approving infrastructure projects, including for renewable energy projects, pipelines, electric transmission lines, rail lines, levees, and roads. Whether in this Congress or early in the next, we hope addressing this challenge will be a serious priority for Congress.

As always, we encourage Congress to work closely with Governors as you develop policies that impact our residents. States and territories succeed when there is certainty and stability in federal resources.

Sincerely,