Press Releases

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Scott Peters (CA-52) secured key resources in the government funding package for 14 community projects in San Diego and celebrated authorizing language for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to transfer funds to the International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC) to tackle cross-boundary water pollution that fouls the Tijuana River Valley and South Bay coastlines.

 

“The omnibus funding bill passed today contains many critical investments for San Diego including funds that support our local defense sector and money for several critical local projects that will improve public safety, mental health services, and air and water quality,” said Rep. Peters. “These vital investments for our region will offer San Diegans a safer and cleaner community. It also includes legislation to free up funds needed to further tackle cross-border pollution that poses serious health hazards to the Tijuana River Valley and Coronado,” Peters continued. “The entire San Diego congressional delegation, led by border Representative Juan Vargas, has been dogged in its work to get this legislation over the finish line and I am extremely grateful to Speaker Pelosi and our Senators for helping us get it done. The work to confront this decades-old problem is a top priority for us and we will keep fighting to fix it.”

 

This year’s $1.7 trillion funding package includes significant investments and legislation essential to San Diego:

  • Authorizing language to allow the EPA to transfer to the IBWC funds from the United States Mexico Canada Agreement (USMCA) designated to reduce transboundary water pollution in the Tijuana River Valley.
  • $36,386,000 for Border Water Infrastructure Program (BWIP) that funds water projects on both sides of the border, with all projects benefiting communities on the U.S. side of the border.
  • Rep. Peters’ Veteran Peer Specialist Act of 2022, which passed earlier this year in the STRONG Veterans Act. This measure expands the highly successful peer specialist program to all Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical centers over the next five years.
  • $314.3 million in defense spending that will directly support San Diego companies, UC San Diego, and next generation capabilities for the Naval Special Warfare community.

 

Notable measures related to climate in this funding package include:

  • $15 billion in additional loan authority for the Department of Energy’s Innovative Technology Loan Guarantee Program, which jumpstarts innovative clean energy technologies.
  • $140 million to support carbon removal research and development across federal agencies and a new directive to the Department of Energy to directly purchase carbon dioxide removed from the atmosphere from innovative carbon removal companies, helping advance these technologies that are essential to comprehensively address climate change.
  • $350 million, an increase of $73 million, for the Department of Energy’s Office of Electricity to help strengthen the electric grid, support the development of more interstate electric transmission lines, and deploy more renewable energy.

 

 

Rep. Peters advocated for the following 14 community projects in this, which total $33,764,000 for CA-52: