Congressman Al Green Supports Passage of $1.5 Trillion Omnibus Bill That Includes $55 Million for his MBDA Legislation

(Washington, D.C.) – On Wednesday, March 9, 2022, Congressman Al Green (TX-09) released the following statement:

“I applaud President Biden’s efforts to build a better America and I also commend his commitment to defending our allies and democracy in the face of Russian aggression. The passage of the bipartisan Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2022 is an enormous step to strengthen our nation from the federal to local levels. This legislation includes dire provisions that address a variety of key issues, including 12 fiscal year 2022 appropriations bills and aid for Ukraine,” Congressman Al Green shared. 

“The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2022 also preserves and expands job opportunities by allocating $55 million for the Minority Business Development Agency, which my legislation H.R. 2689 The Minority Business Resiliency Act made permanent and expanded. The Minority Business Resiliency Act was signed into law as part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act on November 15, 2021 and appropriates $110 million annually for the operation of the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) from fiscal years 2021-2025. My Minority Business Resiliency Act supports minority-owned businesses across our nation by providing them with a COVID-19 economic vaccination and recovery plan, establishing regional MBDA offices and rural business centers, as well as building a pipeline of entrepreneurial talent through partnerships with Historically Black Colleges and Universities and minority serving institutions. The $55 million appropriated in this fiscal year 2022 omnibus bill are $7 million above the amount granted in fiscal year 2021.”

“Furthermore, this omnibus bill includes over $13 billion for humanitarian, defense, and economic assistance to Ukraine. Our Ukrainian brothers and sisters are fighting bravely and relentlessly to defend their homeland, and in the words of President Biden, they are battling, 'against tyranny and oppression.' This funding comes in addition to the nearly $1.4 billion in aid that we previously pledged to Ukraine for security purposes over the course of the previous year. This bill strengthens our defense at home, supports the defense of democracy abroad, and demonstrates to the Russian regime that we will stand with the people of Ukraine.”