Appropriations Requests

Fiscal Year 2023 Appropriations Request

Rep. González-Colón's Fiscal Year 2023 Appropriations Requests

Each year, Congress develops a budget for the federal government through the appropriations process, detailing spending levels and funding allocations for the different federal agencies and programs. As Puerto Rico's sole representative in Congress, Rep. González-Colón has the opportunity to advocate before the House Appropriations Committee on behalf of federal programs that are important to the Island.

As such, Congresswoman González-Colón welcomes public input so we can protect vital federal funding streams that help serve our communities and constituents in Puerto Rico.

Before you make a request, we encourage you to read the information below to help you understand the House appropriations process and important deadlines to consider.

To submit an official Fiscal Year 2023 appropriations request through Rep. González-Colón's office, please click here.

PLEASE NOTE: This form is for programmatic and language requests ONLY, which cannot guarantee funding for any specific entity or project. This is separate from the community project funding requests. Additional information for community project funding requests will be provided once the House Appropriations Committee shares additional details for the Fiscal Year 2023 process.

If you have any questions about your requests, please contact Rep. González-Colón's office at prapprops@mail.house.gov.

Important Deadlines to Consider:

Rep. González-Colón's deadline to submit appropriations requests through our online submission form is Monday, March 28, 2022. This deadline is subject to change once the House Appropriations Subcommittee deadlines have been publicly released. This internal deadline gives our office sufficient time to review all requests and properly submit them to the respective Subcommittees.

Types of Programmatic and Language Appropriations Requests:

Programmatic Requests: These requests involve funding levels for the various department and agency programs at the federal level. Programmatic requests can be made for specific funding levels, to support the President's Budget Request, support the previous Fiscal Year's enacted funding level, or to generally support robust funding. Programmatic requests may also be used to decrease or zero out funding for specific programs. See the examples below for standard programmatic funding requests:

  • Example of Programmatic Request: Requesting $2.7 million for USDA's NIFA Grants for Insular Areas Program for Fiscal Year 2023.
  • Example of Programmatic Request: Support the President's Budget Request for NOAA's Coral Reef Conservation Program for Fiscal Year 2023.
  • Example of Programmatic Request: Support Robust Funding for the Department of Health and Human Services' Head Start Program for FY 2023.

Report Language Requests: These requests may be included in the Committee report that accompanies each appropriations bill. The language can help ensure specific line items for programmatic funding or direct agencies to report to Congress on policy matters. While most federal agencies typically follow these requests, they do not carry the full weight of law. See the examples below for standard report requests:

  • Example of Report Language Request: "Federal law enforcement resources in the U.S. Caribbean.—The Committee has serious concerns about the high levels of violent crime in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, where homicide rates are significantly above the national average, and most violent crimes are linked to narcotics trafficking in the Caribbean. The Committee directs the Attorney General to prioritize law enforcement personnel and resources to address such violent crime, and to report not later than 90 days after the enactment of this Act on current or planned efforts by the Department to prevent, reduce, and address violent crime in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands."
  • Example of Report Language Request: "Water: Ecosystems.—The Committee recommends $51,123,000, $2,059,000 above the enacted level and $28,519,000 above the request. From within the amount provided, the Committee provides $675,000 per estuary for National Estuary Program (NEP) grants funded under Section 320 of the Clean Water Act. An additional $1,500,000 in funding is provided for competitive grants. The Committee encourages the Agency to work in consultation with the NEP directors to identify worthy projects and activities.

Bill Language Requests: Bill language requests may be included in appropriations bills to continue longstanding policy matters that may be affected without inclusion of such language. Since it is in the actual text of the legislation, it has the force of law if the appropriations bill passes. See the example below of standard bill language:

  • Example of Bill Language Request: Continuing USPS Six-Day Mail Delivery - "Provided further, That 6-day delivery and rural delivery of mail shall continue at not less than the 1983 level[.]"
  • Example of Bill Language Request: Continuing provision allowing CBP to sustain or increase operations in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands with appropriated funds - "SEC. 202. Funding made available under the headings 'U.S. Customs and Border Protection—Operations and Support' and 'U.S. Customs and Border Protection—Procurement, Construction, and Improvements' shall be available for customs expenses when necessary to maintain operations and prevent adverse personnel actions in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, in addition to funding provided by sections 740 and 1406i of title 48, United States Code."

Additional Resources:

For additional assistance crafting your programmatic or language appropriations requests, we encourage you to visit the House Appropriations Committee website to learn more about the federal appropriations process and expectations. Click on each of the subcommittees below to see which federal agencies fall under their jurisdiction. You may also find additional information available via Congress.gov.