On March 24th 2023, Representatives Jimmy Panetta (D-CA-20) and Rick Crawford (R-AR-1) sent a bipartisan letter to the House Appropriations Subcommittee for Defense, calling for increased funding for research and development of demining technology.
The letter, signed by 68 Representatives, calls for a total of $23 million in funding for the U.S. Army’s Humanitarian Demining Research and Development program, which specializes in developing and testing innovative technologies to detect and clear landmines, unexploded ordnance (UXO), and improvised explosive devices (IEDs).
This proposed amount represents a $2 million increase from last year’s appropriation of $21 million, and a $14 million increase above the amount proposed by the Administration for this program.
“HALO would like to thank Representatives Crawford and Panetta for their continued dedication to making demining operations worldwide safer and more cost-effective, as well as thank the 66 other Members who signed on to the letter. As landmines and other explosives continue to threaten the lives of civilians and U.S. servicemembers, we are grateful for this outpouring of support to ensure these lethal devices are destroyed for good as quickly as possible,” said Kristen Stevens, Head of Congressional Affairs at The HALO Trust (USA).
This letter was also endorsed by Mines Advisory Group (MAG).
The letter was signed by the following Members: Rep. Rick Crawford (R-AR-1), Rep. Jimmy Panetta (D-CA-19), Rep. Ami Bera (D-CA-6), Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA-8), Rep. Sanford Bishop (D-GA-2), Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR-3), Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE-1), Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR-1), Rep. Shontel Brown (D-OH-11), Rep. Julia Brownley (D-CA-26), Rep. Nicole "Nikki" Budzinski (D-IL-13), Rep. Andre Carson (D-IN-7), Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN-9), Rep. Jim Costa (D-CA-21), Rep. Jason Crow (D-CO-6), Rep. Madeleine Dean (D-PA-4), Rep. Diana DeGette (D-CO-1), Rep. Mark DeSaulnier (D-CA-10), Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-MI-6), Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-CA-16), Rep. Bill Foster (D-IL-11), Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ-3), Rep. John Garamendi (D-CA-8), Rep. Chuy Garcia (D-IL-4), Rep. Robert Garcia (D-CA-42) Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-WA-3), Rep. Jimmy Gomez (D-CA-34), Rep. Vicente Gonzalez (D-TX-34), Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ-5), Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-AZ-7), Rep. Jahana Hayes (D-CT-5), Rep. Jim Himes (D-CT-4), Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA-6), Rep. Bill Johnson (R-OH-6), Rep. Bill Keating (D-MA-9), Rep. Robin Kelly (D-IL-2), Rep. Dan Kildee (D-MI-8), Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL-8), Rep. Rick Larsen (D-WA-2), Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez (D-NM-3), Rep. Mike Levin (D-CA-49), Rep. Steve Lynch (D-MA-8), Rep. Lucy McBath (D-GA-7), Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA-2), Rep. Barry Moore (R-AL-2), Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-FL-23), Rep. Kevin Mullin (D-CA-15), Del. Eleanor Norton (D-DC-1), Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN-5), Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ-6), Rep. Chris Pappas (D-NH-1), Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-NJ-9), Rep. Donald Payne (D-NJ-10), Del. Amata Radewagen (R-AS-1), Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD-8),nDel. Gregorio Sablan (D-MP-1), Rep. Linda Sanchez (D-CA-38), Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL-9), Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA-30), Rep. Brad Schneider (D-IL-10), Rep. Eric Sorensen (D-IL-17), Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA-7), Rep. Pete Stauber (R-MN-8), Rep. Marilyn Strickland (D-WA-10), Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI-12), Rep. Lori Trahan (D-MA-3), Rep. Juan Vargas (D-CA-52), Rep. Susan Wild (D-PA-7).
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