Rep. Sykes Votes for Bipartisan Spending Package to Support Families, Workers, and Public Health

Rep. Sykes Votes for Bipartisan Spending Package to Support Families, Workers, and Public Health

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Representative Emilia Sykes (OH-13) voted in favor of the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies; Defense; Transportation, Housing and Urban Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2026, a bipartisan spending package that invests in public services, infrastructure, and health while rejecting harmful policy riders pushed by former President Trump and congressional Republicans.

The package provides robust funding for affordable housing, early childhood education, transportation, public health, and military personnel, while protecting reproductive health care, tenant protections, worker rights, and diversity and inclusion initiatives. Key provisions include:

• Stopping Harmful Policies: Democrats eliminated dozens of extreme "poison pill" riders that would have blocked access to reproductive health care, undermined gun violence research, stripped student loan protections, weakened worker rights, rolled back LGBTQ+ protections, and limited public housing and energy efficiency improvements.

• Housing & Homelessness: $66.6 billion for rental assistance programs, $366 million for Homeless Assistance Grants, and funding to protect Continuum of Care (CoC) programs, which support over 2,600 beds in Stark and Summit Counties for veterans, families, and youth.

• Public Health & Research: $400 million increase for the National Institutes of Health, $30 million boost for the Office of Research on Women's Health, and expanded SAMHSA funding, including the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.

• Childcare & Education: $170 million for Child Care and Head Start programs.

• Transportation: $18.6 billion for the FAA, restored Amtrak funding, and investments in highways, roads, and bridges.

• Military Support: $1.7 billion for medical research, including service-related injuries, and full funding for a 3.8% pay raise for servicemembers.

"This bipartisan package shows that Congress can put people over politics," said Rep. Sykes. "By protecting Continuum of Care funding, investing in health, housing, and transportation, and supporting our servicemembers, we are keeping families safe, workers employed, and communities resilient. These investments directly address the challenges my district faces and help ensure no one is left behind."

The bill now moves to the U.S. Senate for consideration.