Josh Harder is now among the handful of House of Representatives members that are gate keepers for access to federal funds.

The San Joaquin County congressman has been appointed to the powerful House Committee on Appropriations.

“I’m proud to take up a post on the Appropriations Committee so I can fight to bring home the federal funds our schools, our hospitals, and our water systems need,” Harder said. “For decades San Joaquin County has been left behind and forgotten and I’m tired of it. I’ll do everything in my power to put us front and center in Washington.”

His appointment gives the San Joaquin One Voice effort a strategic boost in its efforts to secure federal funds to assist the county, its cities, and the greater region for everything from transportation infrastructure such as the Altamont Corridor Express and components of the highway/freeway system to water projects

San Joaquin One Voice was formed by the San Joaquin Council of Governments (SJCOG) to advocate for projects, programs and issues of regional significance to federal legislators and agencies typically through an annual trip to Washington, D.C. 

It was formed after the greater Northern San Joaquin Valley was consistently getting less per capita in terms of federal funding compared to others parts of California as well as the nation.

Among the projects One Voice lobbied for in 2022 included trying to secure funding to:

*Help pay for the second phase of the 120 Bypass/Highway 99 interchange that will add a second connector lane from northbound Highway 99 to the westbound 120 Bypass.

*Start the design process of diverging diamond interchanges such as the one at Union Road on the 120 Bypass for the Airport Way and Main Street interchanges.

*Interchange projects at Lathrop Road and Louise Avenue on Interstate 5 in Lathrop.

*The railroad bridge replacement an improvement project at the Port of Stockton.

*The Ripon intermodal transit station.

*The North Lathrop Transfer Station for future connectivity between ACE trains as well as the Valley Link targeting a 2028 start date to go from Lathrop to the Dublin/Pleasanton BART station.

*The River Road and North Ripon Road traffic signal project in Ripon.

*Adding a fourth lane in each direction on Interstate 205 from the Mossdale Y in Lathrop through Tracy and to the Alameda County line for managed high occupancy vehicle and bus travel.

*Projects related to separating the Union Pacific and Santa Fe railroad ground-level crossing in Stockton to end the disruption fo freight and passenger train movements.

*The Valley Link station in Tracy.

Harder will serve on two Appropriations subcommittees: Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies.

Harder is the first Democratic member of Congress from the Central Valley to serve on the committee in almost 50 years.

He has vowed to use his role to advocate for more federal support for water infrastructure, healthcare, agriculture, and other local priorities.

The Appropriations Committee — along with its Senate counterpart — is responsible for doling out all federal funding to the federal agencies, most recently writing the $1.7 trillion Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023.

Given bills passed by the Appropriations Committee regulate expenditures of money by the federal government, it is considered one of the most powerful committees, and its members are seen as influential.

Is powers also  extends to bills and joint resolutions reported by other committees that provide new entitlement authority.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com