DeLauro Applauds Omnibus Bill’s Investments in Country’s Needs
Announces funding for projects in 3rd Congressional District
Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Rosa L. DeLauro (Conn. -3) applauded the Omnibus Appropriations bill for fiscal year 2009 for its continued focus on funding America's priorities and announced funding for projects in the third Congressional District.
"We are making a strong investment in our future – creating jobs and supporting growth – to take seriously our responsibility to the American public. With this legislation we make investments that offer short term help for our economic problems and long term solutions for our economic strength," said DeLauro. "It is not only a catalyst for job creation – increased finding for biomedical research, education, renewable energy and healthcare, but it also provides for our most vulnerable citizens with funding for child care, job training, housing and community development. This bill represents a real commitment to getting our economy back on track."
This includes critical funding for:
· Food and Drug Administration: $2 billion, $335 million above 2008, to help FDA improve the safety of domestic and imported food and medical products.
· Women, Infant, Children Nutrition Program: $6.9 billion, $1.2 billion above 2008, to provide proper nutrition to mothers and their children. Rising food costs and the economic downturn are expected to increase participants to 9.1 billion Americans in 2009 - 400,000 more than 2008.
· Commodity Supplemental Food Program: $160.4 million, $20.7 million above 2008, to provide nutritious food to nearly a half million low-income women, infants, children, and elderly citizens struggling with rising food costs.
· Consumer Product Safety Commission: $105 million, $25 million above 2008, building on a 27.5% increase in 2008, to keep unsafe products from the marketplace.
· Education, Pell Grants: $17.3 billion, $3 billion above 2008, -- raising the maximum Pell Grant by $119 to $4,360 to help 6.9 million families pay for college. With additional mandatory funding under the College Cost Reduction Act the maximum Pell Grant is $4,850, increased $800 since 2006.
· CDC Gynecologic Cancer: $6.8 million – $1.4 million above 2008 (Johanna's Law was passed in 2006)
· WISEWOMAN: $19.528 million – $1 million above 2008 – to fund the program in 23 states.
· National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection: $205.9 million – a $5.8 million above 2008
· Office on Violence Against Women: $415 million, $15 million above 2008, to prevent and prosecute violence against women and strengthen services to victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking.
· Community Oriented Policing Service (COPS): $550 million, to support local law enforcement agencies with technology and training grants.
· Amtrak: $1.5 billion, $165 million above 2008, to support the national passenger rail system.
· Highway Infrastructure: $40.7 billion, $484 million above 2008, to improve and repair our nation's aging highway infrastructure.
The fiscal year 2009 Omnibus Appropriations Bill included funding for the following initiatives benefitting the 3rd Congressional District:
Agriculture, Rural Development, FDAConnecticut Agricultural Experiment Station
· West Nile Virus Project, $1.154 million: to continue research into West Nile Virus and mosquitoes with new emphasis on community based mosquito control, tracking genetic changes in West Nile and other mosquito borne viruses in CT and other states, and studying variations of the virus.
UConn
· USDA-ARS Animal Health Facility, $1.518 million: for the completion of an ARS feasibility study and a move toward construction phase of the building to study animal diseases. The building will house a Biosafety Level 2 laboratory for animals.
· Advanced Vaccine Research for Disease Control, $2.192 million: to continue the cooperative agreement between ARS and the UConn on advanced animal vaccines.
· Food Marketing Policy Center, $401,000: to allow the Policy Center to further its ongoing research program on food industries, economics of food safety and security and market concentration.
· New England Center for Invasive Plants, $295,000: to allow a consortium of UConn, the University of Vermont, and University of Maine to develop novel and effective technologies to address problems of invasive plants in New England and the nation. Invasive woody plants do economic and environmental damage of approximately $137 billion a year nationally.
Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine
· New England Agriculture Project, $333,000: to create incentives for New England farmers to conserve land by improving productivity and profitability.
The Northeast Lyme Disease Ecoepidemiology Project (ARS)
· Cooperative agreement with USDA and the Yale School of Public Health, $700,000: to develop new methods for control of the deer tick vector of Lyme disease that will reduce the incidence of disease in humans in CT and surrounding states.
· Cooperative agreement with USDA and the Yale School of Public Health, $205,000: to improve methods for the surveillance of Lyme disease and other emerging vector-borne diseases in the northeast.
Connecticut Department of Agriculture
· Avian Influenza Preparedness, $700,000: to increase and enhance the nation's avian flu preparedness by developing and conducting a public education program regarding the efficient and effective use of vaccination technology.
Commerce, Justice, ScienceSouthern New England Seagrass Research and Restoration, $500,000: this funding through NOAA to support a large-scale seagrass research and restoration initiative on the health and presence of seagrass throughout Long Islands bays, including identifying causes of seagrass decline and solutions to restore and properly manage seagrass into the future.
West Haven Public Safety, $225,000: to prevent crime and resolve community problems through "Citizen and Police Problem Solving" style of policing, or Quality of Life Patrols, which will establish community partnerships, review and prioritize West Haven's neighborhoods' problems, and educate citizens on crime prevention, Drug Abuse Resistance Education, and anti-gang initiatives.
North Branford Emergency Simulcast System, $500,000: to purchase and install a public safety radio communications simulcast system, which will greatly enhance dispatching capabilities and eliminate several "dead zones" throughout the town.
Radio Communications Enhancement Project, $325,000: to increase local and regional interoperability through the purchase and installation of a Radio Tower, as well as replace the WWII dated backup generator for the Emergency Operations Communication Center. The tower will provide improved communication by decreasing interference among antennas and individual frequencies.
New Haven Police Department First Responder Technology Project, $1,000,000: to provide a state of the art regional public safety network for first responders, including additional equipment, wireless cameras, shotspotter location technology, and infrastructure in order to expand the City of New Haven's fixed wireless network and to address public safety issues.
Zero to Three Court Team, $300,000: for the development of a multidisciplinary Court Team for Maltreated Infants and Toddlers in New Haven. Headed by a local judge and a child development specialist, the Court Team, will bring the science of early childhood development, skills and services to juvenile and family courts in an effort to make community-wide changes to the system and improve services to better support the needs of infants and toddlers involved in the child welfare system.
The Henry C. Lee Institute of Forensic Science Cold Case Center, $600,000: to train and standardize the Evidence Response Teams of small to medium law enforcement agencies. The Evidence Response Team Training Center will provide law enforcement agencies with the most advanced technologies and state-of-the-art training in crime scene investigation and reconstruction.
Automated Fingerprint Identification System, CT Dept of Public Safety, $800,000: to update Connecticut's Automated Fingerprint Identification System to allow for instant identity checks, to improve the timeliness of applicant background check responses, and to comply with the National Fingerprint File requirements.
Breaking the Cycle of Behavioral Health Problems and Crime, UConn, $750,000: to support wider testing and dissemination of a University of Connecticut Health Center – developed intervention, "TARGET" (Trauma Affect Regulation: Guidelines for Education and Therapy) to prevent traumatized young adults from new or chronic involvement in the criminal justice system.
City of New Haven Re-entry Program, $350,000: for the development and implementation of a comprehensive prisoner reentry plan in New Haven, Connecticut. The City of New Haven will partner with community organizations on this effort.
Mystic Aquarium – The Immersion Presents After School Program, $200,000: to provide access to this after-school science and technology academic program for at-risk elementary and middle school kids. This program partners with nearly 150 Boys and Girls Clubs across the country to provide access to this after-school program for elementary and middle school kids.
Vocational Education Enhancements for At-Risk Youth, $500,000: to allow the Klingberg Family Centers in New Britain to fully equip its new Vocational Education facility for at-risk youth, which will provide students with hands-on experience in automotive restoration, woodworking, culinary arts and environmental science education.
National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges, $1.8 million: to improve the juvenile and family court judicial system, specifically in handling child abuse and neglect cases . National Crime Prevention Council, Crime Prevention Campaign, $500,000: to forge additional private-public partnerships to promote prevention-focused education on crimes, including identity theft, gangs, methamphetamine, bullying, home burglary, fraud and scams against senior citizens and other adults, and reentry of offenders.
SEARCH National Training and Technical Assistance Program, $500,000: to support the only no-cost service for small- and medium-sized criminal justice agencies to assist them in enhancing and upgrading their information systems; building integrated information systems; and ensuring compatibility between local systems and state, regional, and national systems.
The National District Attorneys Association's Training Program at the Ernest F. Hollings National Advocacy Center, $1.6 million: for training programs to improve prosecutorial skills and to learn from nationally recognized experts the substance of the law and science necessary to successfully prosecute those who have committed crimes.
Energy & WaterLong Island Sound Dredged Material Management Plan (DMMP), $1 million: for the development of a comprehensive DMMP for Long Island Sound that is being done in cooperation with New York and the Army Corps of Engineers. Dredging and appropriate management of dredged sediment is vital to the economic and environmental well being of both New York and Connecticut. The DMMP is a cooperative state and federal effort to maintain safe, environmentally sound alternatives and establish future protocols for dredge material management.
Cellulosic Ethanol Pilot Program (Industrial Waste to Clean Fuel), $2.66 million: to turn industrial waste and forestry products into clean transportation fuels at an existing industrial facility in Springfield, (Indian Orchard) Massachusetts and at a facility to be built in Montville, CT.
Financial ServicesAvery Point Technology Incubation Center, $292,329- through the Small Business Administration to allow the Centers to reach additional and new aspiring start-up firms. The program is able to arrange business support, faculty collaboration, and use of highly specialized equipment and instrumentation.
InteriorWharton Brook Industrial Park and Todd Drive Area Sewer Project, $500,000: funding through the Environmental Protection Agency's State and Tribal Grant (STAG) Program to provide sewers to a major industrial park and adjacent residential areas consisting of approximately 150 single-family houses, which has experienced significant septic system failure which pose an environmental and health risk to the surrounding areas.
Labor, Health & Human Services, EducationCommunity Foundation, $190,000: to support innovative multi-disciplinary intervention programs supported by the Community Foundation for Greater New Haven, including both law enforcement and mental health service providers, serving children and families exposed to violence and trauma in and around New Haven.
Griffin Hospital, $285,000: for the expansion of the emergency room.
Platt Tech Manufacturing, $190,000: to re-tool its equipment base within its Manufacturing Technologies Department to allow the state to properly meet both educational needs of students and skill requirements of manufacturers.
The Diaper Bank, $133,000: to provide area agencies with clean diapers to families with young children who are living in poverty and to raise awareness of other basic hygiene and sanitary issues facing these vulnerable families.
Greater New Haven Opportunities Industrialization Center, $48,000: to expand delivery of training programs and employment placement opportunities from 200 to 600 a year.
Caroline's Room Fund, $285,000: to construct 25 family support and counseling rooms in the Neo-Natal Intensive Care Units of hospitals in Connecticut and across the country.
Greater New Haven Labor History Association Dev. & Sustainability Project $143,000: to mount a public exhibit highlighting the history of working people in the area; to develop and upgrade its educational materials; to preserve and expand its archival holdings; to greatly increase its membership base; and to strengthen its infrastructure in all areas in order to carry its work forward through the next several decades.
Vinal Technical High School- Workplace Development for Student Training and Manufacturing, $143,000: to upgrade and replace outdated equipment with current technology, creating a digital classroom utilizing computers for online training to enhance student learning and providing funds to secure much needed teaching supplies to meet the needs of the changing industry and workforce.
Connecticut State University System – Nursing, $476,000: to establish a system-wide project to address the issue of nurses and nursing faculty shortages in the State of Connecticut. Connecticut ranks 49th out of 50 states in producing nurses.
Yale New Haven Health System, $238,000: to expand the number of healthcare delivery workers reached through its innovative education and exercise/evaluation program in each of the ten FEMA regions.
9/11 Living Memorial Digital Archive, 285,000: for educational outreach and technology to digitally archive the lives and stories of 9/11, which will be a key component of the National September 11 Memorial & Museum at the World Trade Center.
Cornelia DeLange Syndrome Foundation $238,000: through the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, for the foundation to implement a range of programs that will provide education and outreach to thousands of families affected by CdLS as well as professionals in the medical field – many of whom have little or no knowledge of the syndrome.
Counsel of Family Service Agencies, $381,000: for the successful welfare-to-work initiative Empowering People for Success Program (EPS), which focuses on those considered the hardest-to-serve and face serious multiple barriers to employment, to continue to successfully help clients who are at-risk of losing or who have already lost TANF cash assistance, overcome barriers to becoming self-sufficient.
CT Humanities Council, $238,000: for curriculum development to strengthen the teaching of both United States and Connecticut history in classroom across the state.
P.E.B.B.L.E.S. Project, $190,000: for the continuation of an innovative technology program to deliver educational connection to children medically unable to attend school. P.E.B.B.L.E.S. (an acronym for Providing Education By Bringing Learning Environments to Students) is an enhanced video conferencing technology system designed to link hospitalized or homebound children with their school classrooms.
Helen Keller International, $1.189 million: for their Child Sight school-based program run by chapters in Connecticut and across the country, which provides vision screening and free prescription eyeglasses for children who live in urban and rural poverty.
Transportation, Housing & Urban DevelopmentEdison Road Extension Project (Orange), $237, 500: to extend Edison Road to provide improved access to over 65 acres of undeveloped property for mixed industrial, retail and commercial growth opportunity.
Quinnipiace River Linear Trail (Wallingford), $1,425,000: to add two segments of this pedestrian/bike trail: 1) Phase III of the Wallingford, CT segment of trail; and 2) Phase I of the North Haven, CT segment of trail.
Route 1 and Route 34 Connector (New Haven/West Haven), $475,000: to make improvements to and increase the safety of the traffic dense interchange.
Stratford Greenway Project (Stratford), $285,000: to complete the development of a bikeway/walkway and linear park on the Hunter Haven property. Also, funding will support the extension of the bikeway/walkway to the town center, connecting residents to mass transportation.
Boys & Girls Club of the Lower Naugatuck Valley (Shelton), $285,000: to allow the Boys and Girls Club to construct a new 26,000 square-foot facility, including a day-care center to serve low-income working families and a new gymnasium to provide recreational space for at-risk youth.
Central Connecticut Coast YMCA (New Haven), $285,000: The Soundview Family YMCA serves the needs of the 100,000 residents who live and work in the shoreline communities of East Haven, Branford, North Branford, Guilford and Madison and is constructing a community recreational facility that includes a multi-purpose program, camp and aquatic facilities that are sorely needed in the shoreline community.
Community and Senior Center (Middletown), $190,000: for the development of a Community and Senior Center within Veterans Park in Middletown.
Brownfield and Blight Redevelopment Project (Waterbury), $1,448,750: for Phase II environmental assessments in order to identify the types and concentrations of contaminates in a variety of areas to be cleaned and allow for the possible municipal acquisition of several sites.