Omnibus spending package contains funding for key local community initiatives
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Arlen Specter and Bob Casey today announced that the U.S. Congress has approved federal funding for a number of projects in Northeast Pennsylvania. The projects are part of the Fiscal Year 2010 Consolidated Appropriations Act, a measure which contains funding for several federal agencies, as well as for local transportation, housing, health, education and law enforcement programs.
“This funding will help improve our roadways, schools, hospitals, as well as prevent crime and develop our workforce and small businesses,” said Senator Specter. “I am pleased to see this funding work to advance the important infrastructures that make our local communities run.”
“This money is great news for Northeast Pennsylvania and I am pleased Congress approved this funding,” said Senator Casey. “I will continue working with Senator Specter and the rest of the Pennsylvania delegation to create jobs and promote economic growth by supporting necessary transportation investments, quality health care, education and financial services initiatives, enhanced safety and law enforcement programs and a strong national defense.”
The Senate voted to pass the bill on Sunday 57-39, and the House of Representatives approved the measure on Thursday. The Fiscal Year 2010 Consolidated Appropriations Act will now be sent to the President to be signed into law.
Regional projects in the bill, listed by topic, include:
*If a Congressperson also supported a project, his/her name is listed
Transportation
• $1,974,000 for the Northwest New Jersey-Northeast Pennsylvania Passenger Rail. (Specter, Casey; Kanjorski- Frelinghuysen)
• $500,000 for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport for design, engineering and construction of the Intermodal Center. (Kanjorski, Specter)
Housing and Urban Development
• $200,000 for Lackawanna County Board of Commissioners in Lackawanna County for the design and construction of a Small Business Incubator and/or Multipurpose Center. (Specter; Kanjorski)
• $292,200 for the City of Scranton to demolish hazardous structures and remove blight. This project improves the public safety and the welfare of the citizens of Scranton. (Casey)
Military Construction
• $924,000 for the design of an Army National Guard Readiness Center in Luzerne County. (Carney)
• $9.8 million to build an Army Reserve Center in Ashley (Luzerne County). (President’s budget)
• $3.2 million for an Electronics Maintenance Shop at Tobyhanna Army Depot Monroe County. (President’s budget)
Health and Human Services
• $700,000 for Endless Mountains Health Systems in Susquehanna County for facilities and equipment. Funds will be used to purchase equipment for a replacement Critical Access Hospital, including imaging, emergency room and operating room equipment. (Specter-Casey; Carney)
• $250,000 for Commonwealth Medical Education in Lackawanna County for facilities and equipment. Funds will be used to purchase equipment for a molecular biology facility in order to advance research. (Specter-Casey)
• $100,000 for Allied Services Foundation in Lackawanna County for rehabilitation equipment. The equipment will be used to safely move patients and ensure the safety of staff and patients. (Specter-Casey; Kanjorski)
• $100,000 for Healthy People Northeast Pennsylvania Initiative in Lackawanna County for obesity prevention and education programs. This project will assist in lowering the incidence of chronic conditions. (Specter)
• $100,000 for Misericordia University in Luzerne County for facilities and equipment for the College of Health Sciences. In addition to providing academic instruction in a variety of health care disciplines, it will also serve to provide free or low-cost clinical services to the community. (Specter-Casey)
• $100,000 for Northeast Regional Cancer Institute in Lackawanna County for a regional cancer registry. The registry will include a seven county area of Northeast Pennsylvania and create a valuable public health and cancer control resource that could be replicated across the country. (Specter-Casey; Carney-Kanjorski)
• $100,000 for Pocono Medical Center in Monroe County for facilities and equipment relating to cancer. Funds will be used for construction of a new cancer facility and the purchase of diagnostic and treatment equipment. (Specter-Casey; Kanjorski)
• $100,000 for Susquehanna Health in Lycoming County for equipment. Funds will be used for a digital C-Arm for the operating room, primarily for use in orthopedic and vascular procedures. (Specter)
• $100,000 for University of Scranton in Lackawanna County for nursing and allied health programs, including the purchase of equipment. The program helps to meet the demand for current shortages in health care professionals. (Specter-Casey; Kanjorski)
• $100,000 for Volunteers of America in Luzerne County for trauma recovery mental health services to children and families. The project provides direct services to children and families who have experienced the trauma of physical and sexual abuse, violent crime, homelessness, natural disasters, and other devastating events and helps families return to healthy community living. (Specter-Casey; Kanjorski)
Education
• $100,000 for Lackawanna College in Lackawanna County for laboratory upgrades to a science center, including the purchase of equipment. (Specter-Casey)
• $100,000 for Supporting Autism and Families Everywhere in Luzerne County for vocational services and program support. (Specter)
• $100,000 for Susquehanna University in Snyder County for science education programs and laboratory upgrades, including the purchase of equipment. (Specter-Casey)
Criminal Justice
• $400,000 for the Women’s Resource Center in Scranton to provide emergency shelter and support services to victims of sexual and domestic violence. The Women’s Resource Center assists approximately 2,000 women and children annually in Northeastern Pennsylvania. (Casey)
• $500,000 for East Stroudsburg University’s Cyber Crime and Forensics Institute. (Casey-Specter; Kanjorski)
• $250,000 for Lycoming County to purchase equipment for its emergency operations center. (Casey-Specter; Thompson)
• $100,000 for Lackawanna County for the Lackawanna County Treatment Court for a rehabilitation initiative to support an initiative to enhance treatment and rehabilitation services for targeted prisoners, including those individuals whose offenses are related to alcohol and substance abuse. (Specter; Carney)
Science
• $450,000 for East Stroudsburg University in Monroe County for the Marine Science Consortium Student-Facility Research Collaborative with NASA Goddard Wallops Flight Facility. (Specter; Kanjorski)
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