For Release: Monday, December 17, 2007
Contact: David Gillies: 202-225-5661
FINAL BUDGET TO PASS HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, CONTAINS INVESTMENTS IN REGION
Washington - U.S. Congressman Jerry Costello (D-IL) announced that the final appropriations bill for Fiscal Year 2008 is expected to pass the House of Representatives later tonight. H.R. 2764, the Consolidated Appropriations bill, contains funding for several important projects in the Metro East. The bill will next be considered by the Senate.
"This has been a long process, and it could have been smoother if President Bush had worked with the Congress to reach consensus legislation," said Costello. "Unfortunately, the President refuses to make necessary investments in domestic priorities that will help our communities, provide greater access to health care and better educate our children. I have worked to secure funding for important projects in our region to make improvements at Scott Air Force Base, enhance our water infrastructure and maintain our economy, and I will continue to work to make domestic needs a priority of the federal budget."
Projects include:
Military Construction
- Scott Air Force Base
- $16.7 million for construction of a Security Forces Operations building.
- $8.2 million for construction of a new Child Development Center.
- St. Clair County - $8.1 million for construction of a Readiness Center to be used by the Illinois Army Reserve and Illinois National Guard.
Energy and Water
- Alton to Gale Organized Levee Districts - $93,000 to finalize a design deficiency report and start the design for slide repairs. The funds will help levee districts in St. Clair and Madison Counties.
- Chain of Rocks - $4.08 million for operations and maintenance.
- East St. Louis - $2.266 million for flood risk management to address underseepage and other levee improvements.
- East St. Louis and Vicinity - $258,000 for ecosystem restoration and flood damage reduction.
- Kaskaskia Navigation System - $2.937 million for operations and maintenance.
- Madison/St. Clair Counties - $468,000 for sewer infrastructure improvements.
- Mel Price Lock and Dam - $468,000 for maintenance.
- Prairie Du Pont - $98,000 for planning.
- Wood River Levee, Madison County - $321,000 for construction.
Labor-HHS-Education
- Great Rivers Research Center - $390,000 for research on river ecology, developing watershed and river management strategies and educating students and the public about these issues.
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