Washington
DC Office
307 Dirksen Senate
Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
Phone: 202-224-6441
Fax: 202-224-1724
Wyoming Office
P.O. Box 22201
Casper, WY 82602
307-261-6413
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Contact: Cameron Hardy
202-224-6441 |
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Thomas, Enzi say Omnibus funds a boon for Wyoming
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November 22nd, 2004 - WASHINGTON -- U.S. Senators Craig Thomas and Mike Enzi, both R-Wyo., said Wyoming is walking tall after wrapping up work Saturday on the Omnibus Appropriations Act.
The Senate passed the Fiscal Year 2005 (FY’05) Omnibus Appropriations of $388 billion with a vote of 65-30.
“We directed money to critical Wyoming projects and needs,” Thomas said. “This funding fits into my vision for better access to health care, job growth, and improved visitor services for national parks,” Thomas explained.
Sen. Enzi said the impact on the state is wide-ranging. “Every Wyoming citizen from school children to veterans to ranchers to business owners will be affected by the funding in this bill. All of us who drive on the nation’s highways will benefit from the billions of dollars for transportation in the bill. Our nation’s small businesses stand to gain funding which will help create jobs and improve our economy. We’ve included funds for animal disease research which should help ranchers keep their livestock safe,” said Enzi. “Wyoming fared well in this appropriations package.”
The omnibus appropriations bill includes funding for the operation of federal government agencies, departments and programs for the fiscal year 2005.
Thomas and Enzi highlighted several items in the Omnibus which would directly benefit Wyoming.
Omnibus highlights
Agriculture
Provides a total of $85.276 billion, of which $16.982 billion is discretionary spending.
Does not include any voluntary Country-of-Origin Labeling language.
Wyoming Provisions:
q $336,000 for the Wyoming Wildlife/Livestock Disease Research Partnership to assist studying diseases that are passed between livestock and wildlife
q $300,000 to assist with the mapping and soil surveys for coalbed methane development
q $1.3 million for predator control/rabies control distributed between Wyoming, Montana and Idaho
q $500,000 for a ruminant nutrition consortium in Wyoming, Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota
q $300,000 for Wool Research in Wyoming, Texas, and Montana
Commerce-Justice-State-Judiciary
Provides a total of $40 billion, all of which is discretionary spending
q $55 million for Juvenile Accountability Grants
q $109 million for Manufacturing Extension Partnership Program Centers
Wyoming Provisions:
q $250,000 for Voice Viewer Technologies and Law Enforcement
q $300,000 for the Extend Radio System, Casper, WY
Interior
Provides $ 20.09 billion, almost all of which is discretionary spending.
The bill includes language protecting the recently announced temporary winter use plan for the 2004-2005 winter season in Yellowstone from litigation.
Wyoming Provisions:
q PILT funding was set at $230 million.
q $250,000 to support assessment and implementation of conservation programs in the Thunder Basin National Grasslands
q $8.4 million for research partnerships supported by the Cooperative Research and Development program, a portion of which will go to the Western Research Institute, that continue to address vital western energy needs
q $2.655 million to replace the existing court facilities with a new courthouse at Yellowstone
National Park
q $9.801 million for restoration of the Old Faithful Inn
q $1.487 million to reconstruct the West Entrance Station at Yellowstone National Park
q $1 million for winter snowcoaches at Yellowstone National Park
q $3 million for Rocky Mountain Oilfield Testing Center, Casper, WY
Labor-Health and Human Services-Education
Overall, provides a total of $485.1 billion, of which $143.3 billion is discretionary spending.
Wyoming Provisions:
q $400,000 for Instructional Technology Improvements for the University of Wyoming
q $1.5 million for the Alliance to Train Site-Bound Rural Para-educators in a three-state alliance program at Montana State University, Black Hills State and Casper College
q $100,000 for Integrated Systems Technology to implement and equip a curriculum at Laramie County Community College to train workers in High Tech manufacturing
q $50,000 for the Wyoming, Washington, Alaska, Montana, Idaho (WWAMI) Demonstration: Assistance in Rural Training (DART) project to help address the shortage of health professionals in the region
q $100,000 for the National American Indian, Alaskan & Hawaiian Educational Development Center, Sheridan, Wyoming
q $300,000 for the United Medical Center, Cheyenne, WY
q $1.1 million for the Wyoming Substance Abuse Treatment and Recovery Center, Sheridan, WY
q $185,000 Laramie County School District One, Cheyenne, WY for English as a Second Language
Transportation-Treasury
The bill provides more than $89.9 billion in total budgetary resources, of which $25.8 billion is discretionary spending.
q Total highway spending amounts to $35.5 billion including $102 million (plus carryover funds) for the Essential Air Service program. This funding will allow all airports that received funding last year to continue receiving federal assistance. Laramie, Rock Springs, and Worland receive subsidies under this program.
Wyoming Provisions:
q $500,000 for improvements along the I-80 freight corridor near Cheyenne
q $4 million for the Grand Teton National Park pathway system
q $4.5 million for construction along 17 Mile Road on the Wind River Reservation
q $4.75 million for safety improvements on U.S. Highway 287
q $250,000 for safety passing lanes on U.S. Highway 85
Veterans Administration-Housing and Urban Development
Provides $128.6 billion, of which $93.5 billion is discretionary spending.
Wyoming Provisions:
q $750,000 to the University of Wyoming for construction of the Wyoming Technology Business Center in Laramie
q $250,000 for removing asbestos in Cottonwood Estates Senior Citizen Center in Gillette
q $300,000 for wastewater infrastructure improvements in Cheyenne
Energy and Water
Provides a total of $28.793 billion, all of which is discretionary spending.
Foreign Operations
A total of $19.8 billion
Legislative Branch
Contains $3.6 billion for Congressional and the Library of Congress operation.
Congress completed its work on each of the Department of Defense, District of Columbia, Homeland Security, and Military Construction Appropriations bills earlier in the year.
-end-
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| 22nd - |
current Press Release |
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