Portrait of Congressman Mike Ross
Representing the 4th District of Arkansas
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Volume 2, Issue 15,
December 21, 2001
Weekly Newsletter
 
 
MIKE'S WEEKLY MESSAGE
 
Ross Secures $120 Million 
for Arkansas's Fourth District
 
"On Thursday, Congress adjourned for the holidays after passing the final appropriations measures for the current fiscal year. I’m pleased that among this legislation, I was able to successfully secure funding for a number of important projects and programs for the Fourth Congressional District. This money will help pay for things like improving facilities at the Pine Bluff Arsenal, supporting economic development, and aiding senior citizens in our communities.

"Included in the Department of Defense Appropriations bill, I was pleased to get $1 million dollars specifically allocated to begin plans for an evacuation and access road for the Pine Bluff Arsenal that will benefit not only the Arsenal, but also the nearby planned Bioplex industrial park and the National Center for Toxicological Research. We were also able to secure $1.5 million for the re-design of the white phosphorus ammunition production facility at the Arsenal, the only one of its kind in the nation.

"Additionally, in the funding measure for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, I was pleased to secure money for the Boys and Girls Club of El Dorado, a number of health care facilities in Hot Springs, and nearly $1.2 million dollars that will provide valuable services to seniors across the Fourth District through the Area Agencies on Aging for Southeast, Southwest, and West Central Arkansas.

"These seniors programs are critical in keeping seniors out of nursing homes and hospitals by providing them meals, transportation, personal care, companionship and support. I was glad to bring this long-awaited funding to them this year.

"In all we have secured over $120 million for the Fourth Congressional District, including $23.5 million for important transportation projects like I-69 and the Great River Bridge, I-49, and I-530.

"Now, as the holidays are upon us, I am happy to be home spending time with my wife, Holly, my daughter, Sydney Beth, my son, Alex, and the rest of our family. I hope during this time of togetherness that you are able to enjoy the blessings in your lives while taking time to remember those in need. May this season bring peace and happiness for all of you and your loved ones."
 

 
Ross Secures $1 Million for Pine Bluff Arsenal 
 
(WASHINGTON, DC) - U.S. Representative Mike Ross (D-AR) Wednesday announced that the House-Senate conference report for the Fiscal Year 2002 Department of Defense Appropriations Act contains $1 million for a Transportation Infrastructure Program at the Pine Bluff Arsenal. The funding, which Congressman Ross successfully got included in the final Defense Appropriations bill, is specifically earmarked to go toward a study and preliminary engineering for the construction of an evacuation road at the Arsenal.

“This appropriation is great news for the Pine Bluff Arsenal and the City of Pine Bluff,” Ross said. “The substantial growth of Army missions has placed a great demand on the area’s infrastructure. The construction of this road is essential to the Arsenal’s and the Army’s strategic value as well as the future safety of the demilitarization program.”

“This road is also critical to the ongoing economic development efforts in the area, particularly the Bioplex, a planned biotech industrial park. My staff and I have been working with Jim Crider, Jack McNulty and others at the Economic Development Alliance of Jefferson County throughout the appropriations process and will continue to do so to provide important resources for these projects,” Ross stated. “I’m pleased to have successfully secured this funding, which is important not only to the Pine Bluff area, but also to our national security.”

Earlier this year, Congress allocated $300,000 in the Military Construction Appropriations bill to possibly be used to study the feasibility of evacuation roads at demilitarization sites including Pine Bluff Arsenal. This new earmark, which was not included in either of the original House or Senate Defense Appropriations bills, guarantees that Pine Bluff Arsenal will receive $1 million to begin plans and preliminary engineering for the road. Congressman Ross had the new funding added after it was not included in the version passed by the House in October.
 

 
Ross Secures $1,186,000 for Seniors Centers in Labor-HHS-Education Bill
 
(WASHINGTON, DC) - U.S. Representative Mike Ross (D-AR) Wednesday announced that he has secured $1,186,000 in the House-Senate conference report for the fiscal year 2002 appropriations bill for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education to fund support programs for Arkansas senior citizens. This money will provide important funding for the Area Agencies on Aging for West Central, Southeast, and Southwest Arkansas.

“So many seniors in our area live on a fixed income and, without the services provided by the Area Agencies on Aging, would not be able to maintain an independent lifestyle,” Ross said. “Oftentimes, these programs are what keep seniors out of nursing homes and hospitals by providing them meals, transportation, personal care, companionship and support. The senior citizen center in my hometown of Prescott allowed my grandmother to live independently at home for many years.”

“Many of these agencies have been waiting for years for this funding to address desperate needs like updating equipment, hiring and training staff, and assessing the needs and effectiveness of their programs. I’m glad we were able to bring this necessary funding to them this year so that they can continue to do what they do best-help our seniors,” said Ross.

The bill provides $455,000 to the Senior Specialists Agency on Aging of West Central Arkansas, based in Hot Springs. This money will primarily go toward a technology demonstration project that will work with local universities to conduct research regarding the effectiveness of assessment of need for services, to train seniors and community-based service providers to implement technological advances, and to disseminate information and provide improved access to community-based care services to the rural elderly outside the initial project area. Senior Specialists serves Garland, Clark, Conway, Hot Spring, Johnson, Montgomery, Pike, Perry, Pope, and Yell counties.

The Southeast Arkansas Area Agency on Aging will receive $500,000, which will be used to develop a personal care demonstration program for non-Medicaid eligible elderly. The goal of this program will be to evaluate improved health status in the home versus nursing home placement. The Southeast Arkansas AAA serves Ashley, Bradley, Chicot, Cleveland, Desha, Grant, Jefferson, and Lincoln counties.

Also funded in the Labor-HHS-Education measure is $231,000 for Southwest Arkansas Area Agency on Aging, which serves Calhoun, Columbia, Dallas, Hempstead, Howard, Lafayette, Little River, Miller, Nevada, Ouachita, Sevier, and Union counties. This funding will allow for the creation of a family caregiver support program that will develop and implement a broad-based public information campaign targeted to reach family caregivers. The program will focus on assisting formal caregivers, informal caregivers, and consumers.

The FY 2002 Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations conference report is expected to pass the House and Senate floors this week.
 

 
Please Contact Mike at 
1-800-223-2220 or 
mike.ross@mail.house.gov
 
 
Contact Information Constituent Services Legislative Affairs News & Views Photo Gallery

   El Dorado: 870-881-0681  |  Prescott: 870-887-6787 

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