Washington, DC (December 18, 2007) – Rep. Rubén Hinojosa (D-TX) today announced that he has secured $73 million for local projects in the omnibus spending bill that was approved by the House of Representatives last night. The $516 billion spending package includes critical funding for myriad programs in education, veterans health care, medical research, and law enforcement. The bill now goes to the Senate for approval and is expected to be signed into law by the President later this week.

“This bill is a huge win for the Rio Grande Valley and will provide a much-needed infusion of money for major infrastructure projects that have long been underfunded,” Hinojosa said.

The budget bill contains a landmark $23.3 million for the Donna-Rio Bravo International Bridge Project. The money will pay for the construction of the bridge’s inspection facilities and represents the single largest federal appropriation for the project to date. The Office of Management and Budget has estimated that the federal cost for the project will total $100 million over 10 years for construction, equipment, and personnel.

“Today marks a significant day for the progress of this project and for the City of Donna,” Hinojosa said.  “This money puts us one step closer to providing more jobs and opportunities for the City and the Mid-Valley communities. When this project is completed, I envision the unemployment rate for the Mid-Valley region to be similar to the 6 percent rate enjoyed in the areas of Harlingen, McAllen, and Edinburg.”

The money for the Donna-Rio Bravo Bridge is one of several major Rio Grande Valley projects funded in the spending bill. Other initiatives affecting the region include:

WATER PROJECTS

$20 million for North American Development Bank’s Border Infrastructure Fund — to provide loans and grants to border communities for water and wastewater projects. In the past, Mercedes and Pharr have utilized the NADBank Border Infrastructure Fund to implement projects.

$10 million for Lower Rio Grande Valley Levees — for the International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC) to rehabilitate the Lower Rio Grande Valley’s levees and flood-protection system. This represents a 400 percent increase over the roughly $2 million the IBWC has historically received for flood-control projects. In 2005, the IBWC completed a study concluding that many levees would not hold up under severe rain and that a substantial federal investment would be needed to remedy the documented shortcomings. Since then, the IBWC had been awaiting federal appropriations to begin scheduled work on increasing the heights of levees in Hidalgo and Cameron Counties.

$2.7 million for Water Conservation Projects in the Valley — to fund and continue work on irrigation canal lining that will more efficiently deliver irrigation water. In the 110th Congress, Hinojosa introduced a bill to amend the Lower Rio Grande Valley Water Conservation Act to authorize 15 additional conservation projects along the Texas-Mexico border. The bill passed the House on June 5, 2007. In the past two Congresses, Hinojosa has passed legislation authorizing 19 such water conservation projects. Hinojosa has helped secured almost $40 million in federal funding for these irrigation canal lining projects in the Lower Rio Grande Valley. As a result, several projects have been completed and are showing water savings of more than 30 percent.

$492,000 for the Raymondville Drain — to help with the construction of flood relief drains that will link to the Raymondville Drain Project creating a flood network that has an outlet linked to the Gulf of Mexico. This investment reduces the probability of flooding in case of hurricane and unexpected flash floods from heavy rain.

$246,000 for the Nueces River Basin study — to fund a feasibility study into the relationships between surface water, groundwater, and the communities dependent on such water. The project’s goal is to restore ecosystems of the Nueces River Delta through increased freshwater flows; reduce damage from flooding; and, increase stream flows.

TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS

$1 million for Interstate 69 Construction — to fund construction of I-69 in Texas. In March, the Interstate 69 corridor from Texas to Michigan was included on a short list of interstate corridors being considered for fast track development by federal transportation officials. The Texas Department of Transportation recently announced that it is looking for a private sector partner to help implement the project.

$850,000 for Edinburg Airport — to finance a runway extension, the construction of a taxiway, and other upgrades to boost the region’s cargo capacity.

$500,000 for the Mid-Valley Bus Route — to add a North-South bus line through the Mid-Valley. This route will connect several major regional economic projects including the Delta Mercado, Donna-Rio Bravo Bridge, Progresso Bridge, the outlet malls in Mercedes, and the Weslaco campus of South Texas College.

$500,000 for the Lower Rio Grande National Wildlife Refuge — enable the Fish and Wildlife Service to purchase land from willing sellers and add to the existing wildlife refuge.

$250,000 for the San Juan Library — for the construction of a larger public library in San Juan, which has a population of roughly 30,000 people.

HEALTH AND HUMAN SEVICES PROJECTS

$12 million for the Veterans Clinic in Harlingen — to enable the expansion of services at the veterans’ clinic in Harlingen. The expanded clinic opened in November and offers increased outpatient services to the region’s veterans and reduces the need for trips to San Antonio’s Audie Murphy Hospital. The $12 million will help complete the second phase of the project’s expansion by expanding medical care and services for patients.

$517,000 for the Hidalgo County Truancy Program — to provide individualized services to at-risk youth in nine school districts and to expand the program to other school districts in Hidalgo County. The program, overseen by Judge Mary Alice Palacios and the Hidalgo County Court System, addresses the cause of truancy and provides drug and mental health counseling, family services, and housing.

$170,000 for the Vannie Cook Pediatric Clinic — for the development of an epidemiology research study to evaluate the incidence of childhood cancer along the border. It will also facilitate an increase in medical staff and the implementation of patient outreach programs to reach over 1 million citizens in the South Texas border area. The clinic is the Rio Grande Valley’s only comprehensive pediatric cancer facility and serves a primarily indigent Hispanic population.

$170,000 for the Valley Baptist Health System — for the Hispanic Stroke Care Center to buy state-of-the-art equipment. Studies show that that stroke is the leading cause of disability in the US and is associated with a higher risk of disability among elderly Mexican-Americans.

$312,000 UTPA Border Health Disparities Center — to implement an obesity prevention campaign targeting Hispanic and African American families. The Project would be conducted in South Texas and Tennessee in collaboration with Tennessee State University. A research component would also focus on addressing chronic conditions related to diabetes.

$47,000 for the Cameron County Interoperability Funds — for first responder communications radio equipment to improve emergency response coordination with federal and state governments and other local organizations.