Funding Requests

I continue to call for reform of the federal spending process in order to ensure hard-earned taxpayer dollars are protected from waste, fraud and abuse. My requests continue to be held to higher principles than current practices and rules dictate. These principles include:

1. Transparency: I disclose all requests on this web site upon submission.

2. Local Commitment: All requests reflect a commitment from local entities – many through matching funds – and a partnership with federal, state, or local governments.

3. Local Impact: All requests directly impact the 12th Congressional District.

4. No Private Handouts: All requests are for public entities or research institutions – private corporations are not recipients of any earmark request.

Below are my congressional spending requests for Fiscal Year 2009:

Agriculture

• University of Florida/Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS): $4 million for research to improve technologies for the detection and treatment of Citrus Canker and Greening.

• University of Florida: $10 million to support the T-STAR program to stem the invasion of exotic diseases, insects and weeds into the United States.

• USDA and US Dept. of Energy: $1.2 million for continuation of genetic research into disease prevention for citrus plants.

• Florida Department of Citrus: $2 million for development and certification of abscission chemicals to enable the effective mechanical harvesting of citrus.

Commerce, State and Justice

• Polk County: $250,000 for continued funding of the Polk County Methamphetamine Prevention Project.

• Hillsborough County: $250,000 for Methamphetamine prevention, treatment and site clean-up.

• Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWCC): $1 million for Cooperative Reef Fish Monitoring and Research Program, a partnership between FWCC, the U.S. Dept. of Commerce and National Marine Fisheries Service.

Defense

• University of South Florida: $2.5 million to support information sharing technology between USF, Tampa General Hospital, James A. Haley VA Hospital and Shriners Hospitals for Children – Tampa.

Energy and Water

• University of Florida: $1 million for the Florida Renewable Energy Program to promote the development of new energy technologies, bioenergy fuel sources and improvements in efficiencies of existing energy sources.

EPA/Interior

• Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFMD): $5 million for continued restoration of water quality and permanent minimum flows to the upper Peace River and Lake Wales Ridge.

Labor-HHS-Education

• Hillsborough Community College: $500,000 for construction and equipment for the Plant City campus.

• Polk Community College: $755,000 for construction and equipment for a new manufacturing training program, leveraging a $12 million private grant.

Transportation/HUD

• Polk County and Lakeland Area Mass Transit Districts: $600,000 for purchase of new rolling stock and transit system technology

enhancements.

• Polk County: $615,000 for improvements to the Polk County Agricultural Center, bringing the 1948 building into compliance with modern fire and disability standards.

In addition to these requests, I support the President’s budget request for the Citrus Health Response Plan (CHRP) to reduce the proliferation of citrus canker, citrus greening and other citrus diseases, and requests of other members of the Florida congressional delegation for Everglades restoration.

Water Resources Development Act

The Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) legislation provides the Army Corps of Engineers with authority to maintain navigable channels and control floods, ecosystem restoration, municipal water and wastewater infrastructure, disaster relief, and other activities.   In Florida, support for our water resources is extremely important to all Floridians and all members of the Florida Congressional delegation.  I am working with my colleagues to support the following WRDA 2008 projects:

Tampa Harbor – Authorization for two projects within the Tampa Harbor, which would address needed safety related improvements to navigation restrictions and congestion resulting from lack of adequate channel width for the safe passage and movement of vessels.

Kissimmee River Restoration -  To help improve Everglades restoration efforts, I requested an authorization for the Kissimmee River Restoration Project for enhanced ecosystem and environmental and conservation purposes, to accommodate increases in land, construction and fuel prices, as well as inflation, since the project was authorized in 1992.