WASHINGTON – In the name of increased Washington accountability, Congressman McCarthy is releasing his district funding requests to be considered in this year’s appropriation bills and challenges the new Democrat leadership to follow his lead and release their funding requests as well.
 
“It is clear from a recent Gallup poll that only 14% of the American public have confidence in this new Congress,” said McCarthy. “We can serve the public better, and earn their trust and confidence, if we publicly disclose earmark requests so that taxpayers know what projects might be funded with their hard-earned dollars. Our Congressional leaders should lead, and the buck stops with the House Democrat leadership to disclose their own funding requests for public scrutiny.”
 
Earlier this month, Appropriations Chairman Dave Obey (D-Wisconsin) initially fought against transparency. He broke the Democrat campaign promise of shining a spotlight on earmarks by advocating for a closed-door Washington process where he would be the only person to decide what funding requests could be secretly dropped into appropriation bills.   McCarthy and his Republican colleagues did not stand for that unaccountable Washington process, and instead led the fight for transparency and open government. McCarthy was vocal in that debate, and demanded a more accountable, open, and transparent process for determining Federal Government funding: http://www.house.gov/apps/list/press/ca22_mccarthy/061207earmarks.html. Under Republican protest, Chairman Obey eventually dropped his proposal.         
 
The decision of where tax dollars of hardworking Americans are spent in government funding bills ought to be fully vetted in a public transparent debate, and not made solely by one person from Wisconsin. An open, transparent, and accountable system puts Congressional projects up for debate and lets our system of democracy work by requiring 435 members of the U.S. House consider the merits of a project.
 
Below is a list of Congressman Kevin McCarthy’s district funding requests, in dollar order, in the 12 appropriations bills. Congressman McCarthy made 20 funding requests that solely benefit the 22nd District of California, worth $37,911,000. Additionally, Congressman McCarthy requested $147,170,000 to invest in programs that affect Edwards Air Force Base and the Naval Air Warfare Center, Weapons Division at China Lake to improve our nation’s weapons technologies through research, testing, and evaluation and to improve the quality of life for those proudly serving at our installations. Finally, McCarthy also made requests, often with other interested California Members of Congress, for programs of benefit to California and the nation.
 
 
FY 2008 Requests in Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration and Related Agencies
 
Requests Solely Benefiting the 22nd District:

1. McCarthy requested inclusion of statutory language to grant the cities of Atascadero and Paso Robles, California, eligibility for programs operated by the USDA’s Rural Housing Service.

Requests Benefiting the 22nd District and California:

• McCarthy requested $375,000 to continue supporting USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) research related to plant pathogen F.O.V -- referred to by the industry as the “cotton AIDS” virus -- at the University of California’s Shafter Research and Extension Center in Shafter, California.
• McCarthy requested $2,250,000 for the University of California to award competitive grants aimed at containing Pierce’s disease, a fatal bacteria disease threatening California’s grape growers, and reducing the number of glassy-winged sharpshooters that spread the disease.
• McCarthy requested $2,500,000 for the California State University (CSU) Agricultural Research Initiative (ARI) to find solutions addressing the challenges facing California agriculture, which include work in agricultural business, biodiversity, biotechnology, food science, natural resources, production practices, and water and irrigation technology.
• McCarthy requested $7,800,000 to help combat the Pink Bollworm, a pest that harms American cotton harvests, leading to high control costs and yield losses.

FY 2008 Requests in Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies
 
Requests Solely Benefiting the 22nd District:

1. McCarthy requested $79,000 for the Bear Valley Police Department to enhance the local public safety radio communications network in Bear Valley Springs.
2. McCarthy requested $122,000 for the Bakersfield City Police Department to purchase surveillance and secure communications equipment to deter gang violence.
3. McCarthy requested $300,000 for the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Department to purchase forensic laboratory equipment, as well as validation kits, to enable the sheriff’s detectives and local law enforcement agencies to complete their investigations in a timely fashion and remove criminals from the local communities which they are sworn to protect.

Requests Benefiting the 22nd District and the State of California:

• McCarthy requested $1,500,000 for the San Joaquin Valley Rural Crime Prevention Program to continue its operations to combat agriculture crime.

FY 2008 Requests in Defense
 
Requests Benefiting the 22nd District and the State of California:

• McCarthy requested $720,000 for Terminal Radar Approach to increase redundancies for flight test monitoring. 
• McCarthy requested $1,000,000 for FAST LOX to help develop a reusable liquid oxygen/methane engine.
• McCarthy requested $1,000,000 for SEA STAR to help develop an affordable, efficient satellite launch vehicle.
• McCarthy requested $1,000,000 for the Flow Path Analysis Tool to assist our Navy in constructing more efficient engine design.
• McCarthy requested $5,000,000 for Solid Boost Propulsion Technology to further research and development of ballistic systems.
• McCarthy requested $5,000,000 for Hydrocarbon Boost to help develop new liquid booster technology.
• McCarthy requested $5,000,000 for Covert Semi-Active Laser Guidance to help develop the next generation of cutting edge laser weapons technology.
• McCarthy requested $6,700,000 for Next Generation Electronic Warfare to prepare and train for emerging electronic warfare threats.
• McCarthy requested $7,200,000 for Wide Operating Range Combustor to help bridge the technology between supersonic engines and hypersonic engines.
• McCarthy requested $10,000,000 for Operational Scale Direct Connect Testing to help enhance existing rocket test stands.
• McCarthy requested $10,950,000 for a Precision Impact Range Area target upgrade package for infrared testing at Edwards Air Force Base.

FY 2008 Requests in Energy and Water Development

Requests Solely Benefiting the 22nd District:

1. McCarthy requested $225,000 for the Regional Waste to Energy Facility in Lancaster, California to examine the environmental, operational, and financial issues associated with the development of a Waste to Energy Facility in the vicinity of Lancaster.
2. McCarthy requested $1,800,000 for the North Valley Regional Water Infrastructure Project to complete Segment I construction and Segment III design of the North Valley Regional Water Infrastructure project, a Federal project previously authorized under law.
3. McCarthy requested $5,000,000 for planning and design of the Los Osos Wastewater Project, a Federal project previously authorized under law.
4. McCarthy requested $7,000,000 for Isabella Dam to continue the dam safety and seepage/stability correction program.

Requests Benefiting the 22nd District and the State of California:

• McCarthy requested $9,700,000 to be paid from the Federal Government’s Elk Hills School Lands Fund to continue to pay off the share owed to the State of California related to the Federal Government’s sale of the Naval Petroleum Reserve at Elk Hills ten years ago.

FY 2008 Requests in Financial Services and General Government
 
None
 
 
FY 2008 Requests in Homeland Security
 
Requests Solely Benefiting the 22nd District:

1. McCarthy requested $500,000 for the Kern County Sheriff’s Department to strengthen the current radio communications system.

FY 2008 Requests in Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies
 
Requests Solely Benefiting the 22nd District:

1. McCarthy requested $550,000 for the Rosamond Community Service District to improve the district’s domestic water system reliability for residential service and fire protection.
2. McCarthy requested $2,000,000 for the San Luis Obispo County Flood Control and Water Conservation District Nacimiento Water Project to help increase the reliability of water supplies for the county and participating communities.

Requests Benefiting the 22nd District and the State of California:

• McCarthy requested $400,000 for the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Study Agency to complete the Central California Ozone Study (CCOS) to help give local air monitoring agencies the tools they need to better understand the role of local emissions and to identify equitable and effective emission controls to achieve various local, state, and federal clean air, emission, and ozone standards.

FY 2008 Requests in Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies
 
Requests Solely Benefiting the 22nd District:

1. McCarthy requested $205,000 for the Animal Research Initiative at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly) to improve educational opportunities related to the beef and cattle production research at the college.
2. McCarthy requested $500,000 for the California State University, Bakersfield (CSUB) to help alleviate the shortage of nurses in the county, and improve the quality of health care in the community.
3. McCarthy requested $8,000,000 to fund valley fever vaccine research activities that were authorized under Public Law 109-432.

Requests Benefiting the 22nd District and the State of California:

• McCarthy requested $33,000,000 to fund civic programs authorized under the Education for Democracy Act, such as the “We the People” program. 

FY 2008 Requests in Legislative Branch
 
None.
 
FY 2008 Requests in Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies
 
Requests Benefiting the 22nd District and the State of California:
 

•  McCarthy requested $14,600,000 to fund Phase IV to complete the final phase of replacing Edwards Air Force Base’s main runway, which is used for defense activities and as a landing site for NASA shuttle missions.
• McCarthy requested $16,500,000 to fund the Munitions Storage Complex to upgrade and expand existing munitions storage complex to meet mission requirements.
• McCarthy requested $27,500,000 to modernize and upgrade the training facility at Edwards Air Force Base.
• McCarthy requested $35,000,000 to support the President’s Budget request to fund Phase III to replace Edwards Air Force Base’s main runway, which is used for defense activities and as a landing site for NASA shuttle missions.

FY 2008 Requests in State, Foreign Operations, and Related Agencies

None.
 
FY 2008 Requests in Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies:
 
Requests Solely Benefiting the 22nd District:

1. McCarthy requested $300,000 for the Kern County Superintendent of Schools for renovation and construction efforts at the Kern County Museum to improve and expand facilities for the Valley Oaks Parent Resource Center.
2. McCarthy requested $500,000 to increase safety features and reduce the number of unsafe railroad crossings by schoolchildren at the 16th Street railroad crossing in San Miguel.
3. McCarthy requested $500,000 for the Bakersfield Association for Retarded Citizens (BARC) to help adults with developmental disabilities and persons of low and moderate income.
4. McCarthy requested $630,000 for the County of San Luis Obispo, California to construct and enhance safety features on State Highway 58 at the Encina Avenue and H Street intersections.
5. McCarthy requested $4,800,000 for the Kern County Department of Airports to enhance safety margins by expanding the runway and relocating a taxiway at the Kern Valley Airport in Kernville, California.
6.  McCarthy requested $4,900,000 for the Kern County Department of Airports to acquire land for runway and radar safety expansions at Meadows Field Airport in Bakersfield, California.

Requests Benefiting the 22nd District and the State of California:

• McCarthy requested $900,000 for the University of California to design and construct a cotton research facility at the Shafter Research and Extension Center, in Shafter, California.

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