INCLUDED ARE $86 MILLION IN EARMARKED FUNDS FOR PUBLIC SAFETY EQUIPMENT, FT. LEAVENWORTH CHAPEL, AND OTHER SECOND DISTRICT COMMUNITY PROJECTS

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Nancy Boyda (Kansas Second District) announced today that the Kansas Second Congressional District will gain over $387 million in new federal funding under the 2008 Omnibus Appropriations Bill.

The Omnibus Bill resulted from House / Senate negotiations on several earlier appropriations bills approved by the U.S. House of Representatives. It passed the House today on a 272-142 vote.

"This is the first comprehensive federal budget that Congress has passed since 2005," Boyda said. "Most federal agencies are operating today at funding levels set more than two years ago, and the result has been widespread backlogs and delays. By passing today's omnibus bill, Republicans and Democrats have finally come together to fund our domestic priorities."

Rep. Boyda added, "Unfortunately, this isn't a perfect bill, and it should have been much better. In the House, we passed a bill to fix the Social Security disability backlog; the president vetoed it. We passed a bill to fully fund BRAC, and it got bogged down in politics. This is no way to run the federal government. Next year, we have got to find a way to bring Republicans and Democrats together to do the job right."

The $387 million includes $86 million in earmarked appropriations requested by Rep. Boyda, as well as non-earmarked funds for transportation projects, "Grow the Force" at Fort Riley and Fort Leavenworth, and the Base Realignment and Closure process.

"There's no question that this bill makes important investments in the Second District of Kansas," Rep. Boyda said. "It supports our law enforcement officers, improves rural roads and infrastructure, and strengthens our three military bases."

Federal funds are an especially important source of revenue for rural towns that have few other financial resources. "In small, rural communities in Kansas, there's not a lot of money that can be put toward projects of need," said Judy Brigham, the city administrator of Iola, Kansas, which has a population of about 6,000.

Under the Omnibus Appropriations Bill, Iola will receive a $492,200 earmark to build a new wastewater treatment facility. "Wastewater treatment certainly isn't a very sexy project, but it's a public health issue for our communities," Brigham added. "To have money come toward that project means that we can put more money toward police and fire protection and those kinds of items that we always have difficulty funding. We're just thrilled to have received this money."

A list of the earmarked projects sponsored by Rep. Boyda is below.

Atchison
Atchison County Sheriff for Public Safety Equipment - $94,000

Fredonia
Streetscape Improvements - $98,000

Horton
K-20 - $245,000

Iola
Wastewater Infrastructure - $492,200
Public Library Improvements - $96,285

Lansing
Kansas Regional Prison Museum - $95,302

Lawrence
High Throughput Screening, University of Kansas - $414,000
Army Corps of Engineers, Clinton Lake - $2,804,000
Douglas County Sheriff for Public Safety Equipment - $94,000
Lawrence Police Department for Public Safety Equipment - $61,100

Leavenworth
Leavenworth Police Dept. for Public Safety Equipment - $70,500

Leavenworth - Ft. Leavenworth
Parents as Teachers Heroes at Home - $2,400,000
Barracks Complex - $55,000,000
Chapel Complex, Phase I - $11,600,000

Manhattan
Runway Improvements at Manhattan Airport - $1,372,000
Army Corps of Engineers, Manhattan Levee Study - $134,808
Riley County Police Department for Public Safety Equipment - $47,000
Leadership for Leaders Program at K-State - $500,000
Kansas State University Research Programs - $2,264,040

Manhattan - Ft. Riley
Military Working Dog Facility - $1,900,000

Miami
Miami County Sheriff for Public Safety Equipment - $94,000

Neodesha
Mitigation and Design Planning for Flood Prone Areas - $200,000

Ottawa
Industrial Park - $294,000

Parsons
Parsons Police Department for Public Safety Equipment - $70,500

Pittsburg
US 69 - $980,000
Pittsburg State University Technology Center - $263,310

Pottawatomie
Pottawatomie County Sheriff for Public Safety Equipment $94,000

Topeka
I-70 Viaduct Realignment Study - $735,000
Overland Station Park - $98,000
Army Corps of Engineers Topeka Levee Study - $196,800
Topeka Transit Bus Fleet Replacement - $294,000
Shawnee County Sheriff Public for Safety Equipment - $61,100
Topeka Police Dept. for Public Safety Equipment - $65,800

Topeka - Kansas National Guard
Great Plains Joint Regional Training Center Safety Equipment - $1,600,000
Great Plains Joint Regional Training Center Radios - $500,000
Defense Command Integration Center - $1,000,000

Woodson
Woodson County Sheriff for Public Safety Equipment - $94,000