Hamlin, NY – Congresswoman Louise Slaughter (NY-28) today honored Petty Officer V. Thomas Hetherington, a combat veteran of the Navy, as she presented him with medals honoring his combat service in Vietnam. Hetherington gave the medals that had been awarded to him years ago to his brother, a Marine, upon his death. Slaughter and her staff have worked to obtain the replacement medals.

Today Hetherington is being awarded 2 additional medals Slaughter’s office discovered he was eligible for honoring his service in 7 of the 17 major campaigns in Vietnam: the Republic of Vietnam Meritorious Unit Citation and the Korean Defense Service Medal.

“I’m so pleased to be here with Tom’s friends and family to present him with these medals honoring his service to our country,” said Slaughter. “Tom’s time in the Navy took him
into 7 of the 17 major campaigns in Vietnam. He has proven his selflessness time and time again and today I’m proud to present him with the combat service medals he rightly deserves.”

Rochester, NY – Congresswoman Louise Slaughter (NY-28) today announced that Genesee Co-Op Federal Credit Union has been awarded $528,770 to boost local lending to small businesses and consumers.

The award comes from the US Treasury’s Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) Program which targets federal investment to community development banks serving low-income communities.

“It’s hard enough for our small businesses to get back on their feet in this economic climate without also being told they can’t access the credit they need to help get our economy moving again,” said Slaughter.  “This award comes at a time when access to credit is still extremely limited. I’m pleased that it will provide a much needed shot in the arm to our local entrepreneurs and the folks who are at the forefront of our economic recovery and job creation.”

Buffalo, NY – Today, Congresswoman Louise Slaughter (NY-28) and Congressman Brian Higgins (NY-27) presented Kaleida Health with a $297,000 federal grant to support its heart and vascular institute that is currently under construction next to Buffalo General Hospital. This comes in addition to $329,670 in federal funding representatives Slaughter and Higgins secured for the project last year.

The grants will be used to fund equipment and technology for the flagship medical facility on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus.  Construction on the building began in October of 2009 and is set for completion in the fall of 2011.

“This project is yet another example of exactly what the medical campus stands for: an improvement in Buffalo’s quality of care, and collaboration between the best institutions in the area,” said Congresswoman Louise Slaughter. “This collaboration will continue to support research that develops the solutions we need in hospitals and drug stores to solve our nation’s health care challenges. It will sustain and create jobs here in Buffalo. And it will continue to build the reputation of the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus as the world-class institution we know it to be.”

Joined by Congresswoman Louise Slaughter, officials from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) announced an award of more than $300,000 to Rochester General Hospital to fund a lighting retrofit project. Rochester General Hospital CEO Mark Clement said that the award, funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) will save the hospital more than $80,000 per year in energy costs.

Rochester General Hospital’s energy-efficient lighting project is one of eight energy conservation and renewable energy projects in Monroe County totaling $1.2 million in federal ARRA support. These funds will help local governments, educational institutions, and not-for-profit organizations reduce energy costs by more than $400,000 annually. The funds also support four energy conservation studies that will help to identify additional projects where greater energy efficiencies and cost-savings can be achieved.

“This is another stunning example of federal Recovery funding paying dividends in our region," said Congresswoman Louise Slaughter. “Thanks to this stimulus grant, Rochester General will save as much energy as 158 single family homes use each year, and saving energy means saving money. When we passed the stimulus package last year, we made it clear that part of what we wanted to do was invest in a new, more environmentally sustainable economy and when Rochester General will see a return on investment in 3 and a half years, I see that as a very worthwhile use of funds.”

Congresswoman Louise Slaughter (NY-28) hailed vital legislation that will close corporate loopholes that protect companies that ship jobs overseas and will use those savings to preserve teaching jobs across the country and provide New York with critical funds to pay for Medicaid services.

“We cannot rebuild our national or local economy when we continue to reward corporations for carrying out operations overseas and taking our jobs with them,” said Slaughter. “These are loopholes that we’ve kept on the books for too long. Instead, let’s use that revenue to keep Western New Yorkers in their jobs.”

The Education Jobs and Medicaid Assistance Act, H.R. 1586, passed the Senate late last week forcing House approval. By closing these loopholes, it raises $9.8 billion, money that will be redirected to keep teachers in the classroom.

“It’s back to school season so the idea that now is the time we’d let teachers get laid off is absurd,” said Slaughter who returned with other members of Congress this week to vote on the state aid legislation. “We just saved the jobs of 460 teachers in my district and I consider that time well spent.”

In addition to saving teaching jobs, the legislation provides $16.1 billion in assistance to the states that, by reducing shortfalls and stimulating the economy, will save and create 158,000 jobs, including preventing the layoffs of police officers and firefighters, as well as creating private-sector jobs throughout our economy.

New York is set to benefit from a portion of the bill that would provide vital health assistance to states keeping Medicaid and children’s health care programs from going bankrupt. New York is set to receive approximately $2 billion in Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) funding, money Governor Paterson has asked for repeatedly.

“It is unconscionable to think that we would let the health and welfare of our most vulnerable lapse as they take the brunt of state budget cutbacks,” said Slaughter.  “I’m so pleased that we were able to shore up FMAP and New York’s ability to provide basic care for those most impacted by this recession.”