Michaud helps secure important projects for Maine to help create jobs

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Mike Michaud voted to pass H.R. 3288, the Fiscal Year 2010 Consolidated Appropriations bill.  This bill includes the following six bills:  Transportation-HUD; Labor-HHS-Education; Commerce-Justice-Science; Military Construction-Veterans Affairs; Financial Services; and State-Foreign Operations.  All individual appropriations bills were passed by the House of Representatives earlier this year.  This consolidated appropriations bill is needed because the Senate did not finish its work on each individual bill.

“While a year end bill like this isn’t the desired way to finish appropriations work, it does contain some very important national priorities and investments in our state,” said Michaud.  “Altogether, this year’s appropriations bills spend $10 billion less than the budget submitted by the President.  Achieving this required some tough budget choices.  But in the end, the bill makes important investments in job creation and other key priorities. This bill advance funds veterans’ health care, fully funds LIHEAP, boosts economic development funding, and significantly invests in job creating transportation and infrastructure projects.”

A list of investments made by the bill can be found below.  The first list is a sampling of programs that have national significance and a local impact on Maine.  The table following contains investments that Michaud helped to secure for Maine.

Infrastructure:  Creates an estimated 1.5 million jobs by investing $41.8 billion in highway infrastructure in 2010; provides a 10.6% increase for constructing new commuter rail systems; and invests $2.5 billion in high speed/intercity passenger rail.
Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP): The bill contains full funding for the program at $5.1 billion, the same as the current funding, but $1.9 billion more than requested.
NOAA Integrated Ocean Observing System: The bill contains $27 million (over a 30% increase from 2009).  NOAA’s IOOS includes the Gulf of Maine Ocean Observing System (GoMOOS). Recent funding levels for IOOS have fallen short of what is necessary to maintain the current components of the system.  This has had serious negative impacts to local users who rely daily on this data.  This increase in funding levels will help preserve this critical infrastructure.
Small Business:  Provides a 35% increase in funding for the Small Business Administration, enabling it to support $28 billion in new lending.
Worker Training and Placement:  Provides increased resources for key training and placement initiatives, including working with community colleges to prepare workers for careers in high-demand and emerging industries.
Veterans Health Administration: The bill contains $45.1 billion for veterans' health programs in FY 2010, plus the $48.2 billion in advance appropriations for FY 2011.
VA Construction Projects: The bill provides $1.2 billion for major construction modernization projects, alteration and improvement of VA facilities — $271 million (29%) more than the current level.
Innovation:  Invests in an Innovation Agenda to make America more competitive, including a 10% increase in science education, a 7% increase in NSF-funded scientific research, and investments in Manufacturing Extension Partnerships and the Technology Innovation Program.
Rebuilding Protections for Investors & Consumers:  Builds renewed confidence in the U.S. economy by rebuilding the capacities of the SEC to protect investors and of the FTC to protect consumers.
Improving Education:  Economists agree that strategic investments in education strengthen the economy.  This bill invests in proven programs like Head Start and innovative programs like the Teacher Incentive Fund to raise student achievement; also enables a maximum Pell Grant in 2010 of $5,550 – which is $1,500 higher than it was in January 2007, making college more affordable.
Retaining Cops and Other Law Enforcement:  Provides funds to hire or retain 1,400 cops in 2010; also helps state and local governments retain other law enforcement/prosecution jobs with investments in such programs as the Byrne JAG program and Violence Against Women. 
Economic Development Administration: $293 million for the Economic Development Administration, $20 million (7%) more than regular FY 2009 appropriations.