8th District Congressman and Adjutant General of the PA National Guard Hail $100,000 for Repairs and Renovations to the Sellersville Readiness Center

(Washington, D.C.) – Today, Pennsylvania Congressman Patrick Murphy (D-8th District) was joined by Pennsylvania National Guard Adjutant General Jessica L. Wright to announce $100,000 in new federal funds for the Sellersville Armory. The money comes from the recently-passed American Recovery and Reinvestment Act that Rep. Murphy voted for and was signed into law by President Barack Obama. The money will be used for renovation and repair – including painting and repaving – for the Sellersville Readiness Center. This money comes at a time when repairs and jobs are badly needed in Pennsylvania. The money for these much-needed repairs will be part of the Department of Defense’s efforts to include energy conservation measures. In fact, $300 million of the $7.4 billion in Defense funds from the Recovery Act will go toward energy conservation and research so that the Department of Defense can continue our national effort to declare energy independence. This will be a large project, covering the three-acre Sellersville facility, and will also include replacing windows and doors with energy efficient options. Readiness Centers – like the one in Sellersville – are vital to the operation of the PA National Guard. They serve as the home base for Guard soldiers and the local community at large. Sellersville Readiness Center is the headquarters for the PA National Guard’s 228th Forward Support Battalion, which is a component of the Guard’s 55th Brigade which has been active in helping the fight in Afghanistan and Iraq.

“American troops, their families and our great military are all feeling the devastating impact of our badly damaged economy. I am proud that I was able to vote for these critical funds to create jobs and improve our military – including these renovation funds for the Sellersville Readiness Center,” said Congressman Patrick Murphy. “The brave servicemembers and their families sacrifice so much for our country and if we can stand with them while jumpstarting our economy we can make great progress.”

“I applaud Congressman Murphy’s efforts in securing these funds for our Sellersville facility,” said Maj. Gen. Jessica L. Wright, commander of the Pennsylvania National Guard. “Our readiness centers are not only vital to our Soldiers, but great community assets as well. This investment will be money well spent.”

This money joins approximately 3,000 military construction and facility improvement projects funded by the Recovery Act across the country. The primary goal of these funds is to create jobs and stimulate the economy while improving the quality of life for servicemembers and their families. The money for Sellersville and other projects across the country will be spent on much-needed improvements to military facilities including include hospitals, child development centers and housing for troops and their families. Recovery Act funds are also being used to for important programs such as care for wounded warriors and energy security.

To see the breakdown of Department of Defense allocations for states, territories, and units of local government, visit http://www.recovery.gov/, the Department of Defense press release here with additional information here.

For Immediate Release, March 24, 2009
Contact: Adam Abrams, (202) 225-4276