Washington, D.C. -  The U.S. House of Representatives today approved H.R. 3288, the Fiscal Year 2010 Consolidated Appropriations Act, by a vote of 221-202.  Rep. David Price (D-NC) supported the measure, which includes millions of dollars for job creation and training programs in North Carolina’s Fourth Congressional District.

“Creating jobs and rebuilding our economy are my top priorities,” Rep. Price said.  “These investments will boost the Triangle economy and foster long-term economic growth throughout the state.”

The consolidated appropriations bill incorporated six annual funding measures covering a wide range of critical domestic programs, including transportation, housing, education, job training, police, scientific and medical research, military construction, veterans, small business, and consumer protection programs.

As North Carolina’s sole member of the Appropriations Committee, Rep. Price successfully secured more than $10 million in funding for investments that will have a direct economic impact in the Fourth District and around the state, including:

• $130,000 for the North Carolina Biotechnology Center’s Entrepreneurship and Research and Development Training Initiative.  The initiative will provide training and business development to entrepreneurs starting biotechnology companies in North Carolina.

• $250,000 for the North Carolina Rural Economic Development Center’s Rural Business Finance Program.  This program is designed to support small business development in the most economically distressed counties in our state, where many traditional banks and lenders do not operate.

• $400,000 for the High Growth and Green Jobs Initiative at Wake Technical Community College.  This program will provide targeted job training to address workforce demands locally and nationally.  Green jobs are a rapidly growing sector of the economy and this program will help North Carolina lead the way in creating a workforce equipped to fill the next generation of jobs.  

• $200,000 for Shodor’s Computing MATTERS project, which will help Triangle-area high school students master 21st-century work skills as apprentices and interns.

• $2,765,000 for the National Textile Center at North Carolina State University to support basic and applied research to enhance the competitiveness of U.S. textile and apparel industry.

• $2,000,000 for the State of North Carolina to help fund I-540 improvements.  This is one of many infrastructure projects across the nation that are expected to create or sustain 1.5 million jobs.

• $750,000 to aid construction of the City of Raleigh’s Capital Area Transit System Operations and Maintenance Facility.  This project will replace CAT’s 30-year old facility, creating construction jobs locally, and improving area transit.

At the national level, the consolidated appropriations bill dramatically increased investments in areas that will have a direct impact on economic recovery efforts, including: 

Infrastructure: 
Creates an estimated 1.5 million jobs by investing $41.8 billion in highway infrastructure, increases by 10.6% construction funds for new commuter rail systems and invests $2.5 billion in high speed/intercity passenger rail.

Worker Training and Placement: 
Provides increased resources for key training and placement initiatives, including community college programs to help prepare workers for careers in high-demand and emerging industries.

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.

Small Business:
Provides a 35% increase in funding for the Small Business Administration, enabling it to support $28 billion in new lending for America’s 25 million small businesses in 2010.

Improving Education: 
Invests in proven programs like Head Start and innovative programs like the Teacher Incentive Fund to raise student achievement and makes college more affordable by enabling a maximum Pell Grant in 2010 of $5,550 – which is $1,500 higher than it was in January 2007.

Retaining Cops and Other Law Enforcement: 
Provides funds to hire or retain 1,400 cops in 2010, and helps state and local governments retain other law enforcement personnel with investments in such programs as the Byrne JAG program and Violence Against Women. 

A complete, agency-specific breakdown of programs funded by the program, as well as the text of the bill, can be found on the House Appropriations Committee’s website. Earlier this year, Congress passed, and President Obama signed into law, Rep. Price’s $40 billion Homeland Security appropriations bill.  Rep. Price is the Chairman of the House Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee, which funds the Department of Homeland Security.

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