Appropriations Requests for Fiscal Year 2011
Senator Bennett supports Congress's constitutional authority to appropriate and direct congressional funds to designated programs and projects. Bennett also believes that constituents have the constitutional right to petition their elected representatives for funding for qualified projects.
Earmarks constitute one-half of one percent (0.56%) of total spending and come from within overall budgetary levels, which means that eliminating Congress's authority to appropriate such funds would not reduce the deficit. If earmarking was removed from Congress, Washington bureaucrats would decide whether or not Utah would receive funding for projects such as Light Rail or water infrastructure, and Senator Bennett believes the bureaucrats do not know the needs of Utah better than the local leaders and elected officials.
From strengthening our national defense to helping Utah communities and investing in research and education, there are numerous examples of programs that have been funded through earmarks that have greatly benefited the general public and the state of Utah in particular. For example, Senator Bennett's work on the Senate Appropriations Committee has lead to:
- The construction of FrontRunner Commuter Rail and Light Rail extension. FrontRunner provides transportation to approximately 12,000 weekday passengers - an equivalent of taking nearly 6,000 cars off the road each day. Light Rail provides some of Salt Lake County's fastest growing cities an alternative to local highways and helps Utah meet regional air quality goals.
- The development of cleaner water supplies and new water projects. Bennett has secured funding that has helped rural Utah communities improve their water infrastructure and enhance the drinking water supply.
- Collaborative drug safety research. Earmarks have enabled scientists from the University of Utah, the Critical Path Institute in Arizona and the FDA to predict how patients will respond to drugs used to treat heart failure.
- The continued cleanup of the Moab Atlas Mill Tailings site. This site contains 11.8 million tons of contaminated mill tailings, debris and groundwater in Moab within close proximity to the Colorado River. The funding secured by Bennett will help expedite the cleanup and reduce potential health risks.
Included below are the requests that Utahns have submitted to Senator Bennett along with a justification from the individual/organization/agency requesting the federal funds.
Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies
Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies
Defense
Energy and Water Development
Financial Services and General Government
Homeland Security
Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies
Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies
Legislative Branch
Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies
State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs
Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies
Defense and Military Construction Authorization Requests
Defense Authorization Requests
Military Construction Authorization Requests
Water Resources Development Act
FY11 Appropriations Request Form
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FY11 Appropriations Request Form -
To submit an FY11 Appropriations Request Form to Senator Bennett's office, please download the attached document (listed below in red), follow the instructions on page 1, and submit to Doug Taylor at doug_taylor@bennett.senate.gov.
The deadline for submitting applications is March 3, 2010.
Bennett FY11 Appropriations Request Form.doc (89.0 KBs)
