Webb Secures Nearly $1.2 Million in Funding for Projects in the Shenandoah Valley

FY2010 Consolidated Appropriations Bill Provides Investments in Law Enforcement, Education, Veterans’ Care

Washington, DC – Senator Jim Webb (D-VA) today announced funding for a number of projects to improve the quality of life of Virginians living in the Shenandoah Valley. 

Funding was secured in the FY 2010 Consolidated Appropriations Act (H.R. 3288), passed Sunday in the U.S. Senate. The legislation includes funding to bolster law enforcement, expand access to education and workforce development, and support Virginia’s veterans. The package includes six FY 2010 appropriations bills:  (1) Transportation, Housing and Urban Development;  (2) Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies; (3) Financial Services and General Government; (4) Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies; (5) Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies; and (6) State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs.  Combined, the six bills total $446.8 billion in discretionary budget authority.

The House of Representatives passed the package on Thursday, December 10.  It now goes to the President to be signed into law.

“I am pleased that the Consolidated Appropriations Act passed by Congress this weekend makes critical investments in law enforcement and gang prevention, as well as workforce development, veterans care and technology that will benefit Virginians throughout the Shenandoah Valley,” said Senator Webb.

To promote greater transparency in government, funding levels and descriptions of all projects in the legislation are available online at: http://www.appropriations.senate.gov/news.cfm?method=news.view&id=3df78a79-5bf6-4fdd-86d1-c5534d5b541c   

Key programs and projects impacting the Shenandoah Valley include:


PREVENTING GANG VIOLENCE

The legislation provides $1,000,000 to Northwest Virginia Regional Gang Task Force in Berryville, Virginia. In response to increasing gang activity in the Shenandoah Valley, this task force was established to coordinate and share information with their counterparts at the Northern Virginia Regional Gang Task Force. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the entire northern Virginia region has been challenged by gang activity.  Funding will help continue the efforts to combat gang activity in this area of the state.


INVESTING IN EDUCATION

The University of Virginia School Turnaround Specialist Program received $150,000 for the Darden/Curry Partnership for Leaders in Education Program.  Funds will be used to implement a school turnaround specialist program in Southwest Virginia that is designed to enable school leaders to improve chronically low-performing schools.  Each school turnaround team is comprised of 7 members including the turnaround specialist principal, a 3-person district support team and a 3-person school leadership team.

SUPPORTING OUR VETERANS

The legislation includes key funding to improve veterans’ access to health care in rural areas, address critical maintenance to VA medical facilities, and increase human resources to deal with an unacceptable backlog in claims processing.

• Appropriately Funding the Post 9/11 GI Bill:  The bill adds $4.8 billion in veterans’ readjustment benefits for the implementation of the post-9/11 educational assistance program.
• Expanding Veterans Access to Rural Health Care:  The bill includes $250 million to build on the 2009 Rural Health Initiative, providing a total of $440 million in 2010 for medical care for veterans in rural and highly rural areas. The bill also provides an additional $50 million in medical services to establish Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs) in rural areas that are currently underserved by VA health care facilities.
• Properly Maintaining VA Medical Facilities:  A funding measure of $1.3 billion ($300 million above the President’s request) is included for the VA to address critical non-recurring maintenance and the backlog of code violations at existing VA hospitals and clinics. Additionally, $1.9 billion is provided for the construction of VA hospitals and clinics. The bill includes $685 million for minor construction projects ($85 million above the President’s budget request) for construction at existing VA medical facilities.
• Addressing the Backlog in Claims Processing:  The bill provides the Veterans Benefit Administration with the resources to hire 1,200 new claims processors in fiscal year 2010. This will bring the Compensation and Pensions workforce level to 14,549 in 2010 as compared to 7,550 in 2005.
  

The legislation also includes an “Advanced Appropriations” measure, sponsored by Senator Webb, to secure timely, reliable funding for veterans’ health care delivered through the Veterans Health Administration (VHA).  The bill authorizes an “advance appropriation,” providing the Department of Veterans Affairs funding on a two-year basis to prevent lapses in services. In 19 of the past 22 fiscal years, final VA appropriations have been enacted several months late and have frequently required supplemental appropriations to sustain veterans’ health care.