FY 2010 DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS ACT INCLUDES FUNDS FOR BRONX PROJECTS

Washington, D.C.--Congressman Eliot Engel voted to provide our men and women in military with first class equipment and to care for them when they return. In addition, H.R. 3326, the FY 2010 Department of Defense (DoD) Appropriations Act provides investments in the health and well-being of our armed forces, provides for their families while they serve, and takes steps to reign in the use of contractors overseas. The measure passed the full House on Thursday by a vote of 400 to 30.

Rep. Engel said, “As long as tens of thousands of brave Americans are still fighting in both the sands of Iraq and the mountains of Afghanistan, we must support them. I am very encouraged to see the funding tied to the timeline for withdrawal and redeployment of troops from Iraq. The measure also includes provisions prohibiting both the torture of detainees and the establishment of permanent military bases in either country. I think it is important to show our dedication to caring for our troops, their families and to the idea of finally ending these conflicts as quickly as possible.”

In addition, the improvements include:

• $1,500,000 in funding for the continuation of Montefiore Medical Center’s Medical Surveillance Initiative – Clinical Looking Glass.
• $2,000,000 for the Kinetic Hydropower Turbine from Verdant Power. This was secured along with Reps. Jay Inslee, Ed Towns and Paul Tonko.

The turbine project would assist in bringing technology to New York to establish a renewable tidal power station on the East River. This would help bring the nation further along the path towards a renewable energy future.

The funding for Montefiore will be used to allow the DoD and the Department of Veterans Affairs to analyze patient data in real time, and improve medical surveillance, quality initiatives and cost savings measures. The Clinical Looking Glass is a user-friendly interactive software application developed at Montefiore to evaluate health care quality, effectiveness and efficiency. It tracks the performance of doctors and identifies patients in need of clinical remediation.

“These projects will be very helpful in both strengthening our local health care system and to help the region become a leader in providing clean energy. Montefiore is a jewel of medical care, and I am always pleased to help them provide their excellent level of care. I also thank my colleagues for assisting the turbine project, which I believe will be a valuable building block in our quest for a future free from foreign oil. The turbines used in the tidal power station would not impact the environment and would relay solely on the tides. It is a low-cost, efficient and clean way to add to New York’s electricity needs and one certainly worth pursuing, I look forward to seeing the results of their efforts come to fruition,” added Rep. Engel.

"We would like to commend Congressman Engel for his efforts and great foresight in supporting the Clinical Looking Glass information technology system and in seeing the need for this very important tool in combating chronic illness and other diseases. It is important for our patients that we have the means necessary to measure just how we are doing in keeping them in good health," said Steven M. Safyer, MD, President and CEO, Montefiore Medical Center.

The Defense Appropriations Act keeps our commitments to our troops and their families by including a 3.4% pay raise for our military, the best medical care and strong support for military family advocacy programs. It also continues efforts to end the practice of “stop loss,” and pays our troops an additional $500 for every month their term of service is involuntarily extended by the stop loss policy.

To protect our troops on the battlefield and make sure that our soldiers are well-prepared for any challenge that comes their way, this legislation provides our military with first class equipment. It gives them the weapons they need to fight the wars of today and prepare for the battles of tomorrow.

This action was a major step in the appropriations process. The full Senate is also working on their version of the bill, and the differences between the two bills will need to be ironed out in conference. “I remain hopeful the funding contained in this measure, for the 17th District of New York, will remain in the final version, and I am working with my colleagues to ensure it is,” added Rep. Engel.