“Republicans in the Senate tried to cut the bill’s cost. Our ideas would have saved billions of taxpayer dollars. Unfortunately, every one was turned aside.”

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell announced Tuesday that he voted against the FY’09 Omnibus Appropriations bill; a bill which increases spending by 8 percent – twice the rate of inflation. Senator McConnell talked about his vote on the Senate floor today. The following are excerpts from his speech:

“The bill that the Senate voted on today represented a missed opportunity. In the midst of a serious economic downturn, the Senate had a chance to show it could impose the same kind of restraint on itself that millions of Americans are being forced to impose on themselves at the moment. The bill costs far too much for a government that should be watching every dime.

“The original version of the bill showed no recognition whatsoever of the current economic climate. With the stock market plunging, unemployment at a 25-year high, and millions struggling just to pay their mortgages, the bill sent over from the House included an across-the-board eight percent increase in spending over last year — twice the rate of inflation.

“Republicans in the Senate tried to cut the bill’s cost. Our ideas would have saved billions of taxpayer dollars. Unfortunately, every one was turned aside.

“Republicans proposed amendments that would have held spending in the Omnibus at last year’s level and would have cut spending on the 122 programs that were already funded in the Stimulus bill — the so called ‘double-dipping’ that many of us warned would take place if Congress moved the Stimulus before the Omnibus. Remarkably, even that was too much for some.

“These Republican ideas were sensible, commonsense ways to cut spending. Unfortunately, the Majority didn’t like any of them. This would have been irresponsible in good economic times. At the moment, this total unwillingness to cut a single dollar from this bill is simply indefensible.”

Kentucky Priorities

The legislation does contains several Kentucky projects that McConnell secured in last year’s appropriations bills, which were never considered by the full Senate. It includes the following requests for Kentucky:

• $6.270 million for the McAlpine Locks and Dam Project. Senator McConnell supports then President Bush’s FY’09 budget request to complete the McAlpine Locks and Dam Project in FY 2009. This level of funding will permit the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to maintain the construction schedule and complete an auxiliary lock chamber, which will allow the facility to handle projected traffic increases.

• $5.709 million for the University of Louisville to further develop cardiovascular research facilities, including the purchase of a research-grade MRI scanner for cardiac research. This important equipment will help researchers at UofL study heart functions for the purpose of combating heart diseases.

• $2.85 million for the University of Louisville Bioinformatics and Computational Biology Program. UofL researchers will use these funds to purchase new technology that will allow them to analyze health information to help doctors and scientists better understand and combat diseases.

• $750,000 for the University of Louisville Rejuvenating Injured Tissues for Enhanced Wound Healing Project. UofL plans to use the funding, which is provided through NASA, to help identify factors that hinder the wound healing process and then develop counter-measures to eliminate these factors so that wounds can self-heal. This technology will be useful to trauma victims who do not have immediate access to emergency medical care, such as troops in the field or astronauts.

• $500,000 for the University of Louisville Center for Child Abuse Assessment and Prevention. UofL officials say that as many as 50 percent of deaths from physical child abuse and neglect are unrecorded. The university would like to establish a center to develop scientific, objective and reliable methods for detecting child abuse.

• $951,000 for the University of Louisville to purchase equipment to expand its training program to address the shortage of rural doctors. UofL has tackled the shortage of rural doctors by providing medical students clinical courses through the Trover Clinic in Madisonville, Kentucky. These funds would expand the program by creating a broadcast center at UofL to broadcast CT, MRI, and other scans, along with teaching tools to these students in western Kentucky.

• $1.995 million for the Louisville International Airport Safety Area Improvements Project. These funds will be used for improvements to ensure the maneuverability of larger aircrafts on the airfield and the relocation of signs and lights for runway and taxiway safety.

• $116.446 million for cleanup efforts at the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant. Senator McConnell requested this increase over then President Bush’s FY’09 budget request of $96 million in cleanup funding for the facility to ensure that the cleanup remains on track.

• $33 million for the Depleted Uranium Hexafluoride Conversion Facility in Paducah, Kentucky, to complete construction and begin testing of the conversion facility.

• $999,075 for medical monitoring at the Gaseous Diffusion Plants in Paducah, Kentucky, Portsmouth, Ohio and Oak Ridge, Tennessee. These funds will provide for cancer screenings, continued conventional medical work-ups, lung scans and lung re-scans for current and former workers at the Gaseous Diffusion Plant in Paducah.

• $22.33 million for the Kentucky Lock and Dam Project. Senator McConnell appreciates that the Committee recognizes the upstream lock excavation contract as a “critical path contract for the overall schedule,” and will work with the Committee to explore solutions to the Inland Waterways Trust Fund’s funding deficit so that this project may move forward on a more efficient schedule toward completion.

• $109.094 million for the Olmsted Locks and Dam Project. Senator McConnell supported then President Bush’s FY’09 budget request for the Olmsted Locks and Dam Project. This level of funding will permit the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to maintain the construction schedule of a locking facility to replace existing Locks 52 and 53 on the Ohio River.

• $400,000 for the Marshall County Sheriff’s Department in Benton, Kentucky. To ensure that residents in Marshall County, Kentucky, have access to adequate law enforcement services, Sheriff Kevin Byars would like to upgrade equipment used by his deputies. These deputies are on the front line of providing emergency response services to the citizens in Marshall County and this funding will be used by the department to purchase new equipment to keep its officers and the community safe.

• $60,000 for Hickman/Magnolia Bluff Stabilization Project Maintenance. Funds to maintain the Hickman/Magnolia Bluff Stabilization Project. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers completed construction of this project in 2000, but over time, erosion beneath the roadway has occurred.

• $750,000 for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for land acquisition at the Clarks River National Wildlife Refuge. The Clarks River National Wildlife Refuge protects nearly 20,000 acres of bottomland hardwoods and associated wetlands in western Kentucky. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has been working since the refuge was created in 1996 to acquire land within the authorized area from willing sellers. These additional funds are needed to continue land acquisition activities.

• $8.2 for the U.S. Forest Service for management and operation of Land Between the Lakes (LBL) in Kentucky. The Committee has generously supported LBL in the past, including the successful transfer of LBL to the U.S. Forest Service from the previous manager, the Tennessee Valley Authority. In fact, the U.S. Forest Service has made an aggressive effort to reduce costs and improve service by focusing on increasing the efficiency of operating LBL, and its new management plan will help it continue to work toward these goals.

• $2.375 million for the Paducah Area Transit System by the Paducah Transit Authority. Funds will be used to purchase hybrid buses and other transportation vehicles and equipment to better serve the people of Paducah.

• $1.496 for the Murray-Calloway County Transit Authority Expansion Project. Expanding bus service will provide needed transportation to the citizens in Murray and allow greater access to jobs. These funds will be used to establish new routes that include activity centers, shopping areas, housing complexes, and medical areas and will also serve students at Murray State University.

• $2.945 million for the Transit Authority of Lexington Bus Purchase Project and $950,000 for the Frankfort Transit System Improvement Project. Looking ahead to the needs of an ever-growing city and the upcoming World Equestrian games, these funds will be used to purchase buses and improve transportation systems in Lexington and Frankfort, improving the public transit system.

• $1.632 million for construction of a UK/Agriculture Research Service (ARS) lab. This funding is the fourth installment of funds for the ARS lab, one of only two federal research labs in Kentucky. McConnell secured the initial funding to establish the ARS lab.

• $273,000 for the UK Animal Health project and continued funding for UK/ARS Forage-Animal Production Research Unit. This funding will enable UK researchers to continue their study with ARS into the nutritional value of new forages for livestock and animal health systems. This research will contribute directly to cattle ranchers’ bottom line by aiding in the development of healthier and therefore more valuable beef cattle.

• $525,000 for the UK Crop Diversification Research and Education. This funding will allow Kentucky farmers to be on the cutting edge of the changes taking place in the agriculture marketplace and allow them to emerge as leaders. There are many horticultural and specialty crop opportunities for Kentucky farmers. This research will help develop ways for Kentucky farmers to get their products out into the market.

• $452,000 for UK’s Advanced Genetics Technology Center. This funding will be used to study ways to eliminate plant and animal diseases, enhance nutritional and health value of foods, and develop new uses for agriculture plants and animals.

• $590,000 for UK’s Health Education Extension Leadership (HEEL) Program. The HEEL program links UK’s School of Public Health with the College of Agriculture. This program uses the expertise from both schools to develop and implement programs designed to improve the health of the communities they serve.

• $471,000 for UK’s Precision Agriculture Research Unit. Precision Agriculture allows researchers to use satellites to help farmers measure the amount of seed, fertilizer and water they need for their land, thus enabling them to increase the productivity and eliminate crop inefficiencies.

• $951,500 for the University of Kentucky Coal-Derived Low Energy Materials for Sustainable Construction Project. Kentucky's power plants produce about 8.6 million tons of fly ash, bottom ash and scrubber sludge, and the UK believes that these byproducts could be used to make high-quality concrete, cement and masonry products. Reusing these materials is both environmentally and economically attractive, and this project at UK will research the feasibility of doing so.

• $1.903 million for the University of Kentucky to expand the College of Nursing facility. These funds will be used to construct new learning space for the expansion of the Nursing School at UK, which will help UK expand enrollment and address Kentucky’s nursing shortage.

• $1.427 million for the University of Kentucky to upgrade its lone research MRI instrument. By updating this important research tool, UK researchers can continue to explore and research medical conditions such as Autism, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease.

• $951,000 for the University of Kentucky “HeartHealth” Community Health Management Program. These funds will be used to establish a program to reduce risk factors for heart disease in rural areas, including building off the success of the KY Consortium for Applied Oral Health Research and Treatment program.

• $2.854 million for the Center for Advanced Separation Technology. The Center for Advanced Separation Technology (CAST), of which the University of Kentucky is a member, is a consortium of seven top mining schools that focuses on developing new technologies to reduce the cost of separations in coal, metals, and industrial mining operations. In Kentucky, the mining industry faces difficult economic challenges due to high operating costs and environmental regulations. The industry seeks advanced technologies to separate coal from waste rock near the point of extraction, which is particularly important for mining the thinner coal seams in the Appalachian region.

• $4.55 million for the Consortium for Plant Biotechnology Research (CPBR). The CPBR, of which the University of Kentucky is a member, supports university-industry research and technology transfer projects that accelerate commercialization.

• $90,000 for the Clark County Sheriff’s Department in Clark County, Kentucky for Mobile Data Units. The Clark County Sheriff’s Department works hard to serve and protect the residents in their community. However, their efforts could be enhanced with modern equipment, especially communication devices. This funding will enable Clark County Sheriff Berl Perdue, Jr. to purchase mobile data terminals and a thermal imaging camera to help his deputies keep the citizens of Clark County safe.

• $30,000 for the Menifee County Sheriff’s Department in Menifee County, Kentucky for Technology Equipment. Law enforcement officers work hard every day to provide emergency response services to the citizens of Menifee County. These funds will allow Menifee County Sheriff Rodney Coffey to upgrade the equipment used by his deputies to make their jobs a little easier and to keep the community safe.

• $1.35 million for the Estill County Water District for the Estill County Wastewater Treatment Plant Upgrade project. These funds will go towards the construction of a modern water treatment facility and extend wastewater service further into Estill County to include at least 400 new initial sewer service customers. The new plant would support the merger of two utilities to meet the needs of its citizens.

• $1.15 million for the National Park Service for the acquisition of Fern Lake by the Cumberland Gap National Historical Park. Fern Lake is located just southeast of Middlesboro, Kentucky and serves as the primary water source for the community. More specifically, Fern Lake is visible from the Pinnacle Overlook, which is a popular visitor attraction at the Cumberland Gap National Park, and efforts have been made by the National Park Service since 1997 to prevent surface coal mining in the area surrounding the lake. This natural resource creates a beautiful vista, and Congress passed legislation that Senator McConnell authored with Congressman Hal Rogers to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to acquire Fern Lake and the surrounding watershed. Additional funds are needed to complete acquisition activities.

• $54.55 million for the Wolf Creek Dam Rehabilitation Project. Senator McConnell requested that the Committee support then President Bush’s FY’09 budget request for the Wolf Creek Dam Rehabilitation Project. The requested funds will ensure that the repairs remain on schedule to complete the project as quickly as possible.

• $886,000 for the U.S. Forest Service for the Daniel Boone National Forest (DBNF) Counter Drug Operations Project. Illegal marijuana cultivation has long been a problem at the Daniel Boone National Forest, and eradication continues to demand increasing resources. In addition, the rapid proliferation of methamphetamine production labs, a growing problem across the Commonwealth and the country, unfortunately has not stopped at the boundaries of the DBNF. These funds will help the U.S. Forest Service narcotics investigative unit continue to address the escalating problem of drug trafficking in the forest.

• $250,000 for the U.S. Forest Service for land acquisition at the Daniel Boone National Forest. The Daniel Boone National Forest is one of the most fragmented forests in the national forest system. Continued acquisition of available private holdings in the forest will help the U.S. Forest Service manage the land more effectively, ensuring the protection of endangered species habitat as well as improved access and recreational opportunities for visitors. These funds will permit the U.S. Forest Service to continue to acquire available property within the proclamation boundary.

• $1.088 million for WKU/ARS research lab and continued funding for WKU/ARS Waste Management Research Unit. This funding is the fourth installment of funds for the ARS lab, one of only two federal research labs in Kentucky.

• $2.379 million for Western Kentucky University to purchase equipment for a new science, technology and engineering facility. Funds will go towards the purchase of new state-of-the-art equipment for the Ogden College of Science and Engineering Facility.

• $84,000 for the Green River Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program CREP Monitoring. WKU is leading an effort to measure the effectiveness and conservation efforts in the Green River watershed.

• $700,000 for the Western Kentucky University Environmental Monitoring Network. WKU currently operates the Kentucky Climate Center, which is the official State Climate Office. Senator McConnell obtained the funds to establish this weather monitoring system at WKU. The system will collect real-time observations through a statewide grid of stations to alert Kentuckians that severe weather is heading their way, thus helping save lives. The center will collect and analyze data, distribute the information over the Internet, and provide applications to support crop and livestock management, drought monitoring, flood warnings, and disaster assessment.

• $250,000 for the Western Kentucky University Small Public Water System Technology Center. The WKU Center promotes the protection of public health by providing assistance to small public water systems in the form of training; financial, managerial and technical aid; and source water protection initiatives. Congress supported this program in FY08, and funds are needed in Fiscal Year 2009 to continue operation of the Center.

• $950,000 for the Western Kentucky University University-Community Bikeway Project. These funds will be used to create a network of bicycle and pedestrian pathways that will tie together area schools, recreational facilities, shopping areas, and Western Kentucky University’s campus. The creation of these pathways will ensure citizens can continue to enjoy their community, without the use of a vehicle, in a safe and convenient way.

• The Omnibus bill also contains $2.9 million for the operation and maintenance of the Green and Barren Rivers, which includes additional funding for Rochester Dam at the request of Senator McConnell for a detailed engineering analysis of the existing lock and the stability of the dam structure.

• $125,000 for the Russellville Police Department in Logan County. Officers at the Russellville Police Department work hard to provide safety and response services to residents in their rural community, but their efforts are compromised by a lack of modern equipment, especially communication devices. Russellville Police Chief Barry Dill will use these funds to purchase the equipment his department needs to support his deputies’ efforts to protect the community.

• $2 million for the Allen County Barren River Boat Ramp. These funds will support facilities and further expansion of the boat ramp at Barren River Lake in Allen County, Kentucky. Phase I of this project constructed the boat ramp, roadway and parking lot. Further funding will complete the project and satisfy the demand for a recreation area. Funds would go toward the construction of a boat dock, pave all Phase I facilities, extend the ramp to winter pool level, and provide other necessary support facilities.

• $1.2 million for the Caveland Environmental Authority for water improvements in Barren and Hart Counties. These funds will design and construct a water storage tank and sewer pumping facilities to improve drinking water for families in Barren and Hart counties in desperate need of safe, dependable, clean drinking water.

• $2.28 million for the Edward T. Breathitt (Pennyrile) Parkway Completion Project. These funds will be used to begin Phase III of the Pennyrile Parkway project.

• $200,000 for the Daviess County Sheriff’s Department in Daviess County, Kentucky. Law enforcement agencies today rely upon modern technology for everything from enforcing traffic laws to investigating crimes. Unfortunately, not all local agencies can afford to purchase the expensive technologies that will help officers communicate with each other and better respond to emergencies. The Daviess County Sheriff’s Department is one such agency. Sheriff Keith Cain will use these funds to purchase mobile data terminals and other communications equipment to improve his department’s ability to alert officers of emergencies and safety hazards and to improve response times.

• $110,000 for Emergency Weather Sirens in Henderson County, Kentucky. Western Kentucky suffered significant losses, including human life, due to severe weather and tornadoes last year. Advanced warning time is critical in these situations to save lives and this project will give families in Henderson County the ability to take shelter ahead of a tornado. This project would install eight vital warning sirens in populated areas of Henderson County where no systems currently exist.

• $1.9 million for the Northern Kentucky University College of Informatics. The funding will be used to assist in the purchase, and start-up expenses, of implementing a Technology Incubation Center. This facility will help small businesses and entrepreneurs develop goods and services through the unique capabilities of a Computer Assisted Virtual Environment. Kentucky’s universities are some of the leading institutions in the nation, and this funding will help Northern Kentucky University continue its important work in supporting businesses, entrepreneurs and our economy.

• $2.565 million for the City of Maysville for the renovation of the historic Cox Building. By restoring this historic building in downtown Maysville to its original grandeur, this building can once again be a place the community can come to for the arts, commerce, and fostering small businesses.

• $1.9 million for the Transit Authority of Northern Kentucky Bus Replacement Project. These funds will be used to replace old buses and ensure that TANK can continue to provide reliable service to the community.

• $427,500 for the Boone County Gunpowder Creek Trail System in Boone County, Kentucky. These funds will be used to support a land conservation and linear park project along the Gunpowder Creek watershed basin. This important project will include a four-mile trail system adjacent to the creek.

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