LOCAL FUNDING REQUESTS CLEAR CRITICAL FIRST HURDLE

Walz says the high quality local projects will help create jobs in southern Minnesota

For Immediate Release
July 20, 2009

Contact: Meredith Salsbery
507-388-2149

WASHINGTON D.C. —During the past few weeks, twelve important local projects have cleared the first major hurdle in the path toward receiving federal funds, Congressman Tim Walz announced today. The twelve projects requested by Walz earlier this year at the behest of local officials, are included in the House versions of the FY2010 appropriations bills. The House of Representatives is on an unprecedented schedule to implement critical pieces of President Obama’s economic plan by passing its appropriations bills on time and under budget.

“The House is on track to pass its appropriations bills on time and under budget,” said Walz. “We must find a balance between investing in projects that will spur economic growth and holding the line on spending. The fact is that in the face of hard economic times, many appropriations requests that would have been funded in years past will not receive funding. These southern Minnesota projects cleared the first major hurdle and passed intense scrutiny because of the thought and planning local officials put into their requests.”

Before submitting the appropriations requests, Walz reviewed every application to ensure that each project he requested meets at least one of his key criteria:

Transformative: has the potential to make a significant improvement in the economy of a community or drastically improve safety for residents.
Cost-Effective: uses limited funds efficiently and effectively in a way that drives local economic development.
Job Creators: creates, saves or attracts jobs in Minnesota’s 1st Congressional District.

“I believe the projects that have been included in the House appropriations bills are excellent projects that will make a difference in our communities and create jobs right here in southern Minnesota. While this is only the first step, it is a major step in the right direction and I’m optimistic about these projects ultimately receiving funding,” concluded Walz.

The following projects in southern Minnesota have been included in FY2010 House appropriations bills:

$200,000 for Soybean Genomics Research
$300,000 for the National Child Protection Training Center at Winona State University
$100,000 for Bolder Options Expansion in Rochester, Minnesota
$6,000,000 for Lewis & Clark Rural Water System (The project also received $56.5 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding)
$590,000 for Floodplain Hazard Mitigation in Hokah, Minnesota
$500,000 for the South Bend Township sewer and water expansion near Mankato, Minnesota
$500,000 for the Hormel Institute Expansion in Austin, Minnesota
$200,000 for the Heart of New Ulm research and demonstration project in New Ulm, Minnesota
$300,000 for the 55th Street Expansion in Rochester, Minnesota
$1,000,000 for the Minnesota Valley Regional Rail Authority Rehabilitation Project
$2,000,000 for the MN Beyond the Yellow Ribbon reintegration program
$2,360,000 for the MN Guard Communications Aerial Platforms

Walz remains hopeful that the Senate will add to the list by including critical projects like Hwy 14 and 60, which were left out of the House bills by appropriators.

The appropriations bills build on the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to enact many of the major tenets of the long term economic plan that President Obama laid out and the Congress approved to provide short term help for the hardest hit Americans during this economic crisis and long term solutions to grow our economy for years to come. The bipartisan appropriations bills are helping to lay a new foundation for lasting prosperity – one that will support good jobs, rising incomes and responsible economic growth in the industries of the 21st century.