Idaho Senator Larry Craig and Congressman Mike Simpson today praised the bi-partisan work of the Senate and House of Representatives in passing a final spending package that delivers on many critical priorities for the State of Idaho and provides $70 billion in funding for the Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. President Bush has indicated he will sign the legislation into law.
“This bill is the result of some fierce Congressional debates, but reflects a victory for the President and Republicans in Congress, who forced Democrats to restrain federal spending,” said Senator Larry Craig. “The President exercised his veto authority to hold down spending, resulting in a final package that meets his requirements for fiscal restraint while providing support for worthwhile programs in Idaho and elsewhere.”
“The Special Olympics World Winter Games will see a significant infusion of cash with the passage of this legislation and it couldn’t come at a better time,” said Congressman Simpson. “It’s also important to note the broad impact this legislation will have on Idaho’s schools, colleges, hospitals, roads, fields, forests, and communities. The bill will touch virtually every Idahoan in some way.”
The bill contains critical funding for the following Idaho priorities:
- Special Olympics World Winter Games will receive $7.5 million.
- The Treasure Valley Detox Center will receive $565,000.
- The Idaho Department of Agriculture’s Potato Cyst Nematode Program gets $9.6 million.
- The Idaho National Laboratories Next Generation Nuclear Plant receives $116 million.
- Environmental remediation efforts at the Idaho National Laboratory receive $513 million.
- The Boise Airport effort to construct a new Air Traffic Control Tower receives $8.9 million.
- The cities of Twin Falls, Marsing, Hazelton, St. Anthony, Rexburg, Buhl, Smelterville and the Eastern Idaho Regional Wastewater Authority will share $6,464,000 in infrastructure funding.
- Agriculture Research funding for Idaho commodities amounts to more than $15.5 million.
- The Historic Wilson Theater in Rupert will receive $350,000.
- Gowen Field’s Training Area Railhead will receive $7.615 million
- Mountain Home Air Force Base’s Logistics Readiness Center will receive $1.593 million
- The University of Idaho, Boise State University, Idaho State University, the College of Southern Idaho, Lewis-Clark State College, Northwest Nazarene University, and the College of Idaho will share millions of dollars in higher education research projects.
- St. Luke’s, St. Alphonsus, Madison Memorial Hospital, Teton Valley Hospital, Gritman Medical Center, Franklin County Medical Center, and the North Idaho Rural Health Consortium will share millions of dollars in funding for improved health care services in throughout Idaho.
- Idaho roads, bridges, and transit infrastructure will receive $11.2 million.
The bill now heads to the White House where President Bush has said he will sign it into law.
A complete list of Idaho projects is included on the following pages.
LHHS/ED
· Idaho Special Olympics World Winter Games ($7.5 million)
· The Literacy Matters! Program ($292,000)
· The College of Idaho (Albertson College) Library Technology Upgrades ($292,000)
· SySTEMic Solution: Plant Early for STEM Learning (science, technology, engineering, & math) ($195,000)
· The Discovery Center of Idaho ($243,000)
· The Idaho Women Work! program ($97,000)
· Advanced Clinical Simulation Laboratory ($243,000)
· College of Southern Idaho Pro-Tech Program. ($243,000)
· University of Idaho’s Gateway to Math Program. ($121,000)
· The Idaho Caring Foundation Dental Project ($292,000)
· The St. Alphonsus Regional Medical Center ($243,000)
· The Children’s Home Society of Idaho Bridge Project for Foster Children ($219,000)
· Northwest Nazarene University New Nursing Facility Equipment ($438,000)
· The Children’s Health Services Expansion; St. Luke’s Regional Medical Center ($487,000)
· The University of Idaho Gateway to Math ($121,000)
· The North Idaho Rural Health Consortium ($243,000)
· Lewis-Clark State College American Indian Students in Leadership of Education ($187,000)
· Gritman Medical Center Information Technology Upgrades ($487,000)
· Cooperative Telehealth Network at Portneuf Medical Center. ($341,000)
· Franklin County Medical Center ($243,000)
· Madison County Memorial Hospital Revitalization Project ($243,000)
· Teton Valley Hospital Revitalization Project ($243,000)
· Treasure Valley Detox Center, United Way ($390,000)
HOMELAND SECURITY:
· Wildfire Mitigation, Idaho Bureau of Homeland Security ($600,000)
ENERGY AND WATER DEVELOPMENT:
· Defense Environmental Cleanup at INL ($513 million – a $9 million increase over the President’s request)
· Next Generation Nuclear Plant at INL ($116 million – an $80 million increase over the President’s request)
· Advanced Test Reactor ($9.6 million increase for transition to a National Scientific User Facility)
· INL Buildings 651 and 691 ($14.8 million increase)
· Advanced Fuel Cycle Initiative ($181 million)
· Rural Idaho Water Projects/Section 595 ($4.064 million)
COMMERCE, JUSTICE, SCIENCE:
· CHILD Project ($47,000)
· Idaho Department of Corrections ($1,222,000)
· Idaho State Police ($1,128,000)
· Idaho Department of Corrections Web-Based Offender Information Project ($47,000)
· Idaho State Police Criminal Information Sharing System ($470,000)
· Nez Perce Program to Combat Child Abuse ($141,000)
· Boise State University Improved Hydrologic Modeling Program ($94,000)
· Idaho State University Land Management Observation Program ($141,000)
· The Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund ($67 million)
INTERIOR AND THE ENVIRONMENT:
· Noxious Weeds ($1 million)
· Boise District Fire Sprinklers ($330,000)
· Lemhi River TMDL Road Maintenance ($2.368 million)
· Upper Snake/South Fork land acquisition ($1.25 million)
· California Condor and Aplomado Falcon ($400,000)
· Sage Grouse ($250,000)
· Wolf Monitoring ($250,000)
· Chesterfield Historic Preservation ($300,000)
· Historic Wilson Theater Restoration, Rupert ($200,000)
· US-Canada Pacific Salmon Treaty Program ($1.8 million)
· National Rural Water Program Multi State ($7.7 million)
· Water Systems Council Wellcare ($700,000)
· Forest Legacy Gold Creek Ranch ($1.6 million)
· Idaho Panhandle NF Avery Ranger Station ($884,000)
· Thunder Mountain land acquisition ($900,000)
· UI FRAMES ($650,000)
· City of Marsing STAG Grant ($432,000)
· City of Hazelton STAG Grant ($469,000)
· City of St. Anthony STAG Grant ($562,000)
· City of Rexburg STAG Grant ($137,000)
· City of Buhl STAG Grant ($300,000
· City of Twin Falls STAG Grant for Auger Falls Project ($500,000
AGRICULTURE:
· Nez Perce Bio-Control Center ($188,000)
· Potato Cyst Nematode Eradication Program ($9.6 million)
· Tri-State Predator Control ($993,000)
· Hagerman Fish Culture Experiment Station ($700,000)
· Aquaculture Research at Aberdeen, ID ($629,000)
· National Plant Germplasm Research at Aberdeen, ID ($97,000)
· Northwest Center for Small Fruits Research at Corvallis, OR ($646,000)
· Rainbow Trout Research at Aberdeen, ID ($1,094,000)
· Potato Enhancement Research at Prosser, WA ($288,000)
· Sugarbeet Research at Kimberly, ID ($703,000)
· Sustainable Feeds Research at Aberdeen, ID ($99,000)
· Viticulture Research at Corvallis, OR ($853,000)
· Aquaculture Research in ID, WA ($567,000)
· Barley for Rural Development Research ($551,000)
· Grass Seed Cropping for Sustainable Agriculture ($335,000)
· Increasing Shelf Life of Ag Commodities ($647,000)
· Potato Cyst Nematode Research ($375,000)
· Potato Research Multi State ($1.112 million)
· Regional Barley Gene Mapping Program ($506,000)
· Small Fruits Research ID, OR, WA ($329,000)
· Wood Utilization Multi-State Program ($4.875 million)
· Idaho One-Plan ($143,000)
· Aegilops Cylindrica ID, WA ($263,000)
· STEEP III Water Quality in the Northwest ($476,000)
· Greater Yellowstone Interagency Brucellosis Committee ($697,000)
· Johnes Disease ($10,613,000)
· Cool Season Legume Research ($419,000)
· Little Wood River Irrigation District ($144,000)
TRANSPORTATION/HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT:
· Boise Airport Control Tower ($8,892,520)
· Boise Airport Planning/Design to widen/lengthen runway ($750,000)
· US 30 McCammon to Topaz Bridge ($350,000)
· City of Rocks Back Country Byway ($3,950,000)
· FH 24 Banks to Lowman ($500,000)
· I-84 Curtis Road to Broadway Interchange ($1.5 million)
· CSI Student Safety Initiative ($480,000)
· I-84, Exit 29 Franklin Road ($480,000)
· Lewiston Partnership Project ($240,000)
· US 95 Thorncreek Road to Moscow ($500,000)
· Idaho Transit Coalition for buses and bus facilities ($3,212,000)
· Treasure Valley Transit Facilities ($288,000)
· Custer County for Purchase of a Middle School Building ($100,000)
· Historic Wilson Theater Restoration, Rupert ($150,000)
· City of Boise Geothermal System Expansion ($175,000)
· Boys and Girls Club of the Magic Valley, Buhl ($175,000)
· Development Workshop, Inc ($300,000)
· Treasure Valley Detox Center, United Way ($175,000)
· Pocatello Community Rec Center ($140,000)
· Western Elmore County Recreation Center ($300,000)
MILITARY CONSTRUCTION AND VETERANS AFFAIRS:
· Gowen Field Training Area Railhead ($7.615 million)
· Orchard Training Area Urban Assault Course ($1.7 million)
· Mountain Home Logistics Readiness Center($1.593 million)
AGRICULTURE DISASTER PROGRAMS:
· Crop Disaster Program signup extended to December 31, 2007
· Livestock Indemnity Program signup extended to December 31, 2007
· Livestock Compensation Program signup extended to December 31, 2007
Some of these projects may be subjected to small, across-the-board decreases of two percent or less to meet tight budget caps. Please contact Craig’s or Simpson's offices for details on any of these initiatives.
