Simpson Visits Gowen Field and Airport Projects to be Funded

Boise, ID – Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson today visited two Boise-based community projects for which he secured millions of dollars in federal funds. 

The first project includes multi-million dollar funding for the Idaho Air National Guard Medical Training Facility at Gowen Field. The funding will be used for the construction of a 10,550 square foot Medical Training Facility to provide administrative areas, classrooms, laboratories, exam rooms, record storage, and mobility training storage for the 124^th Fighter Wing’s 124^th Medical Group. The project entails construction of a new building with site improvements to include pavements, utilities, communication support, as well as demolition of three substandard buildings on the site.  This project will provide a facility that complies with patient privacy requirements and space authorized for military medical and training functions. 

“A new medical facility is necessary to ensure that members of the Idaho National Guard have access to the very best medical care that will enable them to fulfil their state and federal missions,” said Simpson. “I am proud of the standard set by our National Guard, and I hope this new medical training facility will help them achieve even greater success.”

Simpson also secured $700,000 in federal funding to rehabilitate the taxi-lane D at the Boise Airport. The funding is designated to rehabilitate the main taxi route of the terminal for air carrier operations that supports air transportation to the community. Taxi-lane D pavement has deteriorated to the point that the pavement surface needs to be removed and replaced.

“The rehabilitation of taxi-lane D is a critical part of the Boise Airport’s infrastructure,” said Simpson.  “Boise is one of the fastest growing cities in the country, and our airport is now busier than ever.  As we all know, airports are major economic development engines, and projects like this help keep our airport maintained and operating at the level a growing and thriving region like ours needs."

New in Fiscal Year 2022, Community Project Funding (CPF) allows Members of Congress to submit worthy proposals from government agencies and non-profit organizations in their districts.  To ensure transparency and accountability, the House Appropriations Committee established several new rules that every project submitted for funding must follow.  For a request to be considered for funding in FY22, the following conditions were met: 

• Members certified that they, their spouse, and their immediate family have no financial interest in the projects they request. 
• Members posted every CPF request online simultaneously with their submission to the Committee on Appropriations. 
• Members provided evidence of community support that were compelling factors in their decision to select certain projects. 
• Members were allowed a maximum of 10 CPF requests. 
• No CPF grants were directed towards for-profit grantees. 
• Total CPF spending was capped at 1 percent of discretionary spending. 

“The reforms put in place by the Appropriations Committee ensured the necessary openness and transparency so that every taxpayer had a chance to review and comment on projects funded through this process,” said Congressman Simpson.  “I am grateful for the opportunity to have a more direct role in supporting the communities in my district rather than leaving funding decisions up to bureaucrats in the Biden Administration or letting the funds go to another congressional district.  The positive impact of these projects will be felt by community members across Southeast Idaho, and I look forward to watching them come to fruition.” 

For more information on the individual projects, visit Congressman Simpson’s website here. 

###