The Senate Appropriations Committee approves Obama Plan

The Senate Appropriations Committee today approved its portion of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan, preparing the legislation for action by the full Senate. Further details of the legislation are available below. Link HERE


Please note: The following is a summary of the highlights of the proposed legislation only -
not a complete listing of all the programs or spending included in the legislation.

Highlights include:

Top line spending of approximately $142 Billion

Infrastructure Improvements:

• School Modernization: $16 billion to repair, renovate and construct public schools in
ways that will raise energy efficiency and provide greater access to information
technology, and $3.5 billion to improve higher education facilities.

• Broadband: A total of $9 billion for the National Telecommunications and Information
Administration’s (NTIA) Broadband Technology Opportunities Program. This
competitive grant funding will increase broadband access and usage in unserved and
underserved areas of the Nation, which will better position the U.S. for economic growth,
innovation, and job creation. Fifty percent of the funds are to be used for projects in rural
areas.

• Public Parks: $3.4 billion for repair, restoration and improvement of public facilities at
parks, forests, refuges and on other public and tribal lands.

• Department of Defense Facilities: The stimulus includes $2.4 billion for quality of life
and family-friendly military construction projects such as family housing and child care
centers. Based on estimates by the Army Corps of Engineers and the Navy Facilities
Engineering Command, and when combined with another $613 million in energy-related
military construction and upgrades, military construction funding provided in the
stimulus will create or sustain as many as 85,870 construction and construction-related
jobs in 47 states and the District of Columbia. 95 per cent of these funds will flow to the
private sector. Military Construction funding includes the following:

o Child Development Centers: $353.8 million for child development centers at U.S.
military installations.

o Health and Dental Clinics: $314.5 million for military family health care clinics.

o Warrior Transition Complexes: $505 million to meet the medical and social
service needs of wounded military personnel and their families.

o Military Family Housing construction, repair, and upgrades: $135 million to
improve housing conditions and speed the availability of housing to military
families.

o Barracks and Dormitories: $831.5 million to provide needed new and
replacement housing for America’s military troops.

o Army National Guard $150 million for community-based readiness centers.

o Air National Guard: $110 million, including funding for operational readiness,
energy upgrades, and alternative energy projects.

• $3.2 billion for Facilities Sustainment, Restoration and Modernization to be used to
invest in energy efficiency projects and to improve the repair and modernization of
Department of Defense facilities to include Defense Health facilities.

• The package includes $3.7 billion for VA hospital and medical facility construction and
improvements, long-term care facilities for veterans, and improvements at VA national
cemeteries. This funding includes $329 million in energy-related construction. The VA
estimates that this level funding will create an average of 102,823 jobs in all 50 states and
the District of Columbia. VA construction funding includes the following:

o Hospital and cemetery construction: $994 million to begin construction of new
hospitals and expedite the construction of projects already underway, and $111.5
million for national cemetery construction.

o Minor construction: $939.8 million for construction projects, repairs and
expansion of VA medical facilities, VA national cemeteries, and Veterans
Benefits Administration facilities and to initiate energy conservation projects.

o Medical facilities repair and maintenance: $1.37 billion to address the backlog of
maintenance and repairs at VA medical facilities.

o Grants for State Extended Care Facilities: $258 million for the repair and
construction of State long-term care veterans’ homes.)

o National cemetery infrastructure repair: $60 million repairs to national cemeteries
and monuments.

• $5.1 billion for the Department of Homeland Security to secure the homeland and
promote economic activity, including:

o $1.2 billion to accelerate procurement and installation of baggage screening and
checkpoint security equipment at airports across the country. For baggage
screening, a TSA investment study concluded that $8.2 billion over 20 years is
necessary to procure new optimal screening systems at airports. Today, only 25
percent of airports are fully equipped with optimal screening systems. These
funds will allow TSA to address high priority projects at approximately 20
airports. These funds will also allow TSA to purchase new checkpoint
technologies necessary to improve its explosive detection capabilities and respond
to newly identified threats. An insufficient number of air passengers today are
screened by technology that can identify explosive threats.

o $813 million for the Coast Guard, including construction and repair of shoreline
facilities, bridges that are a danger to navigation and for other critical assets.

o $800 million to reduce the $6 billion construction backlog for points of entry on
our borders, which will improve security and facilitate commerce.

o $500 million to secure high risk critical infrastructure such as dams, tunnels, and
bridges.

o $500 million for competitive grants to build fire stations.

o $398 million to secure our ports and rail and transit systems.


o $200 million for technology to help secure our borders.

o $250 million for competitive grants to construct state and local emergency
operations centers and fusion centers.

o $248 million for the consolidation of the Department of Homeland Security
Headquarters.

• Federal Buildings: $1.4 billion to GSA for construction and repairs for federal buildings
and courthouses. Projects are to be selected based upon their ability to be awarded within
120 days so that construction can begin as soon as possible.

• Border Stations: $1.2 billion to GSA for construction and repairs for GSA border stations
to improve border security.

• The bill includes $4.6 billion in funding for the Corps of Engineers: This funding is
anticipated to create as many as 37,000 direct new private sector jobs and as many as
102,000 indirect jobs for industries supplying the funded activities and providing goods
and services to the workers and their families. The funding provided includes:

o $2 billion is provided for a nationwide program of construction of major
rehabilitation of inland waterway locks and dams; dam safety/scour
repair/seepage stability correction measures; deep draft and coastal navigation
projects; flood control and storm damage reduction projects; major rehabilitation
of Corps owned and operated hydropower facilities; environmental restoration
projects; environmental infrastructure projects; and small projects under the
Continuing Authorities Program.

o $1.9 billion is provided for operation and maintenance activities across the nation
and will consist of dredging Federal harbors and waterways to authorized widths
and depths; major maintenance of flood control, navigation and public use
facilities (including improving energy efficiency at Corps owned buildings);
major maintenance of Corps owned and operated hydropower facilities;
environmental and cultural stewardship activities at Corps owned facilities; and to
continue the inventory and evaluation of our Nation’s flood control infrastructure.

o $500 million is provided for studies, construction, and maintenance of projects
along the mainstem and tributaries of the Mississippi River and Tributaries
Project.

o $100 million is included to accelerate clean-up activities at some of the Nation’s
early atomic energy facilities.

o $50 million is provided to pre-place materials and equipment for emergency
operations in preparation for natural disaster response.

o $25 million is provided to accelerate high priority flood control, navigation and
storm damage reduction studies.

o $25 million is included to address additional Regulatory permitting issues
generated by the additional work funded in the Bill.

• $1.4 billion in funding for the Bureau of Reclamation. This funding is anticipated to
create as many as 11,500 direct new private sector jobs and as many as 31,000 indirect
jobs for industries supplying the funded activities and providing goods and services to the
workers and their families. The funding provided includes: an inventory and analysis of
existing infrastructure, especially canals that could potentially impact population centers;
maintenance or replacement of Reclamation owned and operated infrastructure; drought
preparation and emergency response activities; improving energy efficiency at Bureau of
Reclamation owned facilities as well as for maintenance and rehabilitation of Bureau of
Reclamation owned and operated hydropower facilities; tribal and nontribal rural water
projects; water reclamation and reuse projects; construction of water delivery projects.

• The Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration Weapons
program gets $1 billion for maintenance and general plant project backlogs, construction
activities, decommissioning and disposition activities, various energy projects throughout
the complex, as well as funding for advanced computing development.

• $2.25 Billion for the HOME Investment Partnerships Program block grant to enable state
and local government, in partnership with community-based organizations, to acquire,
construct, and rehabilitate affordable housing and provide rental assistance to poor
families. Since 1990, this flexible block grant program has provided key financing for the
acquisition, construction, and rehabilitation of over 887,000 units and provided rental
assistance to over 200,000 poor families. HOME’s track record of success makes it the
ideal vehicle to help jump-start affordable housing projects in desperate need of ‘gap
financing’ due to the collapse of the Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) market,
and to ensure that vulnerable families obtain and maintain stable housing during the
economic downturn. Additionally, the bill authorizes the Secretary of the Department of
Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to distribute up to 20% percent of authorized
funding ($450 million CONFIRM FIGURE) to incentivize investments of HOME funds
in projects that promote energy efficiency and green technologies.
Transportation:

• Highways: $27 billion is included for highway investments. The vast majority of this
funding will be distributed as grants using a formula set in current highway authorization
law. The vast majority of this funding will be distributed as grants using a formula set in
current highway authorization law. The funding can be used on activities eligible under
Federal-aid Highway Program’s Surface Transportation Program. Eligible activities
could also include rail and port infrastructure activities at the discretion of the states. The
grants will be provided in two parts:

o The first half of the funding will be provided to state governments, and must be
obligated within 180 days of the grants’ distribution. Any funds left unobligated
by the states after 180 days will be reallocated by the Federal Highway
Administration among the other states.

o The second half of the funding will be available for obligation for a full year from
the date of enactment. Of that funding 20 percent will be distributed to states and
80 percent will be distributed to local governments. Any unobligated balances
remaining after one year will be transferred to the competitive grants program
discussed below.

o Taken together, roughly 60 percent of the formula funding provided for highway
investments will be directed to states while 40 percent will be sub-allocated to
local governments.

• Within the $27 billion for highways, the bill includes the following set-asides:
o $320 million for grants to Indian tribes for transportation investments.
o $180 million for transportation improvements at national parks, forests, and
wildlife refuges.

• Mass Transit: The bill includes $8.4 billion for investments in public transportation. This
funding will be distributed by formula to local areas using formulas set in current transit
authorization law. Like the highway formula grants, the transit formula grants will be
provided in two parts: The first half of the funding must be obligated within 180 days of
their distribution, with any unobligated balances being redistributed among the other
grantees. The remaining funds must be obligated within one year of their distribution.
Any unobligated balances will be transferred to the competitive grants discussed below.
The funding for public transportation includes $200 million for grants to public transit
agencies for capital investments that will reduce the energy consumption or greenhouse
gas emissions of their public transportation systems.

• Competitive Grants for Transportation: The bill includes $5.5 billion for competitive
grants to state and local governments for transportation investments. These grants will go
to a many different kinds of transportation investments – including highway, transit, rail,
or port infrastructure – but the bill requires that projects must have a significant impact
on the nation, a region, or a metropolitan area. Grants for this funding will be made from
the $5.5 billion appropriated directly to the program, as well as any amounts transferred
as a result of the “use-it-or-lose-it” provisions applied to the highway and transit formula
grants.

• Aviation: The bill includes $1.3 billion for investments in our air transportation system.
This total funding level includes:

o $1.1 billion for grants to airports for capital investments. Airports use these
grants to improve safety and increase capacity. The investments made with this
funding will create jobs in communities across the country.

o $200 million for the facilities and equipment of the Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA). FAA facilities are in disrepair, including the buildings
where the agency manages our domestic airspace. Replacing or repairing these
facilities will create nonfederal jobs.

• Railroads: The bill includes $3.1 billion for investments in rail transportation. This total
funding level includes the following amounts:

o $2 billion for grants for investments in high speed rail corridors. This funding
will be provided through an authorized program for capital investments in
designated high-speed rail corridors.

o $250 million for grants to states for investments in intercity passenger rail. Such
investments are expected to maintain, improve, or expand existing intercity
passenger rail service.

o $850 million for capital grants to Amtrak. The grants will support a national
system for passenger rail, and no more than 50 percent of the funding provided in
the bill may be used on the Northeast Corridor.

• Maritime Transportation: The bill includes $160 million for investments in maritime
transportation. This total funding level includes the following amounts:

o $100 million for grants to small shipyards. These grants will allow shipyards to
make the necessary investments and improvements to make small domestic
shipyards more competitive in the shipbuilding industry. This funding will assist
shipyards in increasing capacity and creating jobs.

o $60 million for grants to states for the construction of ferry transportation
systems, an authorized program under current highway authorization law.

• Public Lands Roads: The bill includes $830 million for repair and restoration of roads on
park, forest, tribal and other public lands.
Public Housing:

• Public Housing Capital Fund: The bill provides $5 billion to the public housing capital
fund to enable local public housing agencies to address a $32 billion backlog in capital
needs -- especially those improving energy efficiency in aging developments -- in this
critical element of the nation’s affordable housing infrastructure. $3 billion will be
distributed by formula and $2 billion competitively to incentivize innovative and largescale
projects. The investment will also yield significant economic benefits, including
generating $2.12 cents in local economic activity for every dollar and creating or
preserving 140,000 jobs in the housing construction sector devastated by the current
recession.

• Project-Based Stability: The bill provides just over $2.1 billion for full year payments to
owners receiving Section 8 project-based rental assistance. By providing funding for a
full year, it will send a signal to these owners and others thinking of investing in
affordable housing that the government can pay their bills on time and in full. In
addition, owners that want to participate in the energy retrofit program will have to agree
to additional periods of affordability and it is important that they have confidence in the
government’s ability to pay their bills.

• Neighborhood Stabilization Program: The bill includes $2.25 billion for the
redevelopment of abandoned and foreclosed homes. In addition to states and cities, nonprofits
will also be able to compete for this funding. The funding will be used to support
communities across the country hardest hit by the foreclosure crisis.

• Homelessness Prevention Fund: The bill includes $1.5 billion for homeless prevention
activities, which will be sent out to states, cities and local governments through the
emergency shelter grant formula. The funding will be used for prevention activities,
which include: short or medium-term rental assistance, first and last month’s rental
payment, or utility payments. As such, most of this funding will go directly into the
economy of local communities as the funds will be used to pay housing and other
associated costs in the private market.
Environmental Clean-Up/Clean Water:

• $6.4 billion is directed towards environmental cleanup of former weapon production and
energy research sites. These projects will be of limited duration aimed at decreasing the
overall site footprint and reducing recurring annual costs. This work will move toward
decreasing the footprint at some sites by up to 90%. The footprint reduction will free up
these lands for other economic purposes. This funding will not only spur the economy
through job creation now, but it will save the tax-payers money in the future by resulting
in over $8 billion in life-cycle cost savings. Significantly, the majority of the funding
will go out through existing contracts at sites across the country assuring the timely
impact of the funding.

• $6 billion for local clean and drinking water infrastructure improvements, including
$4 billion for the Clean Water State Revolving Fund and $2 billion for the Drinking
Water State Revolving Fund. The bill includes provisions to allow broad eligibility for
Clean and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds, including the authority for States to
offer negative interest loans and principal forgiveness for up to 100 percent of the cost of
projects.

• $1.4 billion for EPA’s nationwide environmental cleanup programs, including Superfund.

• $1.4 billion to support $3.8 billion in loans and grants for needed water and waste
disposal facilities in rural areas. A substantial and longstanding backlog exists of
approved applications for clean water and waste disposal projects in rural communities.
These funds would help alleviate that backlog and are estimated to create 87,000 private
sector jobs. Not only will the installation of water and waste disposal systems provide
long-term economic benefit to rural communities, the short term benefit of construction
activity will also benefit those local economies.
Science:

• National Science Foundation (NSF) Research: $1.4 billion total for NSF including: $1 billion
to help America compete globally; $350 million for scientific infrastructure; and $50 million
for competitive grants to improve the quality of science, technology, engineering, and
mathematics (STEM) education.


• National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA): $1.5 billion total for NASA
including: $500 million for Earth science missions to provide critical data about the Earth’s
resources and climate; $250 million to enable research and testing of environmentally
responsible aircraft and for verification and validation methods for complex aerospace
systems and software; $500 million to reduce the gap in time that the U.S. does not have a
vehicle to access the International Space Station; and $250 million for repair, upgrade and
construction at NASA facilities.

• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA): $1.2 billion total for NOAA,
including $772 million to construct and repair NOAA facilities, equipment and vessels; to
$80 million to reduce the Nation’s coastal charting backlog; $70 million for supercomputer
infrastructure for climate research; and $300 million to restore critical habitat around the
Nation.

• National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST): $575 million total for NIST
including: $357 million for renovation of NIST facilities and new laboratories using green
technologies; $218 million for scientific and technical research at NIST to strengthen the
agency’s IT infrastructure; provide additional NIST research fellowships; provide substantial
funding for advanced research and measurement equipment and supplies; increase external
grants for NIST-related research.

• The Department of Energy’s Science program sees $430 million for laboratory infrastructure,
for construction, and for advanced computing development.

Education and Training

In order to compete in the 21st century, Americans must have a well-educated workforce, capable of adapting to an ever-changing economic environment. Investing in education now will ensure that the next generation of American workers is ready and able to meet the challenge of global competition. In the near-term, millions of workers have seen their jobs disappear, and find
themselves unable to match their skill sets with existing opportunities. Providing job training in
new and expanding fields will help to lower the unemployment rate and help today’s workers
better compete against foreign competition. Highlights include:

Top line spending of approximately $125 Billion

Education:

• $79 billion State Fiscal Stabilization Fund includes $39 billion to local school districts
and public colleges and universities, distributed through existing State and federal
formulas; $15 billion to States as incentive grants as a reward for meeting key education
performance measures; and $25 billion to States for other high-priority needs such as
public safety and other critical services, which may include education.

• Title I: $13 billion to help close the achievement gap and enable disadvantaged students
to reach their potential.

• Special Education/IDEA: $13 billion to improve educational outcomes for disabled
children. This level of funding will increase the Federal share of special education
services to its highest level ever.

• Pell Grants: $13.9 billion to increase the Pell Grant maximum award and pay for
increases in program costs resulting from increased eligibility and higher Pell Grant
awards. The bill supports an increased Pell Grant maximum award of $281 in the 2009-
2010 academic year and $400 in the 2010-2011 academic year. This aid will help 7
million students pursue postsecondary education.

Training:

• Training and Employment Services: $3.4 billion for job training including State formula
grants for adult, dislocated worker, and youth programs (including $1.2 billion to create
up to one million summer jobs for youth). The training and employment needs of workers
also will be met through dislocated worker national emergency grants, new competitive
grants for worker training in high growth and emerging industry sectors (with priority
consideration to “green” jobs and healthcare), and increased funds for the Job Corps and
YouthBuild programs. Green jobs training will include preparing workers for activities
supported by other economic recovery funds, such as retrofitting of buildings, green
construction, and the production of renewable electric power.

• Vocational Rehabilitation State Grants: $500 million for state formula grants to help
individuals with disabilities prepare for and sustain gainful employment.

• Employment Services Grants: $400 million to match unemployed individuals to job
openings through state employment service agencies and allow States to provide
customized reemployment services.

Energy

The bill provides investments in areas critical to the development of clean, efficient, American
energy, including modernizing energy transmission, research and development of renewable
energy technologies, and modernizing and upgrading government buildings and vehicles.
Highlights include:

Top line spending of approximately $49 Billion

• The Bill provides $40 billion to the Department of Energy for development of clean,
efficient, American energy. The Bill invests in boots-on-the-ground projects and
activities that get people back to work as well as energy research, demonstration, and
deployment that will provide for our future and assure a cleaner environment.
o A total of $2 billion is provided in grant funding for the manufacturing of
advanced batteries systems and components and vehicle batteries that are
produced in the United States, including advanced lithium ion batteries, hybrid
electrical systems, component manufacturers, and software designers. Batteries
are central to our efforts to decrease the oil dependence of our vehicles.

o An additional $2.6 billion is for energy efficiency and renewable energy research,
development, demonstration and deployment activities to accelerate the
development of technologies that will diversify the Nation’s energy portfolio and
contribute to a reliable, domestic energy supply. Biofuels, geothermal, water,
wind, solar, and efficiency projects will be deployed to demonstrate and improve
our use of renewable energy.

o $4.2 billion is provided for Energy Efficiency and Conservation Grants.

o $1.6 billion is provided for grants to make schools and hospitals, significant users
of energy, more energy efficient.

o $2.9 billion is available for the Weatherization Assistance Program.

o There is $4.6 billion for Fossil Energy research and development, including $2
billion for one or more near-zero emissions, $1 billion for the Department’s Clean
Coal Power Initiative Round III Funding Opportunity Announcement and $1.6
billion for a competitive solicitation for projects that demonstrate carbon capture
from industrial sources.

o The Bill provides $350 million for grants administered through the Clean Cities
program of the Department for acquisition and alternative fuel or fuel-cell
vehicles once again decreasing our dependence on foreign oil.

o The Bill provides $200 million for grants to states to plan and deploy electrical
infrastructure projects that encourage the use of plug-in electric drive vehicles and
for near term large-scale electrification projects aimed at the transportation sector,
including seaports.

o The State Energy Programs are provided $500 million.

o The bill has a significant focus on the transmission system. This is in recognition
of the fact that over the past decade electricity demand has grown by 20%, but
transmission capability has only increased 5%. Further, as we push to get more
renewable energy sources on line we will need to build out our bulk transmission
lines to get stranded renewable energy on line. These stranded renewable
resources are mainly in the west and the Great Plains.

o With this recognition the bill includes $4.5 billion for smart-grid related activities,
including work to modernize the electric grid, enhance security and reliability,
perform energy storage research, development, demonstration and deployment,
and provide worker training. A smart-grid will help create greater energy
efficiency, reliability, and security.

o A total of $10 billion is provided for new loan guarantees aimed at standard
renewable projects such as wind or solar projects and for electricity transmission
projects.

o $6.5 billion of increased borrowing authority is provided to the Bonneville and
Western Area Power Administrations ($3.25 billion each) to pursue the
construction of new transmission and upgrading of electric power transmission
lines and related facilities necessary to deliver power generated by renewable
energy resources. WAPA and BPA will be critical entities in our push to bring
large new sources of renewable energy on to the grid.

• GSA Federal Fleet: $600 million to replace older motor fleet vehicles owned by the
Federal Government with alternative fuel automobiles that will save on fuel costs and
reduce carbon emissions.

• Green Buildings: $6 billion for repair of federal buildings to increase energy efficiency
using green technology. Funding will help eliminate the backlog of $8.4 billion in
building repair projects.

• $1.3 billion for grants or loans to owners of the Department of Housing and Urban
Development’s assisted housing for energy and green retrofit investments. In order to
receive this funding these owners must meet certain standards and agree to certain terms
and conditions. Most importantly, they must agree to an additional period of
affordability of at least 15 years.

• $613 million for energy efficiency upgrades and construction of alternative energy
projects, including wind and solar power and photovoltaic roof systems, at Department of
Defense facilities... The Department of Defense is the largest consumer of energy in the
Federal government, and has made energy conservation a key component of new
construction. As well as contributing to energy efficiency and innovation within the
Department of Defense, energy-related military construction funding has the potential to
stimulate construction and manufacturing jobs in the energy and alternative energy
industry. Defense Department energy construction funding includes the following:

o Energy Conservation Investment Program: $118.5 million for energy
conservation projects, energy upgrades, and construction of alternative energy
projects such as wind power and photovoltaic systems at military installations
Department-wide.

o Navy Energy Construction and Improvements: $494.4 million for Navy energy
efficiency upgrades and construction of alternative energy projects, including
wind and solar power and photovoltaic system installation.

• $400 million for rural business initiatives including development of renewable energy.

o Biorefinery Assistance: $200 million for loans and grants to assist in the
development of new and emerging technologies for the development of advanced
biofuels.

o Rural Business Programs: $150 million to support $3 billion in loans and grants
to support income and employment expansion through improved business
opportunities in rural areas. These programs serve as the primary USDA tools for
business development in the rural sector and are made available to rural areas
with a population of 50,000 or less. As sources of private credit have become
more restrictive the demand for these programs has gone up. Additionally, the
Small Business Administration has reduced its lending, shifting interest to these
programs. It is estimated these funds will create 34,600 private sector jobs.

o Rural Energy for America Program: $50 million for loans and grants to promote
energy efficiency and renewable energy development for agricultural producers
and rural small businesses. These funds are used by agricultural producers, rural
small businesses, and rural schools to become more energy efficient and to use
renewable energy technologies and resources through investments in renewable
energy systems and other energy efficient systems. It is estimated these funds
will create 1,600 private sector jobs.

Protecting the Vulnerable:

The current economic crisis has affected all Americans, but none more so than the most
vulnerable among us. The spending proposed here will serve to lessen the blow of the current
recession, providing immediate relief for children, the poor, and others who may find themselves
struggling to put food on the table or a roof over their head. It will also address the urgent need
to provide safe and secure places to live, even in neighborhoods that are struggling with high
unemployment and surging foreclosure rates.

Top line spending of approximately $25 Billion
*utrition:

• $16.5 billion for additional Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP),
formerly Food Stamps, benefits. According to a USDA Economic Research Service
study, $5 billion in SNAP spending triggers $9.2 billion in economic activity.

• $500 million for the Special Supplemental Program for Women, Infants, and Children
(WIC). The Committee recommends a total of $500 million for WIC. In addition, the bill
provides $150 billion for Food Banks.
• Senior Meals: $100 million to help senior meals programs cope with steep increases in
food and fuel costs. Many programs are reducing meal deliveries to seniors or closing
meal sites. The funding in the bill will result in an additional 30 million meals served.
Helping Children:

• $4.6 billion to increase investments in early childhood programs.

o Child Care Development Block Grant: $2 billion to provide quality child care
services for an additional 300,000 children in low-income families who
increasingly are unable to afford the high cost of day care.

o Head Start & Early Head Start: $2.1 billion to allow an additional 124,000
children to participate in this program, which provides development, educational,
health, nutritional, social and other activities that prepare children to succeed in
school.

o IDEA Early Childhood Education: $500 million for formula grants to help states
serve children with disabilities age 2 and younger. Additionally, at least 15
percent of funds available from the $13 billion investment in Part B Grants for
Special Education must be used for services to pre-school age disabled children.
Other Programs:

• Community Development Financial Institutions: $250 million to immediately provide
capital to qualified community development financial institutions (CDFIs) to invest in the
development of underserved communities.

• Social Services Block Grant: $400 million for States and local non-profits to deliver critical
services to unemployed and low-income individuals struggling with the effects of the
recession.

• Community Services Block Grant: $200 million to local community action agencies (CAAs)
for services to the growing numbers of low-income families hurt by the economic crisis, such
as housing and mortgage counseling, jobs skills training, food pantry assistance, as well as
benefits outreach and enrollment.

• Homeowners Assistance Program: $410.9 million to expand the Department of Defense
Homeowners Assistance Program (HAP) during the national mortgage crisis. Currently, HAP
provides financial assistance to military and some civilian personnel who suffer severe
financial loss or face foreclosure when property values decline as a result of a base closure.
In the current nationwide mortgage crisis, it is virtually impossible to demonstrate a direct
connection between home values and base closures, and military families throughout the
country facing orders to relocate are suffering from the consequences of plummeting
property values. This funding temporarily extends HAP benefits to all BRAC 2005
relocations without requiring a direct link between home values and individual base closures;
temporarily extends HAP benefits to all military personnel who receive permanent orders to
relocate during the nationwide mortgage crisis; and expands HAP benefits to wounded
warriors who must relocate for medical treatment, or to surviving spouses.

• Rural Housing Programs. The Committee recommends $200 million to support $11.5 billion
in loans that will provide an estimated 105,000 very low to moderate-income rural
households the opportunity of homeownership or avoid the risk of foreclosure, especially
during this period of uncertainty in the housing market. Given the role of housing markets in
the current economic downturn, these housing loans will help ease the credit shortfall by
allowing current borrowers to refinance existing RHS loans, and to refinance non-RHS loans
if the borrower would now be eligible for a RHS direct loan. These funds will also assist
potential borrowers in achieving home ownership, thereby removing existing vacant housing
from the market which will help stabilize the overall housing market. Demand for this
program is rising at a substantial rate, especially for guaranteed loans and it is estimated these
funds will create 2,800 private sector jobs.

• $200 million for AmeriCorps to place national service members in community organizations
caught between dramatically expanding populations in need and diminishing donations.

Health

The bill provides investments in areas critical to immediate and long-term healthcare for millions of Americans. Improved information technology, research facilities, and health and wellness programs, will all provide a better foundation for providing quality healthcare to consumers.

Highlights include:

Top Line spending of approximately $16 Billion

Health Information Technology

• Health Information Technology: $5 billion to jumpstart efforts to computerize health records
to cut costs and reduce medical errors.
Research

• $3.5 billion to conduct biomedical research in areas such as cancer, Alzheimer’s, heart
disease and stem cells, and to improve NIH facilities.

• $1.1 billion to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, NIH and the HHS Office of
the Secretary to evaluate the relative effectiveness of different health care services and
treatment options.

Treatment and Prevention

• Prevention and Wellness: $5.8 billion to fight preventable diseases and conditions with
evidence-based strategies, including:

o $750 million for immunization through the Section 317 program

o $1 billion for additional health screenings and education to prevent chronic
illnesses

o $400 million for grants to communities for health promotion

o $75 million for additional smoking cessation programs

o $600 million for training of health professionals including equipment,
scholarships and loan repayment

o $65 million for grants to States to upgrade newborn screening and vital statistics
equipment

o $400 million for HIV and STD testing programs

o $60 million for research and surveys on the current state of health and best ways
to reduce health care costs

• Pandemic Flu - $870 million to complete funding for pandemic flu preparedness.
Small Business, Law Enforcement, Other

• $110 Million for GAO and Agency Inspectors General in order to provide appropriate
oversight of spending contained in this bill.

• Loans for Small Businesses: $730 million to stimulate lending to small businesses, including

$630 million to support $20 billion in zero-fee or reduced-fee loans to small businesses and

$30 million for loans and critical technical assistance to “micro” borrowers. The dollar
amount of loans guaranteed under the SBA’s two largest business loan programs was down

40% in the first quarter of this year compared to last.

• State and Local Law Enforcement: $3.95 billion total to support law enforcement efforts,
including: $1.5 billion for Byrne Justice Assistance formula grants; $440 million for competitive grants to prevent crime and improve criminal justice; $1 billion for the COPS hiring grant program to put approximately 13,000 new cops on the beat and pay 75 percent of
the cops’ salaries for three years; $300 million for grants to fight domestic violence; $100
million for crime victims compensation and assistance; and $50 million grants to States to
track down cyber predators who prey on children. More HERE