WASHINGTON, Feb. 25 -- Rep. Doris O. Matsui, D-Calif. (5th CD), issued the following news release:
Congresswoman Doris Matsui (CA-05) helped secure over $69 million in federal funding for Sacramento's top priorities, included in the comprehensive Appropriations Bill that was voted on by the U.S. House of Representatives today. In total, the bill will fund $69,059,000 in Sacramento-area programs for Fiscal Year 2009.
Rep. Matsui worked tirelessly throughout this past year to ensure that Sacramento's interests would be protected in the face of increased economic insecurity and an unstable economy. The bill included funds for Sacramento's priority initiatives, including: flood protection; public transit; community safety; education and children's health.
'Bringing federal resources home to Sacramento is a top priority for me. In the face of the current economic downturn, it is vital that we continue to bring federal resources to Sacramento. When federal funds can be used to secure our community's future prosperity and safety, our government is working to better the daily lives of Sacramentans,' said Rep. Matsui.
In addition to serving Sacramento's interests, Rep. Matsui has been a national leader in fighting for federal programs to advance civil and human rights, and fund national service programs such as: the National Children's Study; Senior Legal Hotline; AmeriCorps; and the National Civilian Community Corps, which has one of five national campuses located in Sacramento and benefits our community through their service.
Rep. Matsui was successful in securing significant funding for important projects in the following issue areas:
ENERGY AND WATER
* Five Local Projects Totaling $59,467,000:
- Sacramento River Bank Protection Project - $22,967,000 to repair critical erosion sites along the Sacramento River and tributaries;
- American River Common Features - $13,500,000 to widen levees near Jacobs Lane, raise levees between Howe Avenue and Watt Avenue, strengthening levees near the confluence of the Natomas East Main Drainage Canal/American River, address seepage around utilities, and continue work on the American River Common Features General Re-evaluation Report, which will help Natomas;
- South Sacramento Streams - $12,000,000 to fund both levee and channel improvements, ecosystem restoration, recreation features, and detention facilities;
- Folsom Dam Outlet Modifications - $9,000,000 to construct an auxiliary spillway which will provide greater efficiency in managing flood storage in Folsom Reservoir;
- Folsom Dam Raise - $2,000,000 to raise Folsom Dam to help achieve 200-year-flood protection for the region
TRANSPORTATION AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT
* Two Local Projects Totaling $7,950,000:
- South Sacramento Light Rail Extension - $7,000,000 to extend Regional Transit's South Corridor light rail service 4.3 miles from existing terminus at Meadowview Road to Cosumnes River College;
- Sacramento Intermodal Transportation Facility Rail Relocation - $950,000 to relocate the existing track at Amtrak depot, allowing the intermodal transit center project to continue.
COMMERCE, JUSTICE AND SCIENCE
* Three Local Projects Totaling $500,000:
- Sacramento Youth Gang Intervention/Prevention Program - $200,000 in funds for the Sacramento Police Department's intervention and prevention services for youth and their families involved in gangs in the City of Sacramento;
- Sacramento County Sheriff In-Car Camera and Information Integration Project - $150,000 for the recording and archiving of video data effected on all traffic stops and other events; as well as the recording of prisoners while detained or transported in the back seat of the vehicle;
- Sacramento County Methamphetamine Enforcement - $150,000 to target meth production and sales in Sacramento County. These funds will be used to purchase equipment used in investigation and seizure of clandestine meth laboratories, and for drug interdiction efforts.
INTERIOR
* One Local Project Totaling $500,000:
- City of Sacramento Combined Sewer System Improvement Project - $500,000 to fund a comprehensive, multi-faceted project to reduce combined sewer overflows (CSO's) and outflows of combined wastewater into streets and properties during storms.
LABOR-HEALTH, HUMAN SERVICES AND EDUCATION
* Three Local Projects Totaling $642,000:
- Cosumnes River College GreenForce Center/Los Rios Community College District - $238,000 will establish the GreenForce center for outreach, recruitment, and retention of students in technical training disciplines focused on clean energy disciplines. This will also strengthen the capacity of science and mathematics courses and grow the GreenForce student body;
- Legal Services of Northern California, Senior Legal Hotline: $238,000 to help the Legal Services of Northern California operate their Senior Legal Hotline. The nonprofit corporation offers civil legal assistance and representation in certain types of cases to low-income people in 22 counties.
- Boys & Girls Clubs Missing Program - $214,000 will provide select middle schools and after-school programs in the 5th Congressional District and the greater Sacramento area with the engaging and interactive Missing! Program which is designed to teach teenagers how to safely use the Internet and lower the risk of kidnappings based on information found on the Internet;
- School Health Education Programs at Roberts Family Development Center - $190,000 will fund two interrelated programs at the Center driven by the California Department of Health Services which work to reduce the risk of chronic diseases, cancer, heart disease and obesity.
NATIONAL PROGRAMMATIC FUNDING
* Japanese-American Internment Site Preservation - $1,000,000 to fund efforts by the Department of the Interior to preserve Japanese-American Internment Sites.
* AmeriCorps - $271,196,000 to help national service organizations.
* AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps - $27,500,000 to fund the Americorps NCCC community service program. Members (18-24) live on one of five campuses, one of which is located in Sacramento.
* National Children's Study - $192,300,000, money will be used by the UC Davis Medical Center to begin enrolling children into the study shortly.
* SEARCH's National Technical Assistance and Training Program - $500,000 in funds to enhance and upgrade information systems, build integrated information systems that all criminal justice agencies need, and ensure compatibility between local systems and state, regional, and national systems.
* Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network - $700,000 in funds to support the nationally significant anti-sexual assault initiatives, including two national hotlines for sexual assault victims and public education and outreach programs.
* Neuromuscular Rehabilitation Research: Increased funding to restore the number of rehabilitation research and training centers focusing on the issues of traumatic brain injury, arthritis, neuromuscular disease and spinal cord injury. This will allow funding for the UC Davis Neuromuscular Rehab and Research Center that President Bush tried to cut.For more information about US Fed News contract awards please contact: Sarabjit Jagirdar, US Fed News, Email:- htsyndication@hindustantimes.com.
Alexis Marks and Mara Lee, 202/225-7163.
