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Washington, D.C. - {HURRICANE RITA RECOVERY ASSISTANCE - $2.46 million
Tyler County Hospital - $360,929
Reimbursement for the billable losses sustained as a result of operating as a FEMA field hospital treating evacuees and nursing home patients fleeing or dislocated due to Hurricane Rita.
Memorial Hermann Baptist Orange - $1.6 million
CT scan to replace the current one damaged by Hurricane Rita. The hospital suffered over $25 million in damages including medical technology equipment. The hospital is the only emergency care hospital in the area, and a new CT scan will help provide quicker diagnosis for patients with conditions related to cancer, stroke and heart problems. In fact, nearly 40% of the hospital’s emergency room patients visit the hospital with cardiac complaints. The CT scan can help diagnose these problems without the need for further costly testing or even exploratory surgery.
Relocate the Big Thicket National Preserve Headquarters - $500,000
The Conservation Fund National Preserve Headquarters building in Beaumont was damaged beyond repair due to Hurricane Rita. This will fund construction of the headquarters to a central location, within one mile of the existing Big Thicket National Preserve Visitor’s Center.
Big Thicket Association ( http://www.btatx.org/)
VETERANS HEALTHCARE - $60 million
In 2004, The Veterans Administration released the Capitol Asset Realignment for Enhanced Services (CARES) Commission National Plan. This plan included 156 Community Based Outpatient Clinics to be implemented by 2012. To date, none of these clinics have been completed. One of the highest priority clinics is in Conroe, Texas. Congressman Brady has requested that $50,000,000 be dedicated to construction of the top 50 Community Clinics nationwide and $10,000,000 for construction and implementation specifically dedicated to the top five priority clinics in Conroe, Texas; Bessemer, Alabama; Richmond County, North Carolina; Athens, Tennessee and North Central Washington.
Congressman Kevin Brady
OPERATIONS & MAINTENANCE OF EAST TEXAS RIVERS & LAKES - $32.789 million
Seven requests totaling $32.78 million for operations and maintenance of Sam Rayburn Dam and Reservoir, the Sabine-Neches waterway, Town Bluff, Dam B and BA Steinhagen lakes, Neches River flood control and restoration of ecosystem, widening and deepening of the ports of Beaumont and Orange, and preparations for purchasing of flood plain homes from voluntary sellers in northeastern Newton County.
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers—Forth Worth District ( http://www.swf.usace.army.mil/) U.S. Army Corps of Engineers—Galveston District ( http://www.swg.usace.army.mil/) Lower Neches Valley Authority ( http://www.lnva.dst.tx.us/) Port of Beaumont ( http://www.portofbeaumont.com/) Port of Orange ( http://www.portoforange.com/) Sabine River Authority ( http://www.sra.dst.tx.us/)
RESEARCH: MEDICAL AND NATIONAL SECURITY - $9.9 million
CDC Primary Pulmonary Hypertension Awareness - $250,000
For the Pulmonary Hypertension Association (PHA) to work with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in developing a pulmonary hypertension awareness program to better educate the medical community and general community about the disease. Pulmonary hypertension is an incurable rare disease that is often misdiagnosed that strikes women of child bearing age in increasing numbers. Congressman Brady has been seeking better treatments and a cure for the past 9 years.
Pulmonary Hypertension Association ( http://www.phassociation.org/) Intelligent Systems Consortium - $3.5 million
Third year of research partnership between Sam Houston State University and the United States Navy to design ship hatches, doors, gauges and other components that are electric instead of steam powered. Using proven examples from Texas’ offshore energy sector, Sam Houston State University is developing electric component prototypes that can withstand the harsh conditions of continued saltwater operations to make Navy ships less costly and more reliable.
Sam Houston State University ( http://www.shsu.edu/) Bio-Defense Gene Knockout Program - $5 million
The recent surge in the Texas biotechnology industry is creating new jobs, growing the economy, and delivering new research that will promote Texas as the preeminent biotechnology corridor. This project will continue research by the Texas biotechnology industry to help the United States Army develop new medicines to protect American soldiers against the effects of biological agents, some used by terrorists. By identifying genes that are susceptible to the harmful effects of biological agents, this research will create new medicines that will block the effects against our fighting forces.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT – $6.8 million
Capital Cost of Contracting and East Texas Service Area Bus Replacement - $3.5 million
$3,500,000 for commuter transportation and bus services to help alleviate some of the traffic congestion of workers and medical patients trying to get to the Houston Medical Center. The bus service also provides much needed rides for the elderly, disabled, and students in more rural counties in the Eighth district.
The Brazos Transit District ( http://www.btd.org/) Port of Orange Intermodal Project - $2.4 million
$2,400,000 to rehabilitate freight railroad lines from the Port of Orange to the Union Pacific line in the City of Orange. As evidenced by Hurricane Rita, the railroad track to transport goods coming in to the Port of Orange for shipment across the country floods and is dangerous. Rehabilitating the track will allow the Port to provide increased service to new customers returning after the storm and to continue job growth in Orange County.
Alabama Coushatta Wastewater Treatment Facilities - $700,000
Requesting a Tribal Assistance Grant of $700,000 for construction of an additional wastewater treatment facility for the Alabama Coushatta Indian Reservation. This will be a cost-share program with the tribe, who has committed $600,000 to the project. Alabama Coushatta Tribe of Texas ( http://www.alabama-coushatta.com) East Texas Timber Industry Economic Development Assistance - $200,000 The timber and forestry products industry in East and Southeast Texas has been hit hard by regulatory burdens, tax structures, trade ramifications and the hurricanes of 2005. A consortium based out of Texas A&M requests $200,000 to leverage toward increased economic development, value added product research, development and implementation as well as policy recommendations to help the industry continue to grow and prosper. Texas A&M University ( http://www.tamu.edu), Texas Forestry Association ( www.tfa.org) UNIVERSITY RESEARCH – $3.5 million
Hydrogen Pipeline Research Initiative - $2.0 million
$2,000,000 to help Lamar University and the Texas State University System increase the availability of hydrogen as less costly alternative fuel to oil. The project aims to study how we can produce hydrogen from biomass, wind, water and other abundant sources. The research will also explore new designs in fuel cells and batteries to increase the capability of hydrogen to be used as an energy source.
Lamar—Center for Fuel Cells and Energy Systems (CFCES) ( http://gillchair.lamar.edu/Research/FuelCell/FC/Default.htm) Sam Houston State University ( http://www.shsu.edu/) Texas State University System ( http://www.tsus.edu/) Regional Crime Laboratory at Sam Houston State University - $1.57 million
$1,574,000 for Sam Houston State University to use its expertise in forensic science to build a working rural crime laboratory that will provide services to local law enforcement such as identification of controlled substances, toxicology screening and finger print matching. The lab will be able to service communities in a 75-mile wide area to help alleviate the wait and backlog currently faced when requesting services from metropolitan area crime labs.
Sam Houston State University ( http://www.shsu.edu/) Walker County ( http://www.co.walker.tx.us/)
BIG THICKET NATIONAL PRESERVE ENHANCEMENT- $5.04 million
Big Thicket Turkey Creek Conservation Project - $5.04 million
$5,045,000 for land acquisition and conservation within the Big Thicket National Preserve’s present boundary guidelines but not currently within the Big Thicket system. Part of this money will go toward financing the Turkey Creek Project which is a Forest Legacy Program allowing the Texas Forest Service, Big Thicket National Preserve and Temple Inland to work together to conserve key pieces of land that are buffer zones between communities and the Big Thicket. The balance of the funding will be used to finalize the ongoing land acquisition program that the National Parks Service in cooperation with the Conservation Fund has been undertaking for the past six years. This project works only with “willing-seller” landowners to preserve critical land such as streambeds and endangered species habitat and other land that does not otherwise have viable agricultural or development potential.
Big Thicket Association ( http://www.btatx.org/) U.S. Forest Service ( http://www.fs.fed.us/) Texas Forest Service ( http://txforestservice.tamu.edu/) Big Thicket National Preserve ( http://www.nps.gov/bith/) National Parks Service ( http://www.nps.gov) The Conservation Fund ( http://www.conservationfund.org/) Sierra Club ( www.sierraclub.org)} |
