(Washington, DC)—With the President’s signature of H.R. 2764 the Omnibus spending bill today, Congressman Cleaver is proud to announce nearly $37 million in federal money will return to Missouri’s Fifth District. Passage of the $856 billion Omnibus spending bill signals the end of the spending showdown between Congress and the President. The bill includes money for operating the government in 2008 as well as $71 billion for the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

“Passing these appropriations bills was a monumental task, but it was completed adhering to the Presidents budget. We have attempted to move, in these trying times, domestic priorities forward, but war spending ties our hands and continues to prevent our nation from aggressively tackling the problems we are facing in our neighborhoods.”

“I am proud to gain passage of $36.9 million in federal dollars to help our cities and communities here in Missouri’s Fifth District. These are your tax dollars and I am glad they will be put to work in your neighborhoods. I know the term earmark conjures images of “bridges to nowhere” and pork barrel projects, but I think the projects we were able to secure funding for tell a different story. These are battered women shelters and veteran’s programs, public safety and community development priorities,” said Congressman Cleaver. “At a time when the economy is struggling, this money means jobs for people in our community.”

“President Kennedy had on his desk a simple prayer which captures the plight of so many of our community’s service organizations, ‘O God, the sea is so great and my boat is so small.’ While it will never be enough, I will continue to do all that I can to bring your federal tax dollars back home to ease the ever-increasing need,” said Cleaver.

Projects included in the FY08 Omnibus Appropriation bill passed this week included:

COMMERCE, JUSTICE, SCIENCE
  
Community Mediation Center, Building Life Skills for Youth Children Services Program - Independence, Missouri 
 $117,500
 
Hope House, Domestic Violence Emergency Shelter - Lee’s Summit and Independence
 $70,500
 
Metropolitan Organization to Counter Sexual Assault  (MOCSA), Creating a Safer Future Program
 $376,000
 
Rose Brooks Center, Project SAFE
 $376,000
 
  
 
DEFENSE
  
University of Missouri - Kansas City, Bone and tissue repair and Regeneration center
 $1,000,000
  

 
ENERGY AND WATER
 
City of Kansas City, Turkey Creek Basin Flood mitigation project
 $8,856,000
 
City of Kansas City, Blue River Channel Flood mitigation project
 $3,276,720
 
City of Kansas City, Seven River Levees Flood mitigation project
 $949,560
 
City of Kansas City, Missouri River Degradation Study
 $295,200
 
City of Kansas City, Missouri River Bank Stabilization and Navigation
 $5,608,800
 
City of Kansas City, Blue River Basin Flood mitigation project
 $1,804,656
 
City of Kansas City, Swope Park Industrial Flood mitigation project
 $162,360
 
City of Kansas City, Brush Creek Basin Flood mitigation project
 $196,800
 
City of Kansas City, Blue River Basin Flood mitigation project
 $1,804,656
 
Honeywell operating On behalf of NNSA, Multi-Disciplined Integrated Collaborative Environment
 $984,000
 
 
 
FINANCIAL SERVICES
  
University of Missouri - Kansas City, KC Source Link’s Vet Link
 $282,000
 
  

HOMELAND SECURITY
  
City of Belton, Emergency warning sirens
 $150,000
 

 
LABOR, HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
   
United Inner City Services, Expand early learning programs
 $608,186
 
American Jazz Museum, Exhibits, education programs and preservation
 $312,000
 
Samuel Rodgers Health Center Community health center
 $312,000

 
TRANSPORTATION, HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT
 
   
City of Raytown, Demolition of abandoned First Baptist Church
 $539,000
 
City of Kansas City, Brush Creek Beautification
 $980,000
 
City of Kansas City, Light Rail Alternative analysis study
 $1,837,500
 
KCATA Bus Replacement
 $735,000
 
KCATA, Plug-in Electric Hybrid Bus Pilot Project
 $984,000
 
KCATA, Troost Corridor Bus Rapid Transit
 $6,134,800
 
 

TOTAL
 $36,948,582

Emanuel Cleaver, II is the U.S. Representative for Missouri’s Fifth Congressional District, which includes Kansas City, Independence, Lee's Summit, Raytown, Grandview, Sugar Creek, Belton, Raymore and Peculiar, Missouri. He is a member of the exclusive House Financial Services Committee.