Press
Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - December
19, 2007
Contact: BRIAN PERRY: 601-932-4647
PICKERING:
$70 MILLION FOR THIRD CONGRESSIONAL
DISTRICT PROJECTS
$4.3 million
in funding for five southwest
Mississippi projects
(WASHINGTON, D.C.) – Congressman
Chip Pickering announces more than
$70 million in federal funding
for projects in Mississippi’s
Third Congressional District, $4.3
million of which goes to five projects
in southwest Mississippi. “Working
with Senators Cochran and Lott,
we secured funding for critical
agriculture, energy, infrastructure,
health and research projects across
the state,” Pickering said. He
continued, “In southwest
Mississippi, we targeted infrastructure
necessary to continue increasing
economic development and enhancing
the quality of life in our communities.” The
legislation contains more than
$300 million in funding for projects
in, or partnering with, Mississippi.
The 1.6% across-the-board budget
cut negotiated by House conservatives
and the White House to reduce spending
will affect some projects.
The House of Representatives passed
the omnibus bill (HR 2764) today,
encompassing 11 of the 12 annual
appropriation bills, and providing
$473.5 billion in discretionary
spending for fiscal year 2008. It
includes $70 billion for military
operations in Iraq and Afghanistan,
and $11 billion for a border fence,
emergency drought relief, and funding
for veterans. The Senate already
passed the measure and President
George W. Bush is expected to sign
it.
Southwest
Mississippi Projects
• $2,952,000 – Brookhaven
water and wastewater improvement
project *
• $984,000 – Okhissa
Lake*
• $196,800 – Walthall
County Courthouse Renovation
• $131,000 – Amite
County Medical Services
• $98,000 – Highway
27 Hurricane Evacuation Route
(*Cochran/Lott
Projects)
Two of Pickering’s long-term
projects in Congress also received
funding in this legislation. The
measure includes $188 million in
funding for the Strategic Petroleum
Reserve, $24.6 million of which
is to acquire land at the new site. The
Energy Policy Act of 2005 included
the Pickering Strategic Petroleum
Reserve Amendment that directed
the Department of Energy to select
one or more new sites, and to commence
with the administrative and environmental
processes necessary to create additional
reserve facilities. This led to
the selection of the Richton, Mississippi
salt domes as a future SPR facility
location.
The measure also includes $868,875
for Pickering's National Veterinary
Medical Service Act signed into
law in 2003. The act encourages
veterinary assistance in underserved
areas to guard against foreign
and domestic disease outbreaks
or agro-terrorist threats by helping
graduates repay student loans for
their term of service.
Congressman
Chip Pickering represents
Mississippi’s Third Congressional
District and serves on the House
Energy and Commerce Committee. This
is his sixth term.
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