Source: United States Senator for Maryland Chris Van Hollen
August 04, 2021
Legislation includes funding for key priorities in Maryland
Today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced the Committee’s passage of three funding bills including major wins for Maryland and nearly $700 Million in funding for projects within the state. The Senator worked in his role on the Committee and alongside members of the Maryland delegation to secure these federal funds for important projects across our state that will boost our economy, improve the health of our environment, and invest in our communities. The legislation will now move to consideration by the full Senate.
“Making federal investments to generate more opportunities, good-paying jobs, and a better quality of life for all Marylanders is a top priority. From funding new and innovative ways to grow our local economies, to supporting our efforts to improve the health of the Chesapeake Bay, these projects hold tremendous potential for our communities. As a member of the Appropriations Committee, I was proud to work to secure these investments to strengthen our economy and expand opportunities and will continue working with the Maryland congressional delegation to bring these federal resources to our state,” said Senator Van Hollen.
In his role on the Senate Appropriations Committee and alongside members of the Maryland delegation, Senator Van Hollen successfully worked to secure:
Energy and Water
· $3.88 million for Chesapeake Bay Oyster Recovery & language to encourage the Army Corps to support Oyster Recovery Program efforts.
· $20.4 million for Baltimore Harbor and Channels Dredging. This project is vital to the continued success of the Port of Baltimore.
· $4.2 million for Poplar Island Construction, along with an additional $15 million for Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration that could be used for Poplar Island. This project is vital to the continued success of the Port of Baltimore and the health of the Chesapeake Bay.
· $37.5 million for the Mid-Chesapeake Bay Island project. This project is vital to the continued success of the Port of Baltimore.
· $30 million for Anacostia Watershed Restoration in Prince George’s County, Maryland.
· $5.75 million for Chesapeake Bay Environmental Restoration.
· $390,000 for the C&O Canal Re-watering Project in Cumberland, Maryland.
· $40 million for other Army Corps Operations and Maintenance Projects in Maryland.
· $17 million for Army Corps Flood Control Projects and $11 million for Planning Assistance. Funding from this program can assist Baltimore District with their efforts to provide flood protection assistance to Ellicott City in Howard County, Maryland.
· $8,000 for dredging the Pocomoke River in Somerset County, Maryland.
· $210 million for the Appalachian Regional Commission, which provides crucial infrastructure and economic development funding to Western Maryland.
· $100,000 for Morgan State University to stabilize and rebuild a main roadway on the campus, which is sinking as the hillside along Herring Run Stream erodes.
Agriculture
· $138,000 for the Packing House – 411 Kitchen project in Cambridge, Maryland. Funds will be used to build out a shared-use commercial kitchen to provide job training, technical assistance, and access to equipment for small businesses at the center of the revitalization of the Historic Pine Street Neighborhood in Cambridge.
· $784.812 million for Conservation Technical Assistance, in which Natural Resources Conservation Service staff work one-on-one with farmers to conserve resources and prevent run-off. The bill also includes language expressing the Committee’s view that additional technical assistance should be provided to Critical Conservation Areas like the Chesapeake Bay Watershed because a lack of planning capacity can slow down projects in our region.
· Language ensuring that GSA considers the importance of proximity to staff productivity when seeking a new lease for additional FDA office space, in order to keep any new space close to the existing White Oak campus.
· Funding for programs at 1890 Institutions like the University of Maryland Eastern Shore:
· Research: $73 million
· Extension Services: $62 million
· Education Grants: $26 million
· Facility Improvements: $21.5 million
· Scholarships: $10 million
Military Construction & VA
· Funding for critical military construction projects across Maryland, including:
o $81 million for barracks at Fort Meade,
o $26 million for a fire crash rescue station at Joint Base Andrews,
o $153.2 million for construction at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center,
o $198.1 total for the NSA West Campus project at Fort Meade, and
o $100 million for a special operations facility at Fort Meade.
· Funding for VA homelessness prevention programs. Senator Van Hollen sent a letter with several of his colleagues in May urging the Committee to include robust funding for these programs. Funding includes:
o $395.4 million for the Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) Program,
o $270.4 million for the Grant and Per Diem (GPD) Program, and
o $483.9 million for case management and supportive services as administered by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) under the Housing and Urban Development-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) Program.
· Language to encourage the Department of Defense to use Energy Resilience and Conservation Program funds to support stormwater management projects in the Chesapeake Bay watershed in order to better protect and conserve the health of the Bay.