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McConnell Secures Resources to Benefit Kentucky in this Year’s Government Funding Bill

Source: United States Senator for Kentucky Mitch McConnell

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) announced today this year’s Fiscal Year 2023 government funding bill contains significant resources to support important Kentucky institutions and programs. As a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Senator McConnell advocated on behalf of the Commonwealth in this year’s government funding process. Once the House passes the measure, it will go to the President for his signature. 

“This government funding bill makes a big, real-dollar increase in defense spending and a big, real-dollar cut to liberal domestic spending while still directing significant federal resources to Kentucky. It’s a win for every Kentuckian concerned with rising threats to our national security and the Commonwealth’s economy and health,” said Senator McConnell. “While I worked to ensure responsible spending in this bill, I also made sure it funds the programs that directly help Kentucky. This legislation devotes landmark resources to helping disaster-affected communities, securing our national defense, fighting back against substance abuse, investing in our infrastructure, and preserving our natural beauty.”

Senator McConnell secured the following achievements in this year’s bill to benefit Kentucky: 

Protecting Land Between the Lakes

“Land Between the Lakes is one of Kentucky’s finest natural treasures and drives tourism and job growth in a large portion of Western Kentucky. I’ve worked with constituent groups for years to preserve this Kentucky landmark for future generations, and was proud to continue those efforts in legislation included in this year’s government funding bill,” said Senator McConnell. “The Land Between the Lakes Recreation and Heritage Act will improve funding and oversight and help solve the long list of issues facing LBL. I appreciate Congressman Comer’s work on the issue and look forward to the improvements it will make for visitors and LBL stakeholders.”

Senator McConnell introduced the Land Between the Lakes Recreation and Heritage Act in April and shepherded it through the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee unanimously in July. Congressman James Comer (KY-01) introduced a companion bill in the House of Representatives. This year’s federal funding bill enacts the Land Between the Lakes Recreation and Heritage Act into law, including the following provisions:

  • Secures more federal resources to address Land Between the Lakes’ (LBL) maintenance needs and expand recreation opportunities. This includes additional funding from the U.S. Forest Service and regulations ensuring user fees collected at LBL are used to improve LBL.
  • Makes changes to the LBL Advisory Board makeup to ensure consistent and responsive leadership.
  • Bolsters law enforcement capacity in LBL and surrounding counties.
  • Better defines the special status of the families who once resided in LBL and guarantees their direct descendants’ access to cemeteries within the territory.

Helping Kentucky Rebuild from This Year’s Disasters

“When I visited Eastern Kentucky following this summer’s devastating floods, I told my constituents that I would stand by their side for as long as the recovery process took. This year’s government funding bill helps build on that promise,” said Senator McConnell. “From funds for new housing, to resources for long-term recovery, to investments to lessen future flood risk, provisions in this legislation will directly help rebuild shattered Eastern Kentucky communities. There’s no easy way to recover from disasters as destructive as these floods, but I’m confident the Commonwealth will bounce back.”

“Senator McConnell has stood with Eastern Kentucky since the moment floods hit this summer. With the provisions he secured in this year’s government funding bill, he is doubling down on his commitment to helping us rebuild better than before. We appreciate his help and look forward to using the funding in this legislation to continue our recovery process,” said Kentucky State Representative Chris Fugate.

Senator McConnell advocated for robust funding for the following programs:

  • The Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) program.
  • The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Emergency Watershed Protection Program.
  • The USDA’s Rural Water and Waste Disposal Program.

This year’s government funding bill also funds federal programs that can help Kentucky communities affected by disasters rebuild homes and critical infrastructure. Those include initiatives within the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Disaster Loans Program, the Department of Transportation (DOT), the Economic Development Administration (EDA), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (UDSA) and USDA’s Office of Rural Development.

Securing our National Defense 

“Kentucky’s military installations and servicemembers form a crucial part of America’s defense infrastructure. With our nation’s enemies on the move across the globe, it’s more important than ever that we invest in our armed forces, in the Commonwealth and around the country,” said Senator McConnell. “This year’s government funding bill not only delivers record funding for our nation’s military; it also provides resources to take care of Kentucky veterans, better accommodate the Commonwealth’s military families, and develop the next generation of talent for our armed forces.”

  • $35 million for the new Robley Rex VA Medical Center in Louisville, Kentucky to cover construction cost increases.
  • $1.059 billion for chemical agents and munitions destruction, a portion of which supports demilitarization operations at the Blue Grass Army Depot in Richmond, Kentucky.
  • $135 million for the renovation of Vietnam War-era barracks to improve soldier quality of life at Fort Campbell.
  • $20 million for an Army Research Lab manufacturing project, which supports research done at the University of Kentucky.
  • $20 million for the National Security Agency (NSA) to support the University of Louisville’s cyber workforce training program.
  • $350 million for the acquisition of the first Gray Eagle Unmanned Aerial Systems for Army National Guard units.

Fighting Back Against Substance Abuse

“Kentucky is facing record drug overdoses and, with fentanyl flooding across our southern border, the crisis is far from over. As we continue to fight our Commonwealth’s substance abuse epidemic, I’ve worked across party lines to bring federal drug czars to Kentucky and direct more than $650 million to fight back against addiction in our state. This year’s government funding bill goes even further than those past initiatives, directing millions of dollars to the programs that keep drugs off our streets and help Kentuckians beat addiction,” said Senator McConnell.

This legislation extends the federal ban on fentanyl-like substances through the end of 2024 and provides robust funding to programs that help prevent and treat substance abuse in Kentucky. Those include the State Opioid Response Grant program, the Byrne Justice Assistance Grants (JAG) program, the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) program, the National Guard Counter-Drug program, the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) program, and the Comprehensive Addiction Recovery through Effective Employment and Reentry (CAREER) Act workforce and transitional housing programs.

Investing in Kentucky’s Infrastructure and Economy

“By investing in Kentucky’s infrastructure today, we are building the jobs, businesses, and economy that our Commonwealth needs for the future. Last year’s bipartisan infrastructure bill offered record resources to spur infrastructure development in our state and this year’s government funding bill will go even further. The programs funded by this legislation promise to help Kentucky stay at the crossroads of American commerce and cement our place in the global economy,” said Senator McConnell.

  • Funds the Department of Transportation’s (DOT) RAISE discretionary grant program, which has funded over $286 million in new Kentucky transportation projects to date.
  • Funds the Essential Air Service program, which benefits the Barkley Regional Airport in Paducah and the Owensboro-Daviess County Regional Airport.
  • $344.9 million to support workers performing necessary environmental cleanup operations at the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant. This includes $7.5 million for the treatment and offsite shipment of oxide cylinders and $2 million for a reindustrialization study for the site following the completion of its deconstruction.
  • Funds the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) to support infrastructure development in Central Appalachia. This includes $16 million for basic infrastructure development – through a program Senator McConnell helped create – $13 million to address substance abuse, and $10 million to develop broadband.
  • Funds the Appalachian Development Highway System (ADHS), a 3,090-mile network of highways linking Appalachian states like Kentucky to the national Interstate Highway System.
  • $52 million to be split among the 12 Regional Biocontainment Laboratories, including the University of Louisville’s biocontainment laboratory, to support research in biodefense.
  • Funds the Workforce Opportunity for Rural Communities (WORC) program to provide enhanced worker training in rural areas. $21.75 million will be distributed to the ARC and Delta Regional Authority (DRA) each, both of which include Kentucky.
  • $43.4 million for the American Printing House for the Blind in Louisville, which creates innovative products for visually-impaired students and people around the country.
  • $30.1 million for the Delta Regional Authority to support economic and infrastructure development in the Mississippi Delta region, which includes a number of counties in Western Kentucky.
  • $10 million for researching alternative uses for coal at the University of Kentucky.
  • Funds programs to encourage broadband and telehealth improvements in rural areas.
  • Ensures funding remains available for the Letcher County federal prison construction project to move forward.

Preserving Kentucky’s Natural Beauty

“Kentucky’s natural treasures don’t just make our Commonwealth beautiful; they also attract tourists, support jobs, and offer recreation opportunities to locals and visitors alike. This year’s government funding bill helps Kentucky preserve that natural inheritance for years to come, ensuring future generations can enjoy the parks and waterways we all cherish,” said Senator McConnell. 

  • Includes language directing the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to prioritize addressing a land acquisition backlog at Clarks River National Wildlife Refuge in far Western Kentucky.
  • Includes language directing USFWS to continue to support conservation and recreation programs at the Green River National Wildlife Refuge in Henderson County.
  • $135 million for the Abandoned Mine Land Economic Revitalization (AMLER) program, including $29 million specifically for Kentucky, to fund economic development initiatives in areas previously used for mining. The AMLER program was originally the AML Pilot program created by Senator McConnell and U.S. Congressman Hal Rogers (KY-05) in 2015 and has helped provide $196 million for Kentucky since its creation.
  • $38 million for USFWS’s and the U.S. Geological Survey’s (USGS) efforts to combat the spread of Asian Carp, an invasive species present in Kentucky waterways. This includes $5 million for collaboration with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to stop the spread of Asian Carp by constructing barriers.
  • $9 million for the Coal Combustion Residual program to help safely dispose of coal ash.
  • $3 million for the Forest Service’s National Recreation Areas, providing an extra $1 million to the Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area in addition to LBL’s regular annual funding from the Forest Service.
  • $500 thousand to maintain stream gages along the Ohio River.