Welch-led Congressionally Directed Spending Totals $42.34 Million for Vermont
Vermont Business Magazine US Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont) voted early this morning to keep the government open and advance nearly $13 million of Congressionally Directed Spending for eight Vermont-based projects nominated by the Senator. This is in addition to nearly $30 million in federal funds passed in early March as part of the first tranche of government funding, which will support 19 Vermont projects nominated by Sen. Welch.
The Congressionally Directed Spending was included in a bipartisan agreement that included appropriations for Defense; Financial Services and General Government; Homeland Security; Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies; Legislative Branch; and State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs.
Sen. Welch released the following statement after the vote:
“This bipartisan bill is not perfect but represents a compromise: we were able to secure solid wins for families across America, while avoiding far-right Republicans’ attempts to cut spending by 22% and include extreme policy riders, which would have hurt hardworking families in Vermont.
“This bill will provide additional resources for families with funding for Head Start, child care and public education, invest in FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund, strengthen passenger safety by bolstering our federal transportation safety workforce, and secure much-needed funding for our Federal Public Defenders to avoid layoffs.
“This package also includes over $12 million in funding for important projects in Vermont that I was proud to secure, along with the $30 million for projects announced earlier this month. These projects will make a huge difference across our state by creating green jobs and funding sustainable infrastructure projects, investing in training and education programs to bolster our healthcare workforce, and supporting mental health initiatives to create healthier communities.
“This bill contains far-right demands that I totally oppose—temporarily banning funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, and placing onerous restrictions on funding for women’s health, to name a few. At a time when we should be increasing humanitarian assistance to respond to crises around the world, I’m deeply concerned about the 6% funding cut to our foreign aid programs. Global development and humanitarian programs already represent a miniscule portion of the federal budget, especially in comparison to our bloated defense spending. These concessions should not have been on the table.
“This year’s budget battle was grueling and frankly, unbecoming. We can’t do this again in September. Congress must work better together for the American people.”
Sen. Welch secured the following federal investments to support Vermont communities:
- $5.9 million for Vermont State Colleges System in Williston to perform facility renovations and expansion efforts within the Oral Health Sciences program at Vermont State University (VTSU).
- $2 million for Southwestern Vermont Medical Center in Bennington to create a program that trains family medicine physicians specializing in rural delivery of primary care.
- $1.7 million for Cathedral Square Corporation will provide SASH participants statewide with access to a mental health clinician.
- $996,000 for Vermont Healthcare Information Technology Education Center, Inc. in Williston to support 60 apprentices with access training and on-the-job learning opportunities that will eventually lead to a career at one of the University of Vermont Medical Center (UVMMC)’s locations.
- $740,000 for the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board in Montpelier to assist at least 100 Vermont farms and forests increase viability, access land, recover from the pandemic, and improve climate resiliency.
- $695,000 for Sterling College in Craftsbury Common to develop a new workforce readiness curriculum that enables students to engage in place-based, project-based learning in collaboration with community partners.
- $296,000 for Vermont Student Assistance Corporation in Winooski to create a talent pipeline for in-demand jobs that support navigation.
- $260,000 for the Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund in Montpelier to help eight climate economy/energy start-up companies deploy their efforts to reduce carbons emissions into Vermont businesses.
Senator Welch’s office is now accepting Congressionally Directed Spending requests for state and local government entities and non-profit organizations based in Vermont for Fiscal Year (FY) 2025. Requests must be completed and submitted via electronic application by Monday, April 8, 2024, at 11:59 PM ET. Learn more and apply on Sen. Welch’s website.
Source: 3.23.2024. WASHINGTON, D.C. – US Senator Peter Welch
