July 9, 2007

Sens. Biden and Carper Announce Funding for Critical Interior, Health and Education projects in Delaware

WASHINGTON (July 9, 2007) – U.S. Sens. Joe Biden and Tom Carper (both D-Del.) today announced initial approval for federal funding of 11 Delaware projects critical to the state’s healthcare services, educational community and public infrastructure.

Funding for these projects was included in the FY 2008 Interior Appropriations Bill or the FY 2008 Labor, Health and Human Services and Education Appropriations Bill, which have been approved by the Senate Appropriations Committee.

Both bills now go to the full Senate for consideration before they are reconciled with similar appropriation bills also being passed by the U.S. House of Representatives. Once a final Senate/House compromise bill is passed, the Congress sends the final funding bills to the president for his signature.

“These projects will add significantly to the health and prosperity of our state,” said Biden. “From helping to alleviate the critical nursing shortage to creating a first-class public education system to ensuring city residents have clean drinking water — this federal funding will go a long way towards improving the quality of life for Delawareans.”

“This $3.85 million in new federal funds is good news for Delaware’s healthcare education and infrastructure projects,” Sen. Carper said. “I will work hard to ensure these millions in projects funds remain in place as these two Senate appropriations bills move through the Congress in the upcoming months.”

A break down of this federal funding is as follows:

Labor, Health and Human Services and Education

$700,000 for the St. Francis Hospital Foundation’s Minority Health Outreach Program that offers services to the area’s most economically disadvantaged and medically underserved populations. Funding will be used to support the St. Clair Medical Van, the Tiny Steps program and the Center of Hope.
$500,000 for Christiana Care Health System to expand and renovate Wilmington Hospital’s Emergency Department.
$500,000 for the Metropolitan Wilmington Urban League to provide school and community-based intervention for low-income and minority students and their families through the “Achievement Matters” program.
$450,000 to continue life sciences research at the University of Delaware’s Delaware Biotechnology Institute. Funding will be used to purchase state-of-the-art equipment including DNA sequencing instruments.
$200,000 for the Jewish Family Services of Delaware’s Aging-In-Place initiative, focusing providing supportive services to assist older adults to age in their own homes.
$250,000 for the Delaware Department of Education to help implement recommendations of the Vision 2015 Initiative designed to build a world-class public education system in Delaware.
$200,000 for Wesley College Nursing School Expansion/Healthcare Improvement Initiative to boost the level of education and training of nursing professionals, and help mitigate the current shortage of trained nurses in Delaware.
$200,000 for Beebe Medical Center for the construction of a new School of Nursing to accommodate the growth of in the Center’s nursing program.

Interior Appropriations Bill

$300,000 for the City of Wilmington to upgrade the quality of its drinking water and bring the city into full compliance with the federal Safe Drinking Water Act.
$300,000 for New Castle County to replace and rehabilitate its aging sewer system in Brandywine Hundred.
$250,000 to refurbish the historic Grand Opera House. This appropriation is a one-time funding opportunity from the Save America’s Treasures program for locations deemed to be “nationally significant.”

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