REPRESENTING BUSINESS ISSUES
Critical Projects for Oregon Communities Approved in Federal Funding Bills
Washington,D.C.|August2022|PressRelease O regon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Fiscal Year 2023 Senate Appropriations bills. A total of 111 Oregon community-initiated projects were included in the FY23 federal funding bills that will help meet critical needs in every corner of the state, including investing in wildǞre and drought resiliency, affordable housing, health care, education, and much more, while creating essential services and jobs. “No one knows the unique needs of communities across Oregon like the folks living and working in them,” said Merkley, who helped drive inclusion of Oregon projects as the only Oregon member of Congress from either chamber to serve on the Appropriations Committee since Senator Mark HatǞeld. “I joined the Committee in 2013 to ensure Oregon has a strong voice in decisions about our nation’s investments. Community-initiated projects are an incredible example of this, because these local and regional projects were generated at the ground level by folks who are working to make their communities better. I am pleased to have worked with my colleagues on the committee and Senator Wyden to secure funding for 111 of these important homegrown projects, and we’ll keep pushing to get them across the Ǟnish line for Oregonians.” Wyden today announced they secured funding for essential community projects across Oregon in the “Oregonians have consistently told me during more than 1,000 town halls in each of our 36 counties how federal investments should reǡect their priorities to generate jobs in their communities, keep everybody safe and build an even stronger quality of life across the state,” Wyden said. “I’m gratiǞed the teamwork with Oregonians who know their local priorities best has produced such promising federal investments to strengthen communities all across Oregon. Bottom line, our state’s communities are focused on coming together to forge Oregon Way solutions that build a better state just like these targeted investments, and I’ll keep battling to make sure these projects advance.” Both Senator Merkley and Senator Wyden hold a town hall in each Oregon county every year and work hard to ensure that local feedback informs every aspect of their work in Washington, D.C. This local feedback is directly reǡected in
the projects that were chosen for potential federal funding in this year’s bills. Because of Senator Merkley’s position on the powerful Appropriations Committee and key role pushing Oregon priorities in the drafting of the bills, and the collaborative way that Senator Merkley and Wyden work together to advocate for projects from Oregon, last year the two senators were able to secure more projects for their home state than any other senators besides Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. The 111 Oregon community-initiated projects were spread out among bills produced by the Appropriations subcommittees, including 20 projects in the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies subcommittee, of which Senator Merkley is Chair. The Senate bills next need to be merged with legislation produced by the House of Representatives, a process expected later in the year. The Senators will continue to advocate that the Oregon projects are included in the combined bill. The funds and projects secured by Senators Merkley and Wyden, broken down by region, are as follows: Southern Oregon: ■ $5 million for the Talent Irrigation District for the Billings Siphon and Eastside Canal Project ■ $5 million for the construction of communications facilities at Kingsley Field ■ $3.615 million for Rogue Community College for the Allied Health Facility Renovation ■ $3.557 million for the Klamath County Economic Development Association for the Transformations Wellness Center ■ $3.5 million for Oregon State University for Elliott State Research Forest Monitoring Equipment ■ $2.095 million for Adapt, Inc for SW Oregon Regional Recovery Center ■ $2 million for Southern Oregon University for its Forging Oregon’s Renewable Energy Source Transition Through Reimagining Education + Energy (FOREST TREE) Project
14
The Business Review | August 2022
Made with FlippingBook - professional solution for displaying marketing and sales documents online