8th Congressional District of Texas
2007 Appropriations Project Requests
HURRICANE RITA RECOVERY ASSISTANCE - $2.46 million
Tyler County Hospital - $360,929
The evacuation that preceded Hurricane Rita was the largest evacuation in history -- and wreaked havoc in many communities. To its credit Tyler County Hospital stayed open as a FEMA field hospital to treat ill evacuees and elderly nursing home patients fleeing Rita. This request reimburses the hospital for the lost revenue during this time - a considerable loss that threatens the solvency of the only hospital in this rural county.
Tyler County Hospital (http://www.tchospital.us/)
Memorial Hermann Baptist Orange - $1.6 million
The hospital suffered over $25 million in damages from Hurricane Rita. This request replaces the CT scan which was damaged. Orange Memorial is the only emergency care hospital in the county. A new CT scan will help diagnose patients quicker who have conditions related to cancer, stroke and heart problems -- and avoid costly testing or surgery. Nearly 40% of the hospital’s emergency room patients visit the hospital with cardiac (heart) complaints.
Memorial Hermann Orange Hospital
(http://www.memorialhermann.org/locations/BO.html)
Relocate the Big Thicket National Preserve Headquarters - $500,000
The headquarters building in Beaumont was damaged beyond repair due to Hurricane Rita. This will fund construction of the headquarters in a central location, consolidating it near the existing Big Thicket National Preserve Visitor’s Center.
Big Thicket Association (http://www.btatx.org/)
VETERANS HEALTHCARE - $60 million
In 2004 the Veterans Administration released the CARES Commission national plan that committed to opening 156 local veterans health care clinics by 2012 to serve veterans closer to where they live. So far, none of these clinics have been completed. One of the highest priority clinics is in Conroe, Texas. Despite full-funding and two years of constant effort by Congressman Brady and local veterans, the VA has refused to give the go-ahead for Conroe or other local veterans clinics in Texas.
Congressman Brady is making two requests: $50 million to fund construction of the 50 highest priority veterans clinics in America, and $10 million for opening of the top 5 highest priority clinics in America, which include: Conroe, TX; Bessemer, AL; Richmond County, NC, Athens, TN and North Central WA.
Information: Contact Congressman Kevin Brady
OPERATIONS & MAINTENANCE OF EAST TEXAS RIVERS & LAKES - $32.78 million
The U.S. Corps of Engineers requires congressional requests for Corps projects, even routine maintenance. These are seven separate requests totaling $32.78 million for: Operations and maintenance of Sam Rayburn Dam and Reservoir, the Sabine-Neches waterway, Town Bluff, Dam B and BA Steinhagen lakes; Neches River flood control and restoration of ecosystem; widening and deepening of the ports of Beaumont and Orange; and preparations for purchasing of flood plain homes from voluntary sellers just below Toledo Bend Dam.
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers—Forth Worth District (http://www.swf.usace.army.mil/)
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers—Galveston District (http://www.swg.usace.army.mil/)
Lower Neches Valley Authority (http://www.lnva.dst.tx.us/)
Port of Beaumont (http://www.portofbeaumont.com/)
Port of Orange (http://www.portoforange.com/)
Sabine River Authority (http://www.sra.dst.tx.us/)
RESEARCH: MEDICAL, ENERGY & NATIONAL SECURITY - $11.9 million
CDC Primary Pulmonary Hypertension Awareness - $250,000
Pulmonary hypertension is for now an incurable disease that strikes women of child bearing age in increasing numbers. It is often misdiagnosed, leading to a life expectancy of only five years. Congressman Brady has long been fighting for more research, better treatments and a cure for this disease.
This request would fund a partnership between the non-profit Pulmonary Hypertension Association and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to develop a pulmonary hypertension awareness program to better educate the medical community and the public about the disease, and lead to earlier diagnosis and longer life spans.
Pulmonary Hypertension Association (http://www.phassociation.org/)
Intelligent Systems Consortium - $3.5 million
For the past two years Sam Houston State University and the United States Navy have been working to make Navy ships less costly and more reliable. This projects designs ship hatches, doors, gauges and other components that are electric instead of steam powered so they can better withstand the harsh conditions of continued saltwater operations.
Sam Houston State University (http://www.shsu.edu/)
Bio-Defense Gene Knockout Program - $5 million
America’s troops and communities need to be prepared to respond to bio-terrorism attacks. This project will continue research by Lexicon Genetics to help the United States Army develop new medicines to protect American soldiers against the effects of biological agents, some used by terrorists. They do this by identifying genes that are susceptible to the harmful effects of biological agents, then creating new medicines that block the effects - whether in our fighting forces or in a major American city.
Lexicon Genetics (http://www.lexicon-genetics.com/index.php)
Texas Institute of Geonomic Medicine - $1.15 million
Last year Congressman Brady helped create the Texas Institute of Genomic Medicine -- a partnership of Texas A & M University, Texas Governor Rick Perry’s Enterprise Fund, and Lexicon Genetics. It will soon house the world’s largest and deepest pool of genomic material that can be used by researchers to accelerate medical breakthroughs, protect American families against bio-chemical attacks, and create 5,000 new research jobs in Texas. In its brief existence it has already helped identify a key gene defect that may cause spina bifida, a common birth defect affecting the lower spinal column. This request would help TIGM purchase research and technology equipment for its two locations in the Texas Medical Center College Station.
Texas A&M University Health Science Center (http://tamhsc.edu/)
Hydrogen Pipeline Research Initiative - $2 million
America is dependent upon foreign oil for 60% of our daily energy needs. This request funds research by Lamar University, Sam Houston State University and the Texas State University System to make hydrogen available as a more affordable alternative fuel to oil. The project aims to study how we can produce hydrogen from biomass (forest products), wind, water and other abundant sources. The research will also explore new designs in fuel cells and batteries to increase the capability of hydrogen to be used as an energy source.
Lamar-Center for Fuel Cells and Energy Systems (CFCES)
(http://gillchair.lamar.edu/Research/FuelCell/FC/Default.htm)
Sam Houston State University (http://www.shsu.edu/)
Texas State University System (http://www.tsus.edu/)
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, TRANSPORTATION, INFRASTRUCTURE & CRIMINAL JUSTICE – $8.37 million
Commuter Bus and East Texas Bus Replacement - $3.5 million
Brazos Transit District is the organization the Texas Legislature directs to provide transportation for 16 counties in east and southeast Texas. This request is submitted each year to help underwrite the cost of The Woodlands Park & Ride system that serves 482,400 commuters a year, (1,800 commuters a day) and to replace up to 12 East Texas busses that have become aged. The East Texas bus service provides much needed rides for the elderly, disabled and students in Walker, San Jacinto, Polk. Liberty and Montgomery counties.
The Brazos Transit District (http://www.btd.org/)
Port of Orange Intermodal Project - $2.4 million
This request will rehabilitate freight railroad lines from the Port of Orange to the Union Pacific line in the City of Orange. The existing railroad track transports goods coming in to the Port of Orange for shipment across the country. It floods and is dangerous, as demonstrated by Hurricane Rita. Rehabilitating the track will allow the Port to provide increased service to new customers returning after the storm and to continue job growth in Orange County.
Port of Orange (http://www.portoforange.com/)
Alabama Coushatta Wastewater Treatment Facilities - $700,000
The U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs has a fund to help Native American tribes with infrastructure needs on federal reservations. This requests a Tribal Assistance Grant of $700,000 for construction of an additional wastewater treatment facility for the Alabama Coushatta Indian Reservation. The tribe has also committed $600,000 to the project.
Alabama Coushatta Tribe of Texas (http://www.alabama-coushatta.com)
East Texas Timber Industry Economic Development Assistance - $200,000
The timber and forestry industry is the third largest agriculture crop in Texas, and provides more than 80,000 jobs. Yet it has struggled recently in East and Southeast Texas due to increased regulation, overseas competition and the hurricanes of 2005 which damaged almost 1 billion cubic feet of Texas timber. This request, the highest priority of the Texas Forestry Association, will allow Texas A&M University to develop a list of policy recommendations that will help local leaders and forestry experts reinforce and strengthen the Texas timber industry.
Texas A&M University (http://www.tamu.edu)
Texas Forestry Association (www.tfa.org)
Regional Crime Laboratory - $1.57 million
Law enforcement agencies in rural communities experience long waits and backlogs when requesting services from major cities like Houston. This requests allows Sam Houston State University -- one of the nation’s foremost criminal justice universities -- to use its expertise in forensic science to build a Rural Crime Laboratory that will provide services to local law enforcement such as identification of controlled substances, toxicology screening and finger print matching. The lab will be able to service communities in a 75-mile wide area.
Sam Houston State University (http://www.shsu.edu/)
Walker County (http://www.co.walker.tx.us/)
BIG THICKET NATIONAL PRESERVE ENHANCEMENT – $5.04 million
Big Thicket Turkey Creek Conservation Project - $5.04 million
The Big Thicket National Preserve is one of America’s ecological treasures. It is an unusually shaped preserve whose boundaries include land owned by major timber companies.
This request allows voluntary owners to sell to the Preserve land and conservation easements that lie within the Big Thicket National Preserve’s present boundary guidelines. Part of the funding will finance the Turkey Creek Project which is a Forest Legacy Program allowing the Texas Forest Service, Big Thicket National Preserve and Temple Inland to work together to conserve key pieces of land that are buffer zones between communities and the Big Thicket.
The rest of the funding will be used to complete the current land acquisition program that the National Parks Service in cooperation with the Conservation Fund has been undertaking for the past six years. This project works only with “willing-seller” landowners to preserve critical land such as streambeds and endangered species habitat and other land that does not otherwise have viable agricultural or development potential.
Big Thicket Association (http://www.btatx.org/)
U.S. Forest Service (http://www.fs.fed.us/)
Texas Forest Service (http://txforestservice.tamu.edu/)
Big Thicket National Preserve (http://www.nps.gov/bith/)
National Parks Service (http://www.nps.gov)
The Conservation Fund (http://www.conservationfund.org/)
Note: In addition to the above listed projects, Congressman Brady has also signed letters in support of other regional and Texas projects sponsored by other members of the Texas delegation.
