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“PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 1105, OMNIBUS APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2009” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Energy was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E466 on Feb. 26, 2009.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 1105, OMNIBUS APPROPRIATIONS ACT,
2009
______
speech of
HON. CHRIS VAN HOLLEN
of maryland
in the house of representatives
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. Speaker, I am glad we are finally wrapping up our FY 09 Appropriations work and offer this legislation my full support today.
Instead of slashing our federal investment in priorities like education, health care, energy, law enforcement and biomedical research as President Bush had demanded, this bill complements the economic recovery package by addressing our Nation's immediate needs while laying the foundation for long term economic growth.
For example, to help 6.9 million families pay for college and prepare our students to compete in the 21st century global economy, we allocate
$17.3 billion--or $3 billion more than 2008--for Pell Grants.
To provide health care for over 470,000 uninsured Americans during this economic downturn, we provide $2.2 billion--or $125 million above last year's levels--for our community health centers.
To accelerate the deployment of renewable energy technologies and the jobs that go with them, we include $18.5 billion in additional loan guarantee authority for renewables in the Department of Energy's Innovative Technology Loan Guarantee Program.
To keep our communities safe, we designate $3.2 billion--or $495 billion above 2008--for State and local enforcement.
And to ensure that America remains the global leader in lifesaving biomedical research, we invest $30.3 billion--or $938 million more than last year--in the National Institutes of Health.
Mr. Speaker, it has been a long time coming, but we now see it was worth the wait. I will cast a ``yes'' vote and urge my colleagues to do the same.
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