[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 32 (Tuesday, February 24, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E339-E340]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          EARMARK DECLARATION

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. KEVIN BRADY

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 24, 2009

  Mr. BRADY of Texas. Madam Speaker, pursuant to the Republican 
Leadership standards on earmarks, I am submitting the following 
information for publication in the Congressional Record regarding 
earmarks I received as part of H.R. 1105--Omnibus Appropriations Act, 
2009.
  Requesting Member: Congressman Kevin Brady, Texas 8th Congressional 
District
  Bill Number: H.R. 1105--Omnibus Appropriations Act, 2009
  Project: Sam Rayburn Lake Twin Dikes Operations & Maintenance
  Account: U.S. Corps of Engineers, Operations and Maintenance
  Requesting Entity: U.S. Corps of Engineers, Ft. Worth District
  Address of Requesting Entity: 819 Taylor Street, Fort Worth, TX 76102
  This is the second year I've requested funding to repair the Twin 
Dikes Park marine launching complex since its collapse due to Hurricane 
Rita, erosion, and excessive wave action. Unfortunately, the Corps has 
a backlog of maintenance on some of the most widely used recreational 
facilities at Lake Sam Rayburn. In addition to this project, I continue 
to support the U.S. Corps of Engineers annual request for funding to 
operate and maintain the lakes, and other water resources of East and 
Southeast Texas.
  The $6,138,000 included in this bill for this project will be 
allocated to perform annual operations and maintenance of the Sam 
Rayburn

[[Page E340]]

Reservoir ($5,775,000) and to begin rehabilitation of the marine 
launching complex at Twin Dikes Park ($363,000).
  Requesting Member: Congressman Kevin Brady, Texas 8th Congressional 
District
  Bill Number: H.R. 1105--Omnibus Appropriations Act, 2009
  Project: Pulmonary Hypertension Awareness Program
  Account: Department of Health and Human Services, Center for Disease 
Control and Prevention
  Requesting Entity: Pulmonary Hypertension Association
  Address of Requesting Entity: 801 Roeder Rd., Suite 400, Silver 
Spring, MD 20910
  I have supported strengthening Pulmonary Hypertension education for 
over ten years; and for this reason and for the second year in a row, I 
have requested funding to strengthen and continue a successful 
partnership between the non-profit Hypertension Association and the 
Centers for Disease Control. PH is a serious and often fatal condition 
where the blood pressure in the lungs rises to dangerously high levels. 
In PH patients the walls of the arteries that take blood from the right 
side of the heart to the lungs thicken and constrict. As a result, the 
right side of the heart has to pump harder to move blood into the 
lungs, causing it to enlarge and ultimately fail.
  This request would allow the partners to continue 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.
  The $238,000 included in this bill for this project will be allocated 
to continue two components in the fight against pulmonary hypertension: 
the PHA Online University, a curriculum-based website for medical 
professionals, and a significant expansion of PHAware, a grassroots 
media campaign. Together these activities will enhance general public 
and medical professional awareness of pulmonary hypertension and lead 
to earlier diagnosis and appropriate treatment of individuals who have 
the disease.
  Requesting Member: Congressman Kevin Brady, Texas 8th Congressional 
District
  Bill Number: H.R. 1105--Omnibus Appropriations Act, 2009
  Project: SHSU Regional Crime Lab
  Account: Office of Justice Programs, Byrne Discretionary Grants
  Requesting Entity: Sam Houston State University
  Address of Requesting Entity: 1803 Avenue I, Huntsville, TX 77341
  Established last year with my support, fiscal year 2009 funding for 
the Regional Crime Lab at Sam Houston State University will allow it to 
become operational. Law enforcement agencies in rural communities 
experience long waits and backlogs when requesting services from major 
cities like Houston. This request allows Sam Houston State University--
one of the nation's foremost criminal justice universities--to use its 
expertise in forensic science to begin operations of the Rural Crime 
Laboratory started with funding I secured last year. This lab 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.
  The $800,000 included in this bill for this project will be allocated 
to staff the SHSU Regional Crime Lab and make it operational for 
serving regional law enforcement agencies. Specific budget items 
include: salaries and benefits for laboratory staff ($547,800); lab 
supplies ($11,558); subcontracts for staff training ($27,000) and 
indirect cost amounting to $213,642.
  Requesting Member: Congressman Kevin Brady, Texas 8th Congressional 
District
  Bill Number: H.R. 1105--Omnibus Appropriations Act, 2009
  Project: I-69 Improvements
  Account: Surface Transportation Priorities, Interstate 69, Texas
  Requesting Entity: I-69 Texas Alliance
  Address of Requesting Entity: 1200 Smith, Suite 700, Houston, TX 
77002
  This requested funding will allow for additional required 
environmental studies needed to upgrade several US highways in the 
region. This request--is not part of the now dead Trans Texas 
Corridor--provides funding for the continuation of the long-planned 
project involving segments of US 59, 77 and 281. Since 1991, efforts 
have been made to improve these routes to Interstate standards to meet 
the higher demand of increased traffic. These highway segments have 
been identified by Congress as a high priority; by upgrading the 
existing highways to Interstate standards we will increase motorist 
safety and regional mobility in the increasingly busy Houston and East 
Texas region.
  The $617,500 included in this bill will go to the Texas Department of 
Transportation to continue planning, design, and development of 
segments of US Highway 59 to Interstate standards.
  Requesting Member: Congressman Kevin Brady, Texas 8th Congressional 
District
  Bill Number: H.R. 1105--Omnibus Appropriations Act, 2009
  Project: Big Thicket Land Acquisition
  Account: National Park Service, Land Acquisition
  Requesting Entity: The Conservation Fund, Texas Office
  Address of Requesting Entity: 101 West 6th Street, Suite 601, Austin, 
TX 78701
  The Big Thicket National Preserve is one of America's ecological 
treasures. It is an unusually shaped preserve whose boundaries include 
land once owned by major timber companies. When funded in full, this 
represents the final year in a seven year land acquisition program. 
This request enables the National Park Service to acquire critical land 
within the congressionally authorized boundary of the Big Thicket 
National Preserve to diversify the economic potential of southeast 
Texas through increased tourism opportunities. This project works only 
with voluntary, ``willing-seller'' landowners.
  The $1,000,000 included in this bill for this project will allow the 
National Park Service to buy approximately 500 acres of land on eight 
tracts currently held by the Conservation Fund acquired from willing 
sellers or by voluntary donation.

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