[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 185 (Thursday, December 10, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2932-E2933]
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

                      Wednesday, December 9, 2009

  Mr. BRADY of Texas. Madam Speaker, pursuant to the Republican 
leadership standards on earmarks, I am submitting the following 
information regarding earmarks my district received as part of H.R. 
3288--Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2010.
  Requesting Member: Congressman Kevin Brady, Texas 8th Congressional 
District
  Bill Number: H.R. 3288--Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2010
  Project: 1-69 Texas Environmental Studies, TX
  Account: Interstate Maintenance Discretionary, Federal Highway 
Administration
  Requesting Entity: Alliance for I-69 Texas, Texas Department of 
Transportation
  Address of Requesting Entity: 1200 Smith, Suite 700, Houston, TX 
77002
  The original I-69 project began in 1991 and involves long-planned 
upgrades of US 59, 277 and 281 to interstate standards to increase 
motorist safety and mobility in the Houston and East Texas region. It 
is, thankfully, no longer included in the ill-fated Trans Texas 
Corridor. The original project enjoys the support of a broad 
collaboration of mayors, county judges, economic development groups, 
chambers of commerce and transportation officials from dozens of Texas 
communities, including several in the Eighth Congressional District. 
The $500,000 I requested on behalf of the Texas leaders of the I-69 
coalition will provide the Texas Department of Transportation funding 
to complete the necessary environmental studies to begin construction 
on these much needed upgrades.
  This bill also credits me, four of my colleagues in the House and our 
two distinguished Senators as requesting an additional $1.5 million 
under the Interstate Maintenance Discretionary and the Surface 
Transportation Priorities accounts. I appreciate the support of my 
colleagues and the Committee for this important project. I know the 
additional funds are greatly needed. However, in all honesty, the other 
members deserve credit for these funds since I submitted only the 
original $500,000 funding for the environmental studies.
  Requesting Member: Congressman Kevin Brady, Texas 8th Congressional 
District
  Bill Number: H.R. 3288--Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2010
  Project: The District Capital Cost of Contracting, Montgomery County, 
TX
  Account: Buses and Bus Facilities, Federal Transit Administration
  Requesting Entity: The Brazos Transit District (The District)
  Address of Requesting Entity: 1759 N. Earl Rudder Freeway, Bryan, 
Texas 77803
  This request helps provide an important transportation service to 
over 700,000 Montgomery County commuters each year through four Park-
and-Ride facilities. It also helps provide regular van service for East 
Texas veterans to VA facilities in the region. Through these services, 
the funding also helps reduce congestion along Interstate 45 and helps 
the region meet its clear air goals.
  The $1,000,000 included in this bill reduces the equipment costs of 
providing these transportation services.
  Requesting Member: Congressman Kevin Brady, Texas 8th Congressional 
District
  Bill Number: H.R. 3288--Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2010
  Project: Pulmonary Hypertension Awareness Program
  Account: Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease 
Control and Prevention

[[Page E2933]]

  Requesting Entity: Pulmonary Hypertension Association
  Address of Requesting Entity: 801 Roeder Rd., Suite 400, Silver 
Spring, MD 20910
  I have supported strengthening Pulmonary Hypertension (PH) education 
for over ten years; and for this reason and for the third year in a 
row, I have requested funding to strengthen and continue a successful 
partnership between the non-profit Pulmonary 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 will 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 $250,000 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.
  I also appreciate the Committee's support through report language 
encouraging further collaboration and research efforts on pulmonary 
hypertension within government agencies. The efforts of these 
organizations on issues including lung transplantation, the 
establishment of a PH Clinical Research Network and the increase in 
pulmonary hypertension diagnoses related to the abuse of 
methamphetamine will further our understanding of this disease.
  Requesting Member: Congressman Kevin Brady, Texas 8th Congressional 
District
  Bill Number: H.R. 3288--Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2010
  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
  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 Regional Crime Laboratory 
started with funding I previously secured. This lab will provide 
important forensics services to local law enforcement such as 
identification of controlled substances, toxicology screening and 
fingerprint matching. The lab will be able to service communities in a 
75-mile wide area.
  The $1,000,000 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: capital outlays (54%); salaries and benefits for laboratory 
staff (37%); lab supplies (8%); and subcontracts for staff training 
(1%).

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