[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 173 (Wednesday, December 22, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2238-E2240]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          FEDERAL GRANTS AND APPROPRIATIONS FOR LOCAL PROJECTS

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JOHN J. HALL

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, December 22, 2010

  Mr. HALL of New York. Madam Speaker, I would like to submit the 
following:
  I was proud to bring millions of federal dollars home to local 
taxpayers. New Yorkers pay more in federal taxes than New York receives 
in federal funding support, so I worked hard to bring additional 
dollars back home for local projects, thereby reducing the burden on 
local property taxpayers.


                             orange county

  Obtained $19.6m from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for 
infrastructure upgrades and renovations at the U.S. Military Academy at 
West Point.
  Obtained $4.4m from the U.S. Department of Transportation for 
improved runway lighting and resurfacing at Stewart Airport, thereby 
increasing its air traffic capacity. The new lighting improves both 
energy efficiency and public safety during take offs and landings.
  Obtained $3.6m from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for 
repairs and renovations at the Stewart Air National Guard base.
  Obtained over $3.5m from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act 
for energy efficiency improvements in Orange County.
  Obtained $2.3m for the Highland Falls-Fort Montgomery Central School 
District, including $1.5m in federal impact aid and $800,000 in federal 
funding to improve science and technology programs.
  Obtained $2m in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding to 
construct a new water filtration plant for the Village of Warwick.

[[Page E2239]]

  Obtained $1.33m in federal funding to support the Newburgh-Beacon 
ferry enabling easier access to public transportation for commuters.
  Obtained $597,000 from the Department of Homeland Security for five 
local fire departments, including Greenville Fire Department; the Slate 
Hill and New Hampton Fire Departments in Wawayanda; and the Johnson and 
the Unionville Fire Departments in Minisink.
  Obtained $564,000 from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for 
improvement projects at Greenwood Lake.
  Obtained $394,000 in federal funding to replace the Hambletonian 
Water Main in Goshen which improved water quality and saved property 
tax dollars.
  Obtained $245,600 in federal funds for the Hudson Valley Agricultural 
Viability Program that will create jobs and attract private investment 
in local farms.
  Obtained $110,000 for the Port Jervis Police Department to upgrade 
their outdated communications system.
  Obtained $160,000 in federal funding for the Monroe Police 
Department.
  Obtained $95,300 in federal funding for St. Anthony Community 
Hospital in Warwick for their Wound Care Program.
  Obtained a $78,683 Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant 
from the U.S. Dept of Justice to improve public safety in Orange County 
through increased police patrols and improved equipment and technology.
  Assisted in obtaining almost $72,000 for Museum Village.
  Obtained a $66,500 Department of Homeland Security grant for the 
South Blooming Grove Fire District.
  Obtained $60,000 for the Woodbury Police Department.
  Obtained $40,000 for the Quassaick Bridge Fire District.


                           Westchester County

  Obtained over $13m for improvements to I-684.
  Obtained $6.75m from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for 
infrastructure upgrades and renovations of patient care areas at the 
FDR Veterans Hospital in Montrose.
  Obtained $6.1m from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for 
infrastructure improvements at the Camp Smith National Guard Training 
Site in Cortlandt.
  Obtained $5m from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for a 
water treatment plant for the Peach Lake community in North Salem. The 
new water treatment plant will help restore the quality of the lake and 
create local jobs.
  Obtained almost $2m for improvements at the Croton-Harmon train 
station including flood prevention and infrastructure upgrades.
  Obtained $1.96m in federal funding for reconstruction and 
improvements to Route 6 in Cortlandt.
  Assisted in obtaining $1.3m from the Dept of Energy for the Bedford-
Northern Westchester Energy Action Coalition.
  Obtained over $1.1m for improvements to the Annsville Circle in 
Cortlandt.
  Obtained $665,000 in federal funding to improve the Peekskill 
Downtown Business District including sidewalk improvements, 
landscaping, and lighting upgrades on Main Street.
  Obtained $332,000 from the U.S. Department of Justice for the 
Westchester County Forensic Science Laboratory, to improve the quality 
and timeliness of medical examiner services, thereby reducing the case 
backlog.
  Obtained $325,000 from the federal Drug Free Communities Support 
Program for programs sponsored by the Village of Croton-on-Hudson, 
Alliance for Safe Kids in Cortlandt Manor, and the Town of Cortlandt.
  Obtained over $300,000 for programs at the Yorktown Senior Center.
  Obtained $196,000 in federal funding for improvements at the South 
Salem library.
  Obtained $120,000 from the Department of Homeland Security for the 
Goldens Bridge Volunteer Fire Department.
  Assisted in obtaining $115,000 for the Katonah Museum of Art.
  Obtained 98,400 in federal funding for A-HOME to build an affordable 
home for a first responder in Lewisboro, using the most state of the 
art energy efficient technologies.
  Obtained $95,300 in federal funding for the new emergency department 
at the Northern Westchester Hospital in Mount Kisco.
  Obtained $87,000 for the Katonah Fire Department.
  Obtained $70,000 in federal funding for the Pound Ridge Police 
Department for communications systems that will improve emergency 
response capabilities.
  Obtained $47,000 in federal funding for education programs at the Van 
Cortlandt Manor historic site in the Village of Croton-on-Hudson.


                            Dutchess County

  Obtained $8.22m from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for 
infrastructure and energy efficiency improvements at Castle Point 
Veterans Hospital.
  Obtained $3.6m from the U.S. Department of Transportation for 
improvements in public transportation including local busses and bus 
facilities in Poughkeepsie.
  Obtained $2.4m for the development and manufacture of night vision 
goggles by E-Magin, located in Dutchess County. These goggles improve 
the safety of our troops in the field, while creating local 
manufacturing jobs.
  Obtained $330,000 from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to 
help retrofit stormwater systems in East Fishkill and Beekman.
  Obtained $314,000 for Hudson River Housing in Poughkeepsie to assist 
in rehabilitating affordable homes and creating opportunities for local 
financing.
  Obtained $196,000 in federal funding for the Village of Wappingers 
Falls to create Consentino Park.
  Secured Dyson Foundation grant funding of $108,000 for Arlington High 
School's club ACTION students to install solar panels on the roof the 
High School.
  Obtained $98,600 for the Glenham Fire District.
  Obtained $86,000 in federal funding for technology improvements at 
the St. Francis Hospital emergency room.
  Obtained $77,000 for the Fishkill Fire Department.
  Obtained $66,000 in federal funding to install solar panels on the 
Beacon Municipal Building.
  Obtained $61,750 from the Department of Homeland Security for the 
Wappingers Falls Fire Department.


                             Putnam County

  Obtained $1.9m from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for a 
water treatment plant for the Peach Lake community in Southeast. The 
new water treatment plant will help restore the quality of the lake and 
create local jobs.
  Obtained $1.6m for upgrades to roads in Kent.
  Obtained $400,000 in federal funding for Putnam Valley for their Lake 
Oscawana Management and Restoration Plan, saving money for local 
property taxpayers while improving water quality.
  Obtained $192,000 in federal funding for Putnam Hospital Center's 
comprehensive cancer care program.
  Obtained $190,000 from the Department of Homeland Security for the 
Mahopac Volunteer Fire Department.
  Obtained $145,000 for the Carmel Police Department for a police 
vehicle video system.
  Obtained $125,000 from the federal Drug Free Communities Support 
Program for programs implemented through Putnam's Council for 
Alcoholism and Other Drugs.
  Obtained $106,000 for equipment for the Kent Fire District.


                            Rockland County

  Obtained over $15m for improvements to the Palisades Parkway.
  Obtained $2.5m for road improvements in downtown Haverstraw.
  Obtained $383,000 in federal funding for the Stony Point Ambulance 
Corps.
  Obtained $352,500 in federal funding for youth gang prevention 
programs.
  Helped obtain $297,000 from the U.S. Department of Education for the 
North Rockland Central School District.
  Obtained $188,000 for the Thiells-Roseville Fire District.
  Obtained $66,000 for the Stony Point Police Department to maintain a 
full time school resource officer at the James A. Farley Middle School.


                          Constituent Services

  Casework: One of the aspects of the job that I find most rewarding is 
the ability to assist local constituents with individual problems. In 
many of these cases the constituent needs assistance cutting through 
the federal bureaucracy to get the attention they need to their 
individual situation. Although I believe that people shouldn't need to 
turn to their Congressional office in order to get their cases 
resolved, I am happy to be able to assist when such instances occur.
  My Congressional office resolved thousands of constituent service 
cases, which included providing assistance to Veterans, Seniors with 
Medicare and Social Security concerns, foreclosure and mortgage 
assistance to homeowners, families seeking adoptions, and expediting 
passports. The Congressional office provided assistance to constituents 
trying to reach family members during natural disasters overseas such 
as Haiti and Chile. In many of these cases our assistance made a real 
difference in people's daily lives.
  Some specific examples of the hundreds of successful results achieved 
by the Congressional office are described below.
  Veterans: Obtained well over $2 million in retroactive payments and 
benefits for individual local veterans earned but never received from 
the Veterans Administration due to administrative backlogs and errors. 
These awards ranged from a few dollars to over $100,000 depending on 
the type of injury, level of disability, and length of the VA delay in 
processing the case.

[[Page E2240]]

  Successfully assisted many local Veterans in receiving long over due 
combat medals such as medals from World War 2 for a Mahopac veteran and 
several Purple Heart recipients.
  Awarded the prestigious Air Medal to former flight crewmembers of the 
336th Medical Detachment, and Army Reserve Helicopter Ambulance unit in 
a ceremony at Stewart Airport. The 60 men and women of the 336th 
Medical Detachment, trained as Medevac pilots, helicopter crew chiefs 
and medics, evacuated sick and wounded soldiers from the battlefield. 
Due to adverse field conditions and administrative oversight, the 
unit's flight crews did not receive their Air Medals until my office 
intervened on their behalf.
  Social Security: Assistance was provided to constituents such as 
explaining eligibility for disability benefits; facilitating 
communication between beneficiaries and local SSA offices; assisting in 
setting up payment schedules for overpayments to beneficiaries' 
accounts; reinstatement of disability benefits that were incorrectly 
stopped; expediting appeal hearings, expediting the processing of 
retroactive checks in favorable disability cases that included amounts 
in excess of $100,000; removal of overpayments that were mistakenly put 
onto beneficiaries' records; and assisting with the appeal of an 
overpayment waiver request.
  For example--
  Expedited a Social Security appeals hearing for a constituent who 
suffered major spinal injuries, was unable to work and facing 
bankruptcy. The case was found fully favorable to the constituent.
  Expedited a retroactive payment in a Social Security disability case 
for $79,000.
  Helped get a Social Security disability appeals hearing for a woman 
suffering from a tick-borne illness similar to Lyme's Disease. The 
appeal was expedited and she was awarded more than $1,800 in monthly 
benefits and more than $65,000 in retroactive benefits, and found 
eligible for Medicare.
  Medicare: Facilitated reimbursement for Durable Medical Equipment and 
other services.
  Helped remove surcharge on Part B, premium and processing of 
retroactive payment.
  Internal Revenue Service: Expedited processing of refund and economic 
stimulus payments.
  Helped change filing status for taxpayer.
  Department of Labor: Challenged denial of prescription coverage for a 
drug that was in a beneficiary's plan.
  Assisted in having overpaid monthly COBRA premium credited toward 
future monthly premiums.
  Assisted with having COBRA premium reduction applied to several 
beneficiaries who did not initially receive it.
  Federal Trade Commission: Worked with constituents and relevant 
credit agencies to fix mistakes on credit reports.
  Visiting Washington DC: When constituents, school groups, and local 
organizations visit Washington DC, my office helps arrange tours, and 
can help with other aspects of the visits. I make every effort to 
personally greet local visitors. In 2009 my office arranged and gave 
over 700 tours of the Capitol to local families, school classes, and 
other visitors from the 19th Congressional District. The office also 
assisted with information including assistance in arranging for tours 
of other significant sites in Washington.
  Service Academy Nominations: Each year my Congressional office 
submits nominations of local students to our nation's military service 
academies including the U.S. Military Academy at West Point (USMA), 
Naval (USNA), Air Force (USAFA), and Merchant Marine (USMMA) Academies. 
I consider it a great honor to be able to nominate top local students 
who will become the next generation of military leaders. During my two 
terms in office, I was proud to serve on the U.S. Military Academy's 
Board of Visitors.

                          ____________________