SENATE PASSES OMNIBUS SPENDING BILL; FUNDING FOR EDUCATION, VETERANS HEALTH CARE & HEATING ASSISTANCE

Washington, D.C. -- Senator Susan Collins voted in favor of the fiscal year 2004 Omnibus Spending Bill, which was approved by the U.S. Senate today by a vote of 65 to 28. Collins' vote was crucial in securing $296.4 million for key projects in Maine, such as construction of a new Waldo-Hancock Bridge, the Maine Manufacturing Extension Project, and the National Cold Water Aquaculture program in Franklin. Passage of the bill also ensures more funding for important national programs, such as Pell Grants, Head Start, and the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Programs.

"Thousands of Mainers and millions of Americans will benefit from the programs that we supported today, including veterans, students, and low-income families," said Senator Collins. "This bill was not perfect and I would have preferred to have considered each spending bill separately under the normal appropriations process. But we had to act now, to provide funding for the many important programs and projects that are covered by this legislation."

President Bush is now expected to sign the bill. The Omnibus Spending Bill combined seven FY 2004 appropriations bills: Agriculture, Veterans Affairs-HUD, Labor-HHS-Education, Commerce-Justice-State-Judiciary, Transportation-Treasury, Foreign Operations, and District of Columbia.

Examples of national funding initiatives that are included in the Omnibus spending bill are as follows:

· Veterans medical care spending will receive $28.6 billion, a $3.1 billion increase

· The FBI will be funded at $4.64 billion, a $423 million increase. The additional funding provides the agency with the ability to support 2,300 new agents

· Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) will receive a $112 million increase, including more than $3 million for Maine.

· Pell grants will receive $12.1 billion, a $700 million increase

· AmeriCorps will be fully funded at $313 billion, a $40 million increase

· Head Start spending will be increased from $6.65 billion to $6.8 billion

Examples of Maine projects that are included in the Omnibus spending bill are as follows:

· $4 million for the Waldo-Hancock Bridge

· $1.25 million for Maine statewide bus and bus facilities

· $200,000 for the Central Maine Technical College and Western Maine University to assist in developing a technical college center

· $250,000 for the Workforce Investment Board for Aroostook and Washington Counties to improve the job climate in the health care sector

· $300,000 for wastewater infrastructure improvements in Sanford

· $650,000 to upgrade University of Southern Maine's laboratory space

· $270,000 for the National Cold Water Aquaculture center in Franklin

· $400,000 for the Maine Rural Substance Abuse Partnership

· $237,000 for the University of Maine's low bush blueberry research

· $400,000 for the Maine Manufacturing Extension Project in Augusta

· $300,000 for the Kennebec Valley Community College for a healthcare career training initiative