$5 billion for Massachusetts’s highways and bridges
As the only member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee from Massachusetts, Mike was instrumental in securing $3.658 billion in funding over 6 years for Massachusetts’s highways and bridges, and $1.576 billion over the same time period for transit projects. This investment in our critical infrastructure needs totaled $5.23 billion, and was a 25 percent increase over the previous multi-year transportation bill. (More on Mike’s transportation related legislative work for Massachusetts here)
Capuano and MA Congressional delegation secure funds for Fenway Community Health Center, the Museum of Science and Urban College of Boston’s educational programs
Senators Edward M. Kennedy and John F. Kerry and Congressmen Michael Capuano, Stephen F. Lynch and Edward Markey announced today, funding for the greater Boston area in the omnibus appropriations bill approved by Congress for fiscal year 2005. The total $388 billion omnibus bill funds the majority of the federal government’s domestic activities and includes nine appropriations bills: Agriculture, Commerce-Justice-State, Energy-Water, Foreign Operations, Interior, Labor-Health and Human Services-Education, Legislative Branch, Transportation-Treasury, and Veterans Administration-Housing and Urban Development. The omnibus bill now goes to the president’s desk for signature…Through this funding we were able to provide assistance to a number of worthwhile local agencies, including the Fenway Community Health Center, the Museum of Science and the Urban College of Boston’s educational programs,” stated Congressman Mike Capuano. (More here)
Capuano secured $50 million in funding for anti-genocide African Union Mission in Sudan
Capuano is a leading congressional voice on the humanitarian crisis in Darfur, cofounding and cochairing the Congressional Caucus on Sudan, securing $50 million in funding for the African Union Mission in Sudan, and urging public officials and institutions to speak out against the genocide. He called for Harvard University to divest all financial holdings from businesses with ties to the Sudanese government and said that former President George W. Bush should not attend the opening ceremonies of the 2008 Beijing Olympic games unless China pressured the Sudanese to end the violence. (More here)
Capuano sponsored or cosponsored 55 earmarks totaling $57.2 million
during fiscal 2008 and 2009, of which 29, or $18.6 million, were sponsored by him alone… Alison Mills, a spokeswoman for Capuano, said the congressman’s claim was based primarily on passage of the transportation reauthorization bill in 2005, which included $5.23 billion for Massachusetts over six years, a 25 percent increase over the previous reauthorization. (More here)
Discuss
9 Comments . Leave a comment below.I certainly do and I expect that Mike's clout on behalf of our State will be multiplied exponentially in the Senate.
Mike already has a head start in clout among his future Senate colleagues because he holds the hard earned respect and credibility of his colleagues in the House as a passionate fighter for his State and his District, and even distant places like Darfur. (Unless you think there is something wrong with that.)
I have no doubt that the other three candidates can eventually earn it, but it will take some time to learn how to work on the dreaded inside to bring home this kind and amount of concrete benefits to our State and to places like Darfur. (Unless you have a principled stand against being an insider and fighting for earmarks for you State and your district and aid to places like Darfur.)
You make a solid point about Mike's bacon-bringing abilities but why your twice-expressed dig about people being against Darfur action and fighting for one's district? Get up on the wrong side of the bed today?
Am feeling punk. sorry. I usually don't do that negative stuff.
Couldn't resist. Don't get all huffy, Cappies -- I'm just joshin' ya.
I'll keep calling it concrete benefits. How do you characterize using earmarks to bring them home? Think about it, I'm out of the office for a couple of hours.
but it's pork that keeps people from getting killed driving on failed bridges and from waiting in traffic because 128 has four lanes not three. it is $5 billion of taxpayers funds that come from federal revenue streams not state coffers. it creates jobs and takes construction workers off unemployment. earmarks help fund our community health centers in the Fenway and elsewhere.
When it's your own state/district it's a necessary project; when it's someone else's, it's "pork":)
This appropriation is from taxes all ready collected on gasoline and put in the Highway Trust Fund.
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