Del. Delegation: First State To Receive $97-Million Through Appropriations Bill

An appropriations bill making its way through Congress would direct $97-million to Delaware for various projects.
Schools, higher education, small business, healthcare and infrastructure-related projects and organizations would get support under the legislation, according to Senator Tom Carper, Senator Chris Coons and Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester (all Delaware Democrats)

The chairs of the Senate and House Appropriations Committees last year announced their intent to restore the constitutional power of Congress to approve congressionally directed spending items with enhanced transparency and accountability measures.

“I am glad that we were able to secure funding for projects that will help communities up and down the First State,” Carper said.  “These investments will help foster innovation at our universities, grow our economy, provide affordable housing and infrastructure investments, deliver health care to the far reaches of our state, improve public safety, and invest in our children.”

“Investing in Delaware has always been a top priority of mine since arriving in Washington,” Blunt Rochester said. “Today represents the product of a year-long effort to listen to Delawareans’ needs and fight to secure the funding they deserve.”

“Over the past year, I’ve spoken with dozens of groups in Delaware to determine what projects the federal government can fund that will make the biggest impact in our communities. As a member of the Appropriations Committee, I’m proud to say today that I’ve helped advance a transformative series of projects that will make a huge, targeted impact on our state,” Coons said. “With nearly $90 million directed toward key Delaware projects, we will soon be building critical infrastructure that Delawareans themselves have told our congressional delegation is needed, creating jobs and opportunity along the way. When we pass this bill and send it to President Biden’s desk, we can know that Delaware’s future has better services, cleaner parks, and stronger infrastructure.”

Among stated Sussex County appropriations:

-$750-thousand would go to the Nanticoke Association Cultural Community Center and Food Bank Capital Improvements for upgrading and expansion of the community center in Millsboro.

-TidalHealth would get $350-thousand to outfit a mobile health van and create a mobile clinic to address health disparities and poor health outcomes in disadvantaged communities in western Sussex County.

Statewide projects:

• $17,500,000 to provide a critical fuel cell and corrosion control hangar for the Delaware National Guard in New Castle.

• $10,000,000 to Reach Riverside in Wilmington to support the construction of a new community center as part of the redevelopment of the Riverside Neighborhood in Wilmington.

• $750,000 to the Friends of Hockessin Colored School #107 in Hockessin to transform the landmark, which played a pivotal role in our nation’s history as one of the five foundational cases in the Brown v. Board of Education decision, into a Center for Diversity, Inclusion, and Social Equity.

• $750,000 for the Nanticoke Association Cultural Community Center and Food Bank Capital Improvements to support the upgrade and expansion of the Nanticoke Indian Association’s community center in Millsboro.

• $100,000 to the Richard Allen Coalition to provide much-needed repairs to the historic Richard Allen Historic School, a landmark designated by the Delaware Public Archives that serves as a bipartisan, multiracial source of community and pride.

• $937,500 for the New Castle Agricultural Programming Building at the Delaware State Fair in Harrington.

• $1,900,000 to the Delaware Criminal Justice Council for the Statewide Violence Reduction Project to fund evidence-based violence intervention programs.

• $1,600,000 to the Delaware Criminal Justice Council for a Statewide Body-Worn Camera Project that will help provide the necessary resources for Delaware to be the first state in the nation to have every law enforcement officer equipped with a body-worn camera.

• $1,000,000 to Delaware State University for the Center for Urban Revitalization and Entrepreneurship to promote small business incubators in Kent County.

• $275,000 to the Delaware Division of Libraries to provide telehealth access for rural and underserved communities across Delaware.

• $350,000 to TidalHealth Nanticoke to outfit a mobile health van and create a mobile clinic to help address health disparities and poor health outcomes in disadvantaged communities within Western Sussex County.

More from Sen. Coons: CLICK HERE

More from Sen. Carper: CLICK HERE

More from Rep. Blunt Rochester: CLICK HERE