FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 17, 2007
CONTACT: Geoff Embler or Matt Mackowiak
Sen. Hutchison Finishes Three Day, 1,000 Mile West Texas Bus Tour
Town Hall Meetings in 12 Cities Provided Opportunity to Hear the Concerns of Texans
MINERAL WELLS, TX -- Texas’ senior Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R–TX) today completed a three day, 12 city, 1,000 mile bus tour of West Texas during which she met with countless Texans to listen to their concerns and discuss with them the issues they care most about.
“This was an amazing opportunity to meet with Texans and hear what is really on their minds,” Sen. Hutchison said. “After hearing their concerns, I know I can be more responsive to their needs.”
The tour included stops in Borger, Dumas, Canyon, Plainview, Lubbock, Lamesa, Big Spring, Midland, San Angelo, Abilene, Eastland and Mineral Wells.
Of particular interest to West Texas, Sen. Hutchison has recently:
• Secured over $56 million for Goodfellow AFB, including major funding for the Wing Support Complex, new student dorms, fitness center renovations, and upgrades to the fire training facility
• Secured $100,000 in this year’s Agriculture Appropriations bill for wool research at the Texas A&M Research and Extension Center in San Angelo. Sen. Hutchison has secured over S1.5 million for this research center in past years.
• Secured $200,000 in this year’s Transportation and Housing and Urban Development Appropriations bill for the relocation and expansion of the Tom Green County Library, the only public library
• Secured $450,000 in Fiscal Years 2004 and 2005 for the Innovative Low Income Housing Finance Initiative, which provides funding for the City of San Angelo to establish revolving loan funds for families and individuals who don't qualify for home loans due to medical bills or other needs
• Supported $3 billion in emergency agricultural assistance, which compensates agricultural producers for losses in 2005, 2006, and early 2007
THE $3 BILLION INCLUDES
- $1.55 billion in crop loss assistance
- $1.2 billion to fund the Livestock Compensation Program (LCP)
--Those eligible include producers of beef, dairy, poultry, hogs, sheep, goats, and catfish, in any county that was declared a disaster area by the President or the Secretary of Agriculture between Jan. 1, 2005 and Feb. 28, 2007
- $29 million for the Livestock Indemnity Program to reimburse producers for replacing livestock killed in a natural disaster
- $16 million to dairy producers for production losses in disaster-designated counties
- $16 million in additional funding for the Emergency Conservation Program (ECP) to assist farmers in the cleanup and restoration of farmland damaged by a natural disaster
• Secured $300,000 in this year’s Agriculture Appropriations Bill, which the Senate is expected to consider in September; this funding supports research on air quality, reducing feedlot emissions, improving sustainability of cattle feeding and dairy operations
Sen. Hutchison is a member of the Senate Republican Leadership as Chairman of the Republican Policy Committee and is a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee.
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