(Washington, DC) - Congresswoman Corrine Brown made the following statement:

"The 111th Congress should be an exciting time for Central Florida and the nation.  With a new Democratic administration in charge, addressing the economic and housing crisis, and passing a Children’s health care (S-CHIP) bill, will be among my top priorities.  In addition, adequate funding and new policy directions in the areas of health care and education, a pro environmental agenda, a new direction in international relations, and a restoration of fiscal responsibility in Washington, will be among my other main objectives for the upcoming session.

For the state of Florida overall, the most recent Transportation Committee stimulus proposal would allocate significant funding increases in various areas, and if distributed strictly through formula funding, Florida would receive approximately $1.5 billion.  Specifically, the federal government would provide nearly $1 billion for highways & bridges in the state; hundreds of thousands of dollars for the State’s Transit Capital & Energy, as well as funding for Clean Water projects.  In fact, Central Florida alone has $200 million in construction-ready road projects where the planning, design and right-of-way phases have been completed.  And according to a study done by the American Association of State Highways and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), Florida has five ready to go projects, totaling $635 million, which could begin construction in 90 days or less.  Certainly, Transportation and Infrastructure funding is absolutely critical to the state of Florida, and will be a tremendous economic and job creating boost for us at this critical time.  Florida, like states nationwide, will benefit by receiving an improved transportation infrastructure, which in turn creates economic development and puts people to work.  In fact, Department of Transportation (DOT) statistics show that for every $1 billion invested in transportation infrastructure, 42,000 jobs are created, as is $2.1 billion in economic activity.

For Central Florida, as Railroad subcommittee chair of the House Transportation Committee, in the upcoming stimulus package discussions which will begin early next year and during negotiations for the six year transportation reauthorization funding bill (TEA-LU) which will also initiate next year, I will be pushing strongly for numerous funding opportunities for Central Florida.  Among the key projects I will be advocating for that will directly benefit the Central Florida area include:  the necessary ancillary infrastructure needs for all phases of the Central Florida Commuter Rail line, increased funding for LYNX buses, ‘six –laning’ road projects in Orange County, 'four-laning' projects in Osceola and Seminole Counties, and other area I-4 reliever projects throughout Central Florida.

Another objective I have for the Central Florida area is to ensure that the funding and construction continue on track for the Orlando area VA Medical Hospital.  As a 16 year Member of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, I have worked tirelessly to make sure that the veterans of Central Florida are able to go to a nearby medical canter for the care they earned through their service.  The project finally broke ground after an earmark I requested in the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act, for over $220 million, was appropriated for Fiscal Year 2009.

For 25 years, Central Florida has been trying to get a VA Medical Center, and for 25 years, one thing or another stood in the way of this project becoming a reality.  Since arriving in Washington, I worked to obtain a hospital in the area - an item that remained one of my top committee priorities - until it finally came to fruition this year.

I believe that it is of utmost importance that the veterans of the Central Florida region have a VA Medical Center that will serve their needs and I am especially pleased it will be co-located with the new University of Central Florida State Medical School (an urban medical complex), in an area where doctors and research professionals can work collaboratively on the needs of our area veterans.  As many studies have shown, teaching hospitals provide the best care, and for the VA and our area veterans to have access to this resource is invaluable.  This is a win-win for everyone, and the veterans in the Central Florida area are truly deserving of this facility, and I pledge to provide oversight to ensure that it opens in a timely fashion.

One other priority that I believe will directly benefit Florida is the passage of an S-CHIP bill (State Children’s Insurance Program).  In the 111th Congress, with a new administration and an even greater Democratic majority in Congress, I believe we can get a bill passed this session.

When passed, S-CHIP legislation would provide coverage for over four million uninsured children in low-income families, derail cuts in doctors’ Medicare payments, and raise the federal cigarette tax 45 cents a pack, to 84 cents.  Florida’s KidCare for example (Florida’s CHIP program) covered 303,595 children in 2006, yet 718,603 children in our State remain uninsured.  S-CHIP legislation would provide Florida with approximately $2.54 billion in new federal funding and an opportunity to get more children covered.  And states like Florida need to step up to the plate and fund their CHIP programs to the fullest extent.

S-CHIP would provide continued health insurance to six million children around the nation that are already covered and add an additional five million children who currently lack health insurance nationwide.  Indeed, the number of uninsured children in the country is outright embarrassing.  When passed, S-CHIP will provide 616,801 children in Florida with quality health coverage; take children out of the emergency rooms and ensure that they don’t delay their health care needs until the last minute by foregoing regular checkups and preventive care."

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