| Issue Statements - Priorities |
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Securing Federal Funds for California
California has been particularly hard hit by the economic downturn. Our state has skyrocketing unemployment, and many local communities are struggling to cover the costs of basic services like education, public safety and transportation. At the same time, we can’t afford to defer key investments in a 21st Century infrastructure — like high-speed rail, modernized water systems that meet environmental standards, goods movement corridors, and cleaner and more efficient energy.
California, the most populous state and the nation’s top economic driver, is a “donor state.” We consistently pay 20 percent more in federal tax dollars than we receive back in federal investment and services.
Each year, the Congressional Budget Resolution sets the overall spending limits for the federal government. This year's budget was approved on April 29, President Obama's 100th day in office. Once the Budget is passed, the Appropriations Committee begins to consider the specific annual funding levels for each federal department and program.
During this annual process, I request congressionally directed spending for California (sometimes referred to as “earmarks”), directing federal funding to a specific location for a particular purpose that benefits the state. Examples of these activities include: flood control levees; airport, rail, highway and mass transit improvements; drinking water and wastewater infrastructure; gang crime prevention and intervention programs; and agricultural research.
Every year, I receive thousands of requests for assistance from cities, counties, water and utility districts, transportation agencies, and others. I carefully review and evaluate these requests — and choose to submit a selection of these projects to the Committee. Projects most likely to receive consideration are regionally beneficial, publicly supported, and have been prioritized by local elected officials. The final outcome for any request will not be known until the bill has been approved by the House and Senate, and signed into law by the President.
On this page, I will post my requests for Fiscal Year 2010, which are due to the Appropriations Committee by May 15, 2009.
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