News
July 28, 2009
harkin secures $1.3 million for western iowa education and health care initiatives
Bill also provides additional $12 million for statewide programs, including Harkin School Construction Grants
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), Chairman of the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Subcommittee, today announced that he has secured $1.3 million for vital education and health care initiatives across western Iowa. The funding is included in the Fiscal Year 2010 bill, which was approved by the subcommittee this afternoon and will be considered by the full Appropriations Committee later this week.
The bill directs $1.3 million to western Iowa to boost health care and education programs that make a difference in the lives of Iowa families.
Statewide, Harkin’s bill provides over $12 million for specific Iowa initiatives, including $7 million for the Harkin School Grants program, which helps Iowa schools construct, repair and modernize facilities.
“This legislation is about looking to the future – a future where all kids have a chance to get a good education and attend a safe and modern school, where all Americans have a chance to develop the skills necessary to get a good job and where the most vulnerable Americans have access to the help they need, whether it is energy assistance or substance abuse treatment,” Senator Harkin said. “This bill includes $7 million to repair and build new schools in Iowa – this will create jobs and help kids learn.”
"This bill also recognizes that we must spend the public’s money wisely, and includes investments to detect waste and fraud in the unemployment benefits program, the Medicare and Medicaid programs, and in Social Security. It also includes funds to expand programs that have proven to be effective and weed out those that haven’t."
In addition to funding Iowa priorities, the bill invests in national programs that focus on addressing the nursing shortage and emphasize national service.
A full list of western Iowa and statewide initiatives that would receive funding in Harkin’s bill is below.
EDUCATION
• BUENA VISTA UNIVERSITY, STORM LAKE: $200,000 for course development needs, faculty development needs, assessment needs, and network hosting needs associated with Buena Vista University's online distance learning degree project.
• IOWA LAKES COMMUNITY COLLEGE, ESTHERVILLE: $400,000 to increase awareness of two degree programs: Construction Technology and Wind Energy & Turbine Technology. Educational equipment, such as simulation training stations, small-scale electron mechanical systems and other science equipment is needed.
HEALTH CARE
• FAMILY, INC., COUNCIL BLUFFS: $400,000 to create a national model for early childhood and family support that provides the community an integrated and sustainable campus of services to provide home visitation services to support the health and well-being of young children and their families.
• CAMP HIGH HOPES, SIOUX CITY: $300,000 to continue the design and the planning of a camp for kids with disabilities.
STATEWIDE INVESTMENTS
• HARKIN GRANTS: $7 million for the repair, construction and modernization of Iowa schools. Harkin's school construction demonstration program is intended to show that a modest infusion of federal resources can significantly contribute to the repair needs of school districts across the state. These are the only federal funds available for this purpose in the country. Since the beginning of this program, Harkin has secured more than $127 million to repair and modernize Iowa schools. Since 1998, 295 Iowa school districts have received Harkin Grants.
• IOWA ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL BOARDS: $3.55 million to continue to provide administrators, teachers, students and parents in schools and school districts with the tools they need as well as guidance and expertise, to put essential standards and accountability in place to realize the goals of the No Child Left Behind.
• IOWA RADIO READING INFORMATION SERVICES (IRIS) FOR THE BLIND AND PRINT HANDICAPPED, INC.: $100,000 to provide digital receivers to the end users, allowing IRIS's blind reading service audio to be broadcast digitally on Iowa Public Television's digital transmission.
• AMERICAN OPTOMETRIC ASSOCIATION FOUNDATION FOR SCIENCE, EDUCATION AND CHARITY, AND THE AMERICAN OPTOMETRIC ASSOCIATION: $90,000 to support the InfantSEE program in the State of Iowa to provide professional eye care for infants.
• FREE CLINICS OF IOWA: $350,000 to continue the statewide support to provide assistance to member free clinic operations. Funds would also be used for a specialty referral program coordinated through Polk County Medical Society.
• IOWA STATE EDUCATION ASSOCIATION: $133,000 to provide Iowa’s students and educators with a variety of opportunities to explore and analyze the challenges and issues surrounding international trade and globalization from multiple perspectives. The program will focus on the interdependence of political, social, and economic factors.
• PE4LIFE FOUNDATION: $300,000 to assist in the promotion of health life style skills, started at early ages and to encourage the use of these health life skills through every stage of life.
• DELTA DENTAL OF IOWA: $150,000 for dental student loan repayment and recruitment.
• IOWA HEALTHCARE COLLABORATIVE: $500,000 to create a multi-state learning collaborative focused on the deployment of LEAN IN Initiative and other process improvement tools to assist with improving the efficiency and effectiveness of healthcare.
