WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill applauded the announcement that the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Rural Development program will provide approximately $19 million in low-interest government loan funding for the Texas County Memorial Hospital. With the money, the hospital is planning to add on to its facility and renovate existing facilities, improving and expanding the services offered and bringing new jobs and better health care services in the Texas County region.

Earlier this year, the hospital was notified that the funds they had applied for would no longer be available to applications. McCaskill advocated for the USDA to give the hospital the opportunity to apply for other funding through the agency. The $19 million loan announced today is coming from unused Rural Development funds, and is not an additional appropriation.

After the announcement, McCaskill made the following statement.

"Houston is my hometown, and I'm so pleased to hear that USDA has announced they will be able to fund the Texas County Hospital project. I fought hard to help the Texas County Memorial Hospital project receive full consideration when I learned the money they needed was no longer available, but they earned this money on the merits of the project and its importance in the region. By expanding and renovating the facility, the hospital will be able to provide better health care services to more people while creating jobs in the area. "