Funding Priorities in our Community

Since becoming a member of the Appropriations Committee, I have new oversight responsibilities for the spending of federal dollars, as well as an increased role in the prioritization of federal spending.

For too long, the process of Congressional funding requests – sometimes known as “earmarks” – lacked transparency and accountability, leading some members of Congress to abuse it and the public trust. Since assuming the majority in 2007, Congressional Democrats have instituted wide-ranging reforms, including ensuring that every American can easily determine which member of Congress has submitted a request that receives funding.

Below you will find a list of my funding requests that have been included in this year's appropriations legislation.

• Labor, Health & Human Services, and Education
• Transportation, Housing and Urban Development
• Commerce, Justice and Science
• The Interior and Environment
• Energy and Water
• Homeland Security
• Defense

Labor, Health & Human Services, and Education

Asian Americans for Community Involvement (AACI) for improvements to the AACI Health Center ($361,571) - Funds will go to install two negative pressure rooms in AACI's community health clinic, purchase infection control and respiratory protection equipment, and support training of the clinic's health professionals.  The rooms are helpful in controlling the spread of contagious diseases such as tuberculosis (TB). The incidence of TB is especially high among Asian immigrants. Approximately 30% of Santa Clara County residents are Asian and AACI provides the only Asian-focused community health clinic in the County.

Services for New Americans program, City of San Jose ($191,593) - Funds will be used to design and implement a life-skills program to help immigrants succeed socially and economically and provide workshops on health education, job seeking, citizenship, and family safety/resettlement.  Nearly 37% of San Jose residents were born outside of the United States, and 16.3% entered the country between 1990 and 2000. The largest immigrant groups in Santa Clara County are Hispanic, Vietnamese, Filipino, Chinese, and Asian Indian. Each program area will consist of at least five workshops presented in Chinese, English, Spanish, and Vietnamese.

Early Start/Great Start School Readiness Initiative, City of San Jose ($191,593) - Funds will be used to develop and implement curriculum for early childhood education classes involving parents and children to address a lack of school readiness of children in San Jose, with a focus on the Latino community.

Healthy Women, Healthy Choices Program, Community Health Partnership (CHP) ($191,593) - Funds will go to improving the Healthy Women, Healthy Choices (HWHC) program model to better serve medically under-served Spanish and Vietnamese speaking populations in the County.  HWHC aims to increase health status of medically under-served mid-life women by providing comprehensive health education and promoting adoption of healthier behaviors through community workshops and provider trainings.

Gardner South County Health Center, Gardner Family Health Network, Inc. ($286,899) - Funds will go to expansion of an existing community health clinic in Gilroy in order to offer pharmacy services to clinic patients.  The Gilroy area was identified as the highest need area in Santa Clara County by the United Way, with an estimated 22,000 low income people in need of health services.  The pharmacy will enable Gardner South County Health Center to provide more comprehensive health and dental care to low income and uninsured patients.

India Community Center Free Clinic, India Community Center ($286,899) - Funds will go to the renovation of the existing community center to create a health clinic which will provide free basic medical screenings, prescriptions, basic treatment and counseling to all medically under-served members of the community.  India Community Center Free Clinic will provide culturally and linguistically competent health care to the high number of South Asian immigrants in Santa Clara County.

Learning Commons and Library, Santa Clara University ($478,492) - Funding would be used for outfitting the Learning Commons and Library with technology in order to better serve students and the community.

Citizenship Application Assistance, Services, Immigrant Rights and Education Network (SIREN) ($95,305) - Funds will go to assist immigrants through the citizenship process and attain self-sufficiency.  SIREN estimates that they will assist 300 immigrants on their citizenship application and outreach to 3,000 immigrants through its Information and Referral Hotline, fliers distributed at events and ESL classes, and citizenship orientations. Funding will also assist SIREN with their county-wide, annual "Citizenship Day."

Transportation, Housing and Urban Development

San Tomas Expressway Box Culvert Repairs, County of Santa Clara ($490,000) - Recent inspection of the structure by the county revealed significant erosion and etching of the concrete surface of the culvert. Continued wear could ultimately lead to collapse of the structure.  Funding will contribute to the county's repair efforts.

Sobrato Transitional Center, Emergency Housing Consortium ($196,000) - With the closing of the National Guard Armory in Gilroy, Southern Santa Clara County has been left without a year-round homeless shelter.  These funds will support the creation of a new, 140 bed multi-service facility, providing 75 emergency shelter beds and 65 transitional beds for homeless adults and families. Case management, meals, medical services, vocational services, computer education, parenting workshops to be provided. EHC expects that 2,200 individuals will be served per year.

First-time Homebuyer Assistance Program, Housing Trust of Santa Clara County ($147,000) - The First Time Homebuyer Assistance Program provides interest free closing cost loans to low- and moderate- income households for their first home purchase in the county.  Funds will be used for a variety of purposes, including closing costs, down payment and other assistance allowed by the primary lender.

High Occupancy Toll (HOT) Lane Demonstration Project, Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority ($490,000) - HOT lanes are being explored by the VTA as a more effective congestion management technique.  Funding will implement a HOT lane corridor within Santa Clara County in either Hwy 101 or Hwy 85.

Zero Emission Bus Demonstration Program ($392,000) - California Air Resources Board (CARB) regulations require public transit agencies with more than 200 buses to purchase a minimum of three advanced zero-emission buses and operate them in revenue services for a minimum of 12 months starting in January of 2009. Funds will go toward the purchase of 3 hydrogen fuel-cell buses by Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority to comply with CARB regulations.

Commerce, Justice and Science

Bio-Info-Nano Research and Development Institute (BIN-RDI) ($282,000) - The BIN-RDI at NASA Ames Research Center led by the University of California, Santa Cruz will be a focal point in Silicon Valley for bio-info-nano convergence science and technology and will be based on a broad partnership of government, academia, and industry.  The BIN-RDI will exert significant national influence on the progression of nanoscale science and technology research, education and socio-economic policy, and it will enhance the research mission of NASA Ames in support of the Vision for Space Exploration.

California Indian Legal Services Tribal Court Development Project ($282,000) - The funding would be used to strengthen existing tribal courts in California and foster new tribal court development through capacity-building, funding, and state-wide institution-building and information-sharing.

City of San Jose BEST Youth Gang Reduction Program ($493,500) - Funding will support the enhancement and intensification of the San Jose BEST program, a proven at-risk youth and anti-gang program, in neighborhoods experiencing an increase in violence related to youth criminal activity.  BEST provides a continuum of prevention and intervention services through a partnership of more than 30 coordinated community-based organizations working with youth and their families.  The BEST program implements 100% of the OJJPD National Youth Gang Suppression and Intervention Programs recommended strategies to sustain reduction in gang programs.  Through an independent evaluation, 95% of the youth participants demonstrated a growth in targeted areas.  The overall growth of those assets was 39%, statistically significant in all areas.  The BEST program continues to evolve, and has moved beyond the prevention, suppression, and intervention to include the improvement of life skills, school/community safety and educational achievement.

National Institute on State Policy on Trafficking of Women and Girls ($648,600) - The funding will be used to advise state policy makers on policy reform and assist them to create statewide task forces to define the nature and extent of the problem in the state and make recommendations for appropriate responses; maintain the Center for Women Policy Studies' Clearinghouse on Trafficking Policy as an online repository of data, research, legislation, and other materials on U.S. implementation of anti-trafficking measures; conduct our annual GlobalPOWER [Partnership of Women Elected/Appointed Representatives] program, which strengthens long-term problem solving partnerships among U.S. elected officials and leaders from other countries who are confronting trafficking of women and girls worldwide; educate community leaders on trafficking, including our ongoing partnerships with local and statewide women's human rights organizations, communities and congregations, and state chapters of national organizations.

Robotic Exploration Technologies in Astrobiology (RETINA) ($282,00) - RETINA provides comprehensive development and field operations of robotic systems/devices in pursuit of science and technology applications that will advance the mission of NASA's Astrobiology Institute (NAI) in exploring Earth and other worlds.  Funds would fill a program void in NAI, which lacks a dedicated technology team that can provide these capabilities.

San Jose State University for Training the Next Generation of Weather Forecasters ($211,500) - Funds would be used to develop a field experience class to broaden and enhance the undergraduate experience of B.S. Meteorology students at San Jose State University.  The class will enhance students' ability to recognize and forecast as wide an array of weather phenomena as is likely to be experienced in California in the next 30 years, which is expected to change as global climate change continues.

Santa Clara County Crime Lab ($1,269,000) - Funding will be used to provide critical technological upgrades to Santa Clara County's Crime Laboratory, which provides forensics services to numerous local law enforcement agencies in the County and beyond.  Much of the equipment currently being used is antiquated, slow, and unreliable.  New equipment will result in a quantifiable increase in process turn-around time and various criminal justice agencies will be able to access the database allowing the linking of evidence from crimes across jurisdictions.

Santa Clara County Juvenile Detention Reform ($364,720) - The funding will support a Juvenile Detention Reform Evening Reporting Center, which seeks to systemically reform the juvenile justice system to prevent crime and expand alternatives to youth incarceration. This alternative to detention will provide at-risk youth a program where they will receive a meal, counseling and substance abuse services, recreation opportunities and other skill development training through a cognitive behavioral approach. 

The Interior and Environment

Casa Grande ($100,000) - For restoration of Casa Grande, a historically significant structure located within the New Almaden National Historic Landmark District and the Santa Clara County Almaden Quicksilver Park.  This project would help restore the Casa Grande structure, built in 1854, that was a central element to the New Almaden Mines "company town" and would permit significantly enhanced comprehensive interpretation of the history and culture of the New Almaden town and its mines.  The renovation would stabilize and preserve deteriorating fragile historic resources, as well as remove inappropriate additions and unsuitable modifications that have been made to the structure. Matching local and state funds will support this project.

South San Francisco Bay Salt Ponds, Fish & Wildlife Service ($4,922,000) - This project will work to restore the health of the San Francisco Bay, one of the nation's largest estuaries, by creating the largest restored wetlands on the West Coast, providing extensive habitat for federally endangered species and migratory birds. It would also provide tidal and fluvial flood protection to the highly populated Silicon Valley region.

U.S. Geological Survey Biological Research ($492,100) - These funds would be used to conduct interdisciplinary monitoring (biological, hydrological, and water quality studies) of the North and South San Francisco Bay Salt Ponds as part of the South San Francisco Bay Salt Ponds Restoration effort

Energy and Water

Coyote and Berryessa Creek ($1,147,000) - for the ACOE for this project.  The Coyote Creek project provides protection to the area downstream of Montague Expressway in Milpitas and San Jose where potential damages from a 1 percent flood exceed $250 million. The Berryessa Creek project elements include setback levees, floodwalls, sediment control structures and environmental restoration. The Berryessa portion of the project will protect the area from $202 million in damages from a 1 percent flood.

Guadalupe River Flood Control Project ($1,783,000) - for the Army Corps of Engineers (ACOE) for this multi-phased flood protection project along the Guadalupe River that is an integral component to downtown San Jose's revitalization efforts.

San Jose Area Water Reclamation and Reuse ($984,000) - for the Bureau of Reclamation to help protect the San Francisco Bay environment by recycling 10 million gallons of reclaimed water each day and permit the regional wastewater treatment plant to continue to discharge.

San Luis Reservoir Lowpoint Improvement project ($1.4 million) -  for the Bureau of Reclamation for the San Luis Reservoir Low Point Improvement Project to increase the operational flexibility of storage in San Luis Reservoir and ensure a high quality, reliable water supply for Santa Clara County and other south of delta contractors.

South SF Bay Shoreline Study ($785,000) - for the ACOE for this project that will restore the health of the San Francisco Bay, one of the nation's largest estuaries, by creating the largest restored wetlands on the West Coast and providing extensive habitat for federally endangered species and migratory birds.

Upper Penitencia Creek Project ($229,000) - for the ACOE for this project that will provide flood protection to over 5,000 homes, schools and businesses in Santa Clara County, specifically the communities of San Jose and Milipitas, with potential damages from a 100-year flood exceeding $455 million, and will provide long term environmental benefits.

Homeland Security

Santa Clara County Office of Emergency Services, Local Hazard Mitigation Plan ($300,000) - This request will update the Santa Clara County Annex of the Association of Bay Area Governments’ (ABAG) Multi-Jurisdictional Local Hazard Mitigation Plan. ABAG is the regional planning and services agency for the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area. Each participating local government in the Bay Area has prepared an Annex to this plan to explain how the plan applies to that agency. Many changes have occurred since Santa Clara County issued its Annex in 2005 and a complete revision is needed.

Defense

Adaptive Optics Lasercom ($1.6 million) – for AOptix Technologies located in Campbell, CA towards tasks that will focus upon closing the communications link between fixed ground sites and a moving airborne platform in a real dynamic operational environment.

Advanced IED Jammer Research and Development Program ($2.4 million) – for the NetworkFab Corporation located in Santa Clara, CA for the development of a next generation Improvised Explosive Device (IED) jammer that can simultaneously allow U.S. military Blue Force radios to communicate, as well as a wearable jammer so that soldiers can dismount from their vehicles and still travel on foot with IED jammer protection.

Focus Center Research Program ($8 million) – a joint Department of Defense-industry partnership to sponsor mid- to long-term basic research at 33 universities across the country, including University of California, Berkley and Stanford University. This program is critical to virtually all aspects of national security; including precision weapons, satellite surveillance, and cryptography.

Military Intelligence Service Historic Learning Center ($800,000) – for the National Park Service/Golden Gate National Park and the National Japanese American Historic Society to establish the Center within the Presidio of San Francisco, CA to serve as a public education center and adaptive re-use project that preserves the site of the U.S. Army’s first language school of 1941 and memorializes the heroic contributions of the Military Intelligence Service (MIS) linguist soldiers of World War II, and in the Allied Occupation of Japan.

Molecular Switch Vaccines for Biodefense and Cancer ($1.6 million) – for the Cerus Corporation headquartered in Concord, CA in collaboration with Becton Dickinson Immunocytometry Systems located in San Jose, CA to support continued pre-clinical development activities including manufacturing scale-up and toxicology studies necessary for advancement to human clinical trials of molecular switch vaccines against bio-terror agents, chronic infectious diseases and cancer that represent a significant risk to U.S. forces when deployed to high-risk areas of the world.

Optically Pumped Atomic Laser (OPAL) ($3.2 million) - KLA-Tencor Corporation of San Jose and Milpitas, CA in collaboration with Newport Corporation Spectra-Physics located in Mountain View, CA to develop sub 200nm light source technology that will be integrated into wafer inspection tools for U.S. defense microelectronics manufacturing.

Thermal and Electrical Nanoscale Transport (TENT) ($1.6 million) – for the TENT program at Santa Clara University in Santa Clara, CA to design, fabricate and test nanoscale thermal and electrical interconnect devices for micro-scale components that have low thermal and electrical contact resistance, ballistic conduction, and high mechanical strength for the application to U.S. Army sensor systems.

University Materials Characterization and Metrology Center ($1.2 million) – to the San Jose State University Foundation in San Jose, CA to be used by the Center as it functions as an enabler to the nanotechnology manufacturing industry, and significantly jump-starts nanotechnology manufacturing by providing expertise, training and availability of shared diagnostics equipment to support the manufacturing industry. The Center will also make a significant contribution to nanotechnology research via partnership projects with industry.