Tuesday, May 2, 2017

Cochran announces appropriations for Mississippi

Senator Thad Cochran issued the following press release.



COCHRAN:  OMNIBUS APPROPRIATIONS BILL WILL BENEFIT MISSISSIPPI

Senate Appropriations Chairman Presses for Passage of FY2017 Funding Measure

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Thad Cochran (R-Miss.), chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today pressed for passage of legislation that would complete the FY2017 appropriations process and benefit national defense and other federal activities in Mississippi.

The FY2017 omnibus appropriations legislation is a package of 11 regular appropriations bills for FY2017, as well as additional funding sought by the Trump administration for national defense and border security.  The Senate will consider the bill, which conforms to the statutory budget caps, after the House of Representatives.  Congress has until May 5 to pass the measure.

“This legislation provides necessary resources for our national security and to meet other priorities for the American people.  The bill is the product of bipartisan negotiations within Congress and with the new administration.  It merits our support,” Cochran said.

For Mississippi the bill would provide greater certainty of funding for projects and programs than the short-term spending measures used to sustain federal government operations over last seven months.

“Mississippi’s important contributions to the security of our nation would be supported by this agreement,” Cochran said.  “The legislation would also maintain programs that promote commerce and growth in Mississippi.”

The agreement would fund Defense Department procurement, operations and maintenance funding, as well as more Overseas Contingency Operations funding to accelerate the campaign to defeat ISIS and support ongoing operations in Afghanistan.

The measure also makes the largest investment in border security in almost a decade, including funding sought by the President for immigration enforcement and for additional technology, infrastructure, and enhanced support for personnel to secure the Southwest border.

Throughout the omnibus measure, funding for more than 150 programs or initiatives has been terminated, rescinded or consolidated.  The bill and accompanying statement include provisions to restrict bureaucratic excess and reduce waste, fraud and abuse.

The following are a few of the provision within the FY2017 appropriations bill of interest to Mississippi:

Shipbuilding – $21.2 billion for Navy shipbuilding programs, an increase of $2.8 billion, to fund construction of 10 new ships, three more than the last Obama budget request.  Among these new vessels are three DDG-51 destroyers, one LHA amphibious assault ship, and one LPD amphibious transport dock.  The bill also has $150 million to buy long-lead time material for the first Polar Icebreaker Recapitalization ship, which is currently scheduled for award in FY2019. 
·        The bill provides $10.45 billion for the U.S. Coast Guard, $344 million above the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) budget request.  The bill sustains the Coast Guard acquisition schedule for a new cutter fleet, including post-delivery activities for the ninth National Security Cutter (NSC), long-lead-time materials for the tenth NSC, and other vessel and aircraft procurement.
·        The agreement provides $75 million to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to construct a new Ocean Survey Vessel to conduct research in the Gulf of Mexico.  This is in addition to the $80 million provided in the FY2016 Omnibus.  The contract for ship construction will be openly competed, giving Mississippi shipyards an opportunity to build the vessel.

Aircraft Procurement – The agreement funds several unrequested Defense Department requirements through the procurement of multiple air frames, including $187 million not not requested in FY2017 for the procurement of 28 Lakota LUH aircraft, built in Columbus.
·        In addition, the bill provides $114 million, $41 million above the budget request, to procure five MQ-8 Fire Scout aircraft, and $444 million for three MQ-4 Triton aircraft, $35 million above the budget request.  The Northrop Grumman Unmanned System Center in Moss Point completes final assembly of the Fire Scout and Triton.

Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS) – $18 million in DHS funding for sUAS Research and Testing.  This funding will support DHS missions, including border security, maritime security, and counter-UAS operations.  These activities will take place in Mississippi, which was recently designated as the DHS’s sUAS demonstration test range.
·        The bill also provides $10 million in U.S. Department of Transportation funding for the FAA Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) Center of Excellence, which is run by a Mississippi State University-led consortium.

High Performance Computing Modernization Program – $222 million, $45 million above the budget request, for the Army high performance computing modernization program.  These funds are critical for the Vicksburg-based U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) and would directly impact the Mississippi State University high performance computing program.
·        The bill also provides $22 million to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for research and development conducted at ERDC, $5.2 million above the budget request.

Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) $152 million for ARC to continue promoting business development, education, and job training in 13 states from Northeast Mississippi to western New York.  This funding includes $16 million for industrial site and workforce development in Southern and South Central Appalachia focused primarily on the automotive supplier and aviation sectors.

Delta Regional Authority (DRA) – $25 million, $9 million above the budget request, for DRA to continue promoting economic and community development in the Mississippi Delta region.  Within the overall amount, not less than $10 million is for basic public infrastructure work.

Army Corps of Engineers Mississippi River and Tributaries Project (MR&T) $362 million, $140 million above the budget request and $23 million above FY2016 enacted level, for MR&T water resource projects in the lower Mississippi River Valley from Cape Girardeau, Mo., to the Gulf of Mexico.  Notably the bill provides:
·        $95 million increase for flood control works that were unfunded or underfunded in the budget request;
·        $41 million increase for the Corps of Engineers to use at its discretion to advance ongoing Civil Works projects, including water supply, ground water protection, waterfowl management, educational facilities and other activities;
·        $4 million increase for port and harbor dredging along the Mississippi River.

National Institutes of Health (NIH) Institutional Development Award (IDeA) Program $333.4 million is included, a $12.5 million increase over the FY2016 level, for the NIH IDeA program, which supports biomedical research in states that are historically underutilized for NIH research.  Mississippi is among 23 states currently eligible for IDeA grant awards.
·        $1.39 billion, a $400 million increase, for Alzheimer’s disease research at the NIH National Institute on Aging.  The MIND Center at University of Mississippi Medical Center is a leader in Alzheimer’s research.

Corporation for National and Community Service – $30 million for the National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC), level with FY2016 funding. The NCCC maintains a campus in Vicksburg.  In addition, $386 million is provided for AmeriCorps State and National Grants, the same as FY2016 funding.

37 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thad brings home the pork again.

Does he even attend while the Senate is in session anymore. He's so feeble I'm surprised he can still walk. No way he wrote a word of this PR.

Anonymous said...

Looks like the black Cochran Democrats scored big time!

Anonymous said...

Looks like a lot of money appropriated that was more than the agency requested. The Coast Guard did not want the extra cutters, and they said they were not needed. Meanwhile, what about Jackson infrastructure? Appears the new budget bill is a mess of overspending and spending in the wrong places.

Anonymous said...

Looks like the black Cochran Democrats scored big time!

After they were compensated for their votes Senator Geriatric was under no obligation to provide further remuneration.

Anonymous said...

@9:01. Why should the federal government foot the bill for Jacksons problems? Jackson is responsible for its own detriment. No one else.

Anonymous said...

Don't worry guys! Our Nation isn't 21 trillion in debt or anything!! The King of Pork has everything under control.

Anonymous said...

Cochran has been at it longer but between him and Gregg Harper it is hard to tell which one of them is better at talking out of both sides of their mouths simultaneously.

PittPanther said...

Black Cochrane Democrats will soon become Black Wicker Democrats, if McKlaniel decides to run against Wicker.

Anonymous said...

Frankly, central MS should be embarrassed by both Senators and our Representative. There probably isn't a bigger group of do-nothings in Washington.

Anonymous said...

Wicker can use Cochran's payoff network.

Anonymous said...

Does he even attend while the Senate is in session anymore. He's so feeble I'm surprised he can still walk.

Mississippi is represented in the United States Senate by Roger Wicker and Kay Webber. She's been the senior senator for about 4 years now. The dude barely knows his own name.

Thank you again, Barbour boys, Pete Perry and (no relation) Brian Perry, for shoveling out "walkin' around money" to black preachers, so black radio stations could tell their genius listeners that the Tea Party would keep them from voting.

Anonymous said...

I agree with 10:53. Thanks, Haley, Henry, Austin, Pete, and Brian. We'd have only one functional Senator in Washington instead of the 1.5 that we have. Of course, .5 of an Approps Chair is equal to 1 of nearly anything else.

Anonymous said...

Thank you Thad, for once again borrowing all that Chinese money to pay off your political debts and making it look like the whole of Mississippi is benefitting. What a bum.

Anonymous said...

Yeah, thanks Haley for begging for my vote for years, using me and other MS Republicans to get yourself elected and enrich yourself, then spending money to subvert the will of the voters when it didn't go your way.

McDaniel would have been a disaster, but that doesn't excuse what Barbour did. I have absolutely no respect for that snake.

Anonymous said...

I agree with 10:53. Thanks, Haley, Henry, Austin, Pete, and Brian. We'd have only one functional Senator in Washington instead of the 1.5 that we have. Of course, .5 of an Approps Chair is equal to 1 of nearly anything else.

Spoken like a true conservative.

National debt? Screw it. We've got a feeble faux-Democrat to sling other people's money to Mississippi.

Anonymous said...

This thread proves that no one, and I mean no Hollywood comedian or academic elite at Harvard, hates on Mississippi more than people in Mississippi.

In a state that added like... 800 net jobs last year... these programs provide jobs to our State. You want to see our state budget collapse completely? Eliminate Northrop Grumman, NOAA, and the Army Corp of Engineers work.

Like it or not, these programs are good for our State. Refute it with Tea Party talking points if you'd like... but more money = more jobs, and that's an undeniable good thing for our broke ass state.

Until our state leadership steps up and provides an environment where people actually want to build new businesses here, this is what we have. The two biggest determining factors for businesses relocating are: educated workforce and infrastructure. Two programs Mississippi is trying to underfund while cutting taxes as quickly as possible.

Anonymous said...

Man the hate is out today!

Bunch of bitter bitches whose candidate didn't win.

Do the world a favor guys? Shoot your kids and then yourselves.

Anonymous said...

Refute it with Tea Party talking points if you'd like... but more money = more jobs, and that's an undeniable good thing for our broke ass state.

National debt? Screw it. We're poor and need tax money from other people.

That's not a Tea Party talking point. It's reality.

To you, the national debt doesn't matter.

Anonymous said...

Yeah - All you arm-chair economists keep !@#$%^&* about the federal deficit...

S&P Downgrades MS

Anonymous said...

I bet the S&P will reconsider the downgrade after reading the press release from Sen. Webber's office.

Anonymous said...

Wow! McDaniel really highjacked this thread. Every one of you ought to be THANKFUL for Senator Cochran, Senator Wicker and Congressman Harper. All are fine men who represent Mississippi well! They are all fair and reasonable and get things done. And frankly, 10:21am, YOU are the one who should be embarrassed - I imagine you're the do-nothing! You can forget calling me a RINO. This Republican just voted in the Democrat primary so I could have a voice in who my mayor will be - My voting right, as we do not register by party. Good government comes first.

Anonymous said...

Won't legalize cannabis ( medical or recreational), but WILL fund the federal pot farm that solely exists to obfuscate the science to justify current federal law.
I could go on and and and on, but I'm not. You people are f**king happy as long as the "old guard" stays in place to keep the Victorian era caste system alive and well. That's what MS politics is all about and what it will always be about.

Come up with a da*n workable economic plan besides "no more pork" and then we'll talk shop. You're going to have to
concede a little bit to bring this state into not only modernity, but a desirable place to live, do business, and attract tourism.
That Tate Reeves tax cut was handled and implemented in an absurd way. LAWSUITS ARE SUBSIDIZING THE STATE BUDGET for crying out loud.

"God" doesn't pay the bills; the state of MS isn't a 501c3 church.


Anonymous said...

12:27, I hate to sacrifice the kids, because oftentimes they will grow up to be smarter and more reasonable than their parents. But with this bunch of idiots - who can't get over that their redneck, racist candidate didn't win - I would like to contribute to the bullet fund. Won't take many because the tin-foil hat group is not very big, just loud and stupid. The stupid part might make it take a little more ammo because they are very likely to shoot themselves in the foot - like they continue to do with their attempts to hijack elections throughout the country.

Anonymous said...

Tell you what, 12:38 --

You want reality? Let's talk about reality. The truth is... if Cochran wasn't chair, someone else would be. And their state would grab it. That's reality.

What's your solution? Stand on principles and reject federal funding in Mississippi? Great. Are you ready for a 35% tax rate. Are you ready for 25,300 folks looking for a job? That's reality.

Tell you what. You stand on principle and move to a state that doesn't receive more than it pays in. the rest of us will hold on to what amounts to around 45% of all spending in our state.

Get in step with the reality of where we are.

Anonymous said...



McDaniel has zero chance to beat Wicker. Save your cash

Anonymous said...


TO LITTLE TO LATE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Senator From Mississippi is a sorry Bastard that has helped take this State to an all time low.

READ THE S&P REOORT YOU DUMB FUCK !!!!! I'M SICK OF ALL THE THIEVERY WHILE MY 50 YEAR OLD BUSINESS IS ABOUT TO BITE THE DUST. I hope everyone pulls their head out of their ass before it's to late. OH WAIT, IT'S ALREADY TO LATE !!!!!!

Anonymous said...

3:14 pm

You can pull your truck out of 12:38s asshole now

Anonymous said...

Nail on the head 12:17!!!! We are damn near last in everything except mobile homes, sky jacked crown Vic's and lifted 4x4 trucks!

Anonymous said...

650 layoffs announced yesterday. That follows the UMC layoffs and the countless pink slips at JUCO's and 4 years. I believe Corinth school district was the first to announce layoffs, but other districts will follow. That is all with the largess of the federal government. We will most definitely be receiving fewer federal dollars going forward. This administration has already set the ball in motion. The Tea Party folks are about to get their wish and it won't be pretty. It won't matter to our legislators because they will still be living out of their campaign accounts full of out of state dollars. Something that even the federal delegation doesn't have enough guts to try. But, hey McDaniel who can't get anything of substance passed in the state legislature is going to go to Washington and fix things. I can't wait.

Anonymous said...

650 layoffs announced yesterday.

Nope.

Anonymous said...

@8:53 I guess I read the press release incorrectly. The Department of Mental Health will be adding 650 jobs over the next twelve months. (insert sarcasm)

Anonymous said...

I guess I read the press release incorrectly.

Yup.

The Mississippi Department of Mental Health will reduce its workforce by 650 by June 30, 2018, to cope with state budget cuts.

The reduction in employees will be made through layoffs, not filling vacant positions or replacing employees who retire or leave the department.

The Mental Health board met late last month and approved the reduction, which will include laying off roughly 125 employees.


(Insert comment about your idiocy.)

Anonymous said...

The GOP owns state govt now, & like their soulmates in DC, they're showing that ideological slogans meant to fleece the rubes at fundraising time are a poor substitute for governing.

But since the Leg is where the less bright pols go, it will take them longer to figure it out. (Bryant never will.)

They'll keep running the state into the ground, & JJ commenters will keep bitching about the national debt & other things they don't understand.

Anonymous said...

Other than provide a bunch of bureaucrats jobs, can somebody list two things the Delta Regional Authority has EVER done? Please don't count publishing pamphlets and cheerleading.

Anonymous said...

Pitty-Pander; You're a damned poor speller. I can understanding you bastardizing McDaniel's name, but you also butchered Cochran's. When the Fark will you move back to the northeast where you belong? You don't fit in here any better than you did at The Cherokee.

Anonymous said...

When the Federal Debt bubble pops and we lose international currency status it will be a hoot seeing Mississippi scramble to stand on her own. Something like 3rd world? Without Feds handing out borrowed money it would be over now. Assume first reaction will be taxing us to death and more fees, anything to avoid layoffs of relatives and pals locally. Assume those will cash flow will pick up some nice tracts of land. enjoy THAD and the gang of Porkers while one can.

Anonymous said...

The sky is falling too, 3:54. Put on your tin-foil hard-hat and wait for it.



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