The New England Council Lauds U.S. House for Passing Spending Bill

Business Wire, Feb 2, 2007

BOSTON -- The New England Council today lauded the U.S. House of Representatives for passing a spending bill which includes additional funding for several areas important to the New England economy.

Last night, House members passed a bill which includes additional funding for many programs, including the National Institutes of Health, Amtrak, Community Health Centers, and the Department of Energy's Office of Science and the National Science Foundation.

The bill would fund the federal programs that remained unresolved at the end of the last session and became part of a continuing resolution which is scheduled to expire February 15. The bill now moves to the Senate.

"This spending bill includes funding increases for many programs that are particularly important to New England," said James T. Brett, President and CEO, The New England Council. "Among these is additional funding for the National Institutes of Health, Amtrak, Community Health Centers, and the National Science Foundation and the Department of Energy's Office of Science."

Brett noted that the region is particularly sensitive to changes in the funding level for the National Institutes of Health (NIH). NIH funding is important to the region's economy, supporting cutting edge discoveries at leading research facilities. The bill calls for an additional $619.5 million for the NIH in FY 2007.

The bill also provides that Amtrak's budget would not be cut from the FY 2006 level. If the funds were not restored, Amtrak would have been forced to put critical infrastructure repair projects on hold. The rail service's Northeast Corridor is the most heavily-traveled rail corridor in the nation.

Community health centers, which traditionally serve residents who are most in need as well as those underinsured, will receive additional funds in the House proposal. The bill provides for a $206.9 million increase for community health centers, including $25 million in additional funding for existing health centers.

Funding for the National Science Foundation and the Department of Energy's Office of Science are linked to the issue of competitiveness, noted Brett.

"Federal funding of departments and institutions that contribute to scientific advancement is vital for New England's innovation sector," Brett said.

The spending bill was supported by the entire New England House delegation.

The New England Council is an alliance of large and small companies, educational institutions, nonprofit and other agencies dedicated to promoting economic development. The Council advocated for additional funding as part of its issues agenda.