WASHINGTON – The Senate Appropriations Committee approved the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education spending bill today.  The committee report contains $18.95 million in funding secured by Senators Thad Cochran and Roger Wicker for Mississippi.  

“This funding is important to the economic, educational, and physical well-being of Mississippians,” Sen. Cochran said.  “I hope the full Senate will act quickly to approve this important legislation.”

“The funding included in this bill is important to communities across our state,” Sen. Wicker said.  “I appreciate Sen. Cochran’s leadership in helping secure these funds, and look forward to continuing to work with him as the bill moves through the remainder of the legislative process.” 

Mississippi-specific funding includes:

Labor

• Mississippi State University: $400,000 for the Mississippi Integrated Workforce Performance System
• University of Southern Mississippi: $250,000 for Marine Composite Workforce Development
• City of Jackson Transitional Job Project: $100,000
• Mississippi Valley State University: $150,000 for the Automated Identification Technology (AIT) program

Health and Human Services

• Children’s Health Fund Mississippi Gulf Coast Children’s Health project: $250,000
• University of Mississippi School of Pharmacy Instructional Facility: $6M
• Jackson State University Institute of Epidemiology and Health Services Research: $500,000
• University of Southern Mississippi School of Nursing: $1.6M
• Community Health Centers managed growth initiative: $250,000

Education

• Enhancing K-12 Science and Math Preparation at Mississippi State University: $300,000
• Community Partnership for Learning at the Mississippi University for Women: $300,000
• Center for Civic Engagement and Social Responsibility at Tougaloo College: $300,000
• Operation Shoestring for afterschool enrichment programs: $200,000
• Math and Science Literacy Enhancement Project at the University of Southern Mississippi: $300,000
• Achieving Comprehensive Economic and Financial Literacy at Mississippi Council on Economic Education: $250,000
• Curriculum improvements at Alcorn University: $250,000
• Karnes Center for Gifted Studies at the University of Southern Mississippi: $250,000
• Enhancement of Mathematics Preparedness at the University of Mississippi: $300,000
• Center for Research in Creative Learning at the University of Southern Mississippi: $205,000
• Parents for Public Schools in Jackson arts education programs: $50,000
• Jobs for Mississippi Graduates for Reaching Up for Success for drop-out prevention: $100,000

Other items of interest to Mississippi include:

$3,000,000 for Delta Chronic Disease Assessment at CDC, a $1,600,000 increase over the FY 2008 level.  This funding will be used to assess heart disease for minorities in the Delta.

$4,900,000 for the Minority Health Mississippi Project, which seeks to decrease health disparities among minority populations.

$3,500,000 for Sickle Cell Anemia Grants, an $847,000 increase over the FY 2008 funding level. These grants are used to prevent and treat sickle cell disease. 

$5,500,000 for seasonal workers housing grants. 

$4,913,000 for Pediatric Dentistry Training, which provides treatment opportunities for underprivileged children and training programs for pediatric dentists.

$205,322,000 for the National Center for Minority Health at the National Institutes of Health. The Center conducts research to reduce high incidence of disease in minorities. 

$397,254,000 for the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging at the National Institutes of Health. The Institute works to integrate advanced tech research & medicine. 

$7,463,000 for Javits Gifted & Talented. This funding is used to meet the special education needs of gifted and talented students in elementary and secondary schools.

$1,447,000 for Excellence in Economic Education to promote financial literacy among children in grades K-12. 

$31,917,000 for civics education improvement in grades K-12. 

$27,000,000 for Ready to Learn TV, which provides educational video programming for K-8 children and families.

$25,000,000 for the Delta Health Initiative. This is a $437,000 increase above the FY 2008 level. The Delta Health Initiative provides grants to address the unmet health disparities in the Mississippi Delta region. This funding will go toward construction of health facilities and job training. 

$27,000,000 for Foreign Language Assistance to promote quality foreign language instruction.

$23,581,000 for the National Writing Project, which provides training to K-12 educators in teaching writing to students.