{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.blunt.senate.gov/news/press-releases/12/21/2020/blunt-announces-missouri-ag-infrastructure-priorities-in-fy2021-legislative-package", "Blunt Announces Missouri Ag, Infrastructure Priorities in FY2021 Legislative Package", "2020-12-21", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "House", "MO", "Roy Blunt", "B000575", "www.blunt.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON\r\n Today, U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (Mo.), a member of the Appropriations\r\nCommittee, announced that several Missouri priorities were included in the\r\nfollowing FY2021 funding bills: Energy and Water Development and Related\r\nAgencies; Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and\r\nRelated Agencies; Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies; and\r\nTransportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies. The bills\r\nare part of the larger government funding package that Congress is expected to\r\nconsider shortly. As a\r\nnational transportation hub, the investments we make today to modernize\r\nMissouri's roads, bridges, rail networks, and waterways will save taxpayer\r\ndollars and provide a stronger foundation for economic growth for years to\r\ncome, said Blunt. Missouri's deteriorating roads and bridges cost\r\ndrivers about $8 billion a year, according to a recent study. This bill\r\nprovides resources for programs that have funded critical infrastructure\r\nprojects, whether it's building a new bridge along I-70, updating inland\r\nwaterway locks and dams, or bringing broadband to families, farmers, and\r\nbusinesses in rural communities. The legislation also prioritizes funding for\r\nprograms that help strengthen Missouri's role as a leader in ag production and\r\nresearch. I will continue advocating for programs and policies that will\r\nposition our state to take advantage of the great economic opportunities that\r\nlie ahead. Following\r\nare the Missouri priorities included in the legislation: Agriculture,\r\nRural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies: \r\nAgricultural Research:The bill\r\nprovides $3.3 billion to support agricultural research conducted by the\r\nAgricultural Research Service (ARS) and the National Institute of Food and\r\nAgriculture (NIFA). This investment will support research, education, and\r\nextension activities at the University of Missouri, Missouri State University,\r\nNorthwest Missouri State University, Lincoln University, and the U.S.\r\nDepartment of Agriculture's ARS facility in Columbia, Mo. o\r\nAgriculture and Food Research Initiative: The\r\nbill includes $435 million for the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative, a\r\n$10 million increase over FY2020. o\r\nPolicy Research Centers: The legislation\r\nprovides $8 million for policy research cooperative agreements. This investment\r\nwill assist with the analysis of national and international projections of\r\nagricultural markets and the rural economy. o\r\nLivestock Genetic Research: The bill includes\r\nover $1.5 million for ARS to conduct livestock genetic research. o\r\nMissouri River Research: The bill includes\r\nresources for ARS to initiate Missouri River Basin Water Resource Management\r\nResearch. \r\nFarm Service Agency (FSA):The\r\nlegislation includes nearly $1.16 billion for various farm, conservation, and\r\nemergency loan programs that Missouri farmers and ranchers rely upon, an\r\nincrease of $21 million above the FY2020 enacted level. The bill also prohibits\r\nthe closure of FSA county offices. \r\nNatural Resources Conservation Service:The\r\nbill provides $833 million for conservation operations and technical assistance\r\nto help farmers, ranchers, and private forest landowners conserve and protect\r\ntheir land. o\r\nWatershed and Flood Prevention Operations\r\nProgram: The measure includes $175 million for the Watershed and Flood\r\nPrevention Operations Program. Additionally, the bill includes $10 million for\r\nthe East Locust Creek Reservoir Project.Blunt has led\r\nefforts to secure funding for the East Locust Creek Project to address\r\nsevere water shortages in North Central Missouri. The East Locust Creek\r\nReservoir service area includes Mercer, Putnam, Schuyler, Grundy, Sullivan,\r\nAdair, Livingston, Linn, Macon, and Chariton counties. \r\nRural Development:The legislation\r\nprovides over $3.2 billion for Rural Development programs and activities,\r\nincluding infrastructure, community development, rural housing, and water\r\nprograms. o\r\nRural Broadband: The bill includes $635 million\r\nfor the ReConnect Pilot Program. The program targets areas that currently lack\r\naccess to broadband and includes provisions that prevent overbuilding existing\r\ninfrastructure. Over the past two years, Missouri has received nearly $200\r\nmillion in funding through theBlunt-backed\r\nprogram, amounting to about 20% of all the support provided nationwide. The\r\nbill also includes $65 million for Distance Learning/Telemedicine and Broadband\r\ngrants that will help expand access to modern, high-speed internet services in\r\nrural areas. Blunt has led efforts to end the digital divide that has left\r\nabout one-third of rural Missourians without access to broadband.  o\r\nWater and Electric Infrastructure: The measure\r\nincludes nearly $1.45 billion for rural water and waste program loans, $463\r\nmillion for water and waste grants, and over $1 billion in grants and loans for\r\nrural business and industry programs that promote small business growth in\r\nrural areas. o\r\nGoodfellow Relocation: The bill includes $45.8\r\nmillion to support the Goodfellow facility relocation in St. Louis, Missouri. Transportation,\r\nHousing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies: \r\nFederal Highway Administration:The legislation\r\nincludes $48 billion for the Federal Highway Administration, including $1.1\r\nbillion for roads, tunnels, and bridges through the Infrastructure for\r\nRebuilding America (INFRA) grant program, which has funded critical\r\ninfrastructure projects in Missouri including theRocheport Bridge. \r\nU.S. Maritime Administration:The\r\nlegislation includes $11 million for the Marine Highway Grant Program, which\r\nhelps states like Missouri maximize the efficiency of waterborne\r\ntransportation. The bill also includes language allowing inland ports to be\r\neligible for the Port Infrastructure Development Program. \r\nBUILD Grants:The measure includes\r\n$1 billion for Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD)\r\nGrants, previously known as TIGER Grants. This program has also funded critical\r\ninfrastructure projects in Missouri, including the Rocheport Bridge, the Buck\r\nO'Neil Bridge in Kansas City, the port loop track terminal at the SEMOPort, the\r\nSouth Main Corridor Improvement Project in Maryville, the new rail industrial\r\npark in Sedalia, a multi-use bicycle and pedestrian path in Springfield, the\r\nKansas City Streetcar Main Street Extension project, the East Locust Creek\r\nReservoir Project, the Bella Vista Bypass in McDonald County, the replacement\r\nof the Champ Clark Bridge over the Mississippi River in Louisiana, Mo., and the\r\nreplacement of the Route 47 Bridge over the Missouri River in Washington, Mo. \r\nContract Towers: The measure fully funds\r\nthe contract tower program at $172.8 million. There are five airports in the\r\nstate that depend on the contract tower program, including Joplin, Columbia,\r\nBranson, Jefferson City, and St. Joseph. In October, Blunt commended\r\nthe U.S. Department of Transportation after it announced that the Jefferson\r\nCity Memorial Airport will be eligible to receive a 100% federal subsidy to\r\ncover the costs of operating the contract tower program. \r\nEssential Air Service: The bill fully\r\nfunds the Essential Air Service program at $141.7 million. The Essential Air\r\nService program provides resources to small and rural airports to ensure that\r\ntravelers can connect with larger airports. The Essential Air Service provides\r\nsupport for airports in Cape Girardeau, Waynesville-St. Robert, Joplin, and\r\nKirksville. Energy\r\nand Water Development and Related Agencies: \r\nU.S. Army Corps of Engineers:The\r\nlegislation provides more than $7.7 billion for the Army Corps of Engineers,\r\nwhich is $145 million above the FY2020 enacted level. The funding will support\r\nvital flood control and navigation projects across Missouri and the nation. \r\nNavigation and Ecosystem Sustainability\r\nProgram (NESP):The bill includes language that advances the NESP,\r\nwhich authorizes the modernization of seven locks and dams on the Upper\r\nMississippi River. \r\nMissouri River Bank Stabilization and\r\nNavigation Program:The legislation provides $9.4 million for\r\noperation and maintenance work activities, including critical structure\r\nmaintenance for navigation. \r\nLower Missouri River: The bill includes\r\nlanguage that urges the Corps to work with state and federal agencies and\r\nstakeholders to identify authorities and opportunities for the development of a\r\nmore comprehensive, system-wide plan for flood control in the Lower Missouri\r\nRiver Basin. Blunt has also introduced\r\nlegislation, cosponsored by all of the senators from the lower Missouri\r\nRiver basin states, that would overhaul the Corps' process for managing\r\nprojects along the lower Missouri River system.  \r\nInland Waterways Trust Fund:The\r\nbill makes full use of the Inland Waterways Trust Fund revenues. The bill also\r\nensures the resources inland navigation operators put into the Inland Waterways\r\nTrust Fund are used for construction and modernization of our nation's locks\r\nand dams. \r\nMississippi River and Tributaries Project:The\r\nlegislation includes $380 million for the Mississippi River and Tributaries\r\nProject, providing vital funding for the Corps to fulfill its flood control and\r\nnavigation missions. \r\nDelta Regional Authority (DRA):The\r\nbill provides $30 million for the DRA with a focus on infrastructure development\r\nin rural areas, including $15 million for flood control, public infrastructure,\r\nand transportation improvements. The DRA provides infrastructure, health care,\r\nand economic development assistance to 29 counties in Southeast Missouri. \r\nSmall Ports:The legislation\r\nincludes $65 million for the dredging of small ports, including those in\r\nMissouri located on the Mississippi River. \r\nKansas City National Security Campus:The\r\nbill provides more than $4 billion for the Infrastructure and Operations\r\naccount at the National Nuclear Security Administration. This funding is\r\nessential to the operation of the Kansas City National Security Campus, and\r\nwill help ensure the safety, security, reliability, and effectiveness of the\r\nnation's nuclear weapons stockpile.  Interior,\r\nEnvironment, and Related Agencies: \r\nNational Park Service (NPS):The\r\nmeasure provides nearly $2.68 billion for the operation of the National Park\r\nSystem, which is almost $111 million above the FY2020 enacted level. In addition,\r\nthe bill includes more than $8.3 million in dedicated funding for new\r\nresponsibilities at existing parks and newly authorized park units in the NPS,\r\nincluding the Ste. Genevieve National Historical Park.The bill also\r\nprovides funding for land acquisition for the Ste. Genevieve National\r\nHistorical Park through the Land & Water Conservation Fund. Blunt helped\r\nlead efforts in Congress to establish the Ste. Genevieve National Historical\r\nPark, which became a part of the NPS this year. Blunt participated\r\nin the ceremony celebrating the establishment of the park in November. \r\nWater Infrastructure:The bill\r\nincludes more than $2.76 billion for the Clean Water and Drinking Water State\r\nRevolving Loan funds, which help states and localities improve water\r\ninfrastructure. \r\nU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS):The\r\nlegislation provides more than $1.5 billion for the FWS.The bill includes\r\nfunding for important programs including $46 million for the North American\r\nWetlands Conservation Act, $25 million for combatting invasive species like\r\nAsian Carp, and a $9 million increase for the Recovery Challenge Grant Program.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.blunt.senate.gov/news/press-releases/12/21/2020/blunt-announces-missouri-ag-infrastructure-priorities-in-fy2021-legislative-package"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.3272808864712715, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}