The massive federal spending package approved by Congress this week includes millions of dollars for a wide variety of Maine projects and organizations.
The Senate voted for the massive bill 68-29 on Thursday and the House passed the bill 225-201 on Friday.
Each member of Maine’s congressional delegation added a list of requests known as earmarks to the budget bill. The scores of Maine-related projects range from a few hundred thousand dollars to several million for public infrastructure projects and social services programs.
And it includes billions of dollars in additional defense spending that could have a big impact here.
The legislation adds a third DDG-51 destroyer to the U.S. Navy’s proposed budget, a $2.19 billion increase promoted by Republican Sen. Susan Collins. While construction contracts for new ships haven’t yet been awarded, the additional ship increases the likelihood that Bath Iron Works will be contracted to build a new destroyer this year or in future years.
Here is a look at some examples of the federal money headed Maine’s way. There are more than 200 Maine-related projects in all and many of those listed below were requested by more than one member of the delegation.
Requests by Sen. Susan Collins included:
• $1 million for Southern Maine Community College to buy a facility for Controlled Environment Agriculture and to start a certificate program in greenhouse management and horticulture.
• $1 million for Cumberland County Public Safety to upgrade and replace public safety communications equipment that is nearing the end of its life.
• $1 million for Portland-based Educate Maine to acquire and operate a mobile lab to instruct K-12 students and engage them in hands-on interactive learning in the life sciences.
• $2.7 million to dredge the Scarborough River.
• $1.97 million to help build a York County Substance Abuse Recovery Center.
Requests by Sen. Angus King, an independent, included:
• $1 million for a new Lewiston fire station.
• $2.1 million for Portland Parks Conservancy to transform a parking lot into a 6-acre park on Portland’s eastern waterfront.
• $2 million for a North Windham wastewater treatment facility.
• $996,000 for the city of Westbrook to study the causes of a 202 landslide into the Presumpscot River.
• $750,000 for Southern Maine Community College to expand electric vehicle repair certification program.
Requests by Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-1st District, included:
• $1 million for Preble Street’s Food Security Hub in South Portland, which will have the capacity to produce as many as 10,000 hot meals a day.
• $1.5 million for Boots2Roots in Portland, which connects small businesses with military members and military spouses transitioning to living and working in Maine.
• $619,000 for the Greater Portland Immigrant Welcome Center to support the creation of Women Lead: an Enterprise Institute, a comprehensive entrepreneurial leadership training program for immigrant women and girls.
• $3 million for the Maine Irish Heritage Center in Portland to restore and weatherize the building and continue to operate as a community space for cultural education.
Requests by Rep. Jared Golden, D-2nd District, included:
• $6 million to support the Maine Veterans Homes in Caribou and Machias and prevent their closure while a long-term solution to maintain the homes is secured.
• $1.6 million for Stephens Memorial Hospital in Norway to renovate the paramedic station.
• $1.6 million for an aircraft hangar at the Auburn-Lewiston Municipal Airport.
• $1 million for housing renovation in the Indian Township tribal community.
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