| Local News | Friday, December 23, 2005 |
By
James R. Carroll
jcarroll@courier-journal.com
The Courier-Journal
WASHINGTON -- Hand-transplant research at Jewish Hospital and work toward the disposal of chemical weapons were among Kentucky projects in the defense spending bill the House passed yesterday.
In all, Kentucky and Indiana lawmakers secured about $168 million
for their states in the fiscal 2006 spending measure, which cleared the Senate
late Wednesday. The bill now goes to President Bush.
"The federal money will allow Kentuckians to conduct important defense-related
research and production activities to benefit our troops at home and abroad,"
Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said in a statement.
McConnell, Sen. Jim Bunning, R-Ky, and Rep. Anne Northup, R-3rd District, obtained more than $45 million for ongoing and new weapons work in Louisville by BAE Systems (formerly United Defense) and Raytheon.
McConnell also channeled $7 million for continuing research into new products and technologies that can reduce the cost of operating and maintaining warships. That work is conducted at the McConnell Technology Training Center in Louisville.
Jewish Hospital in Louisville will receive $3.5 million for research on anti-rejection drugs that will improve hand transplants, with the aim of making the surgery more effective and affordable for wounded soldiers. Northup secured the money.
Joanne Berryman, senior vice president of Jewish Hospital and St. Mary's HealthCare, said the money would assist a research team that includes the hospital, the University of Louisville and Kleinert Kutz, a group of hand surgeons.
"These funds will not only help our soldiers with severe limb injuries, it will also assist all patients who need multiple tissue transplants," Berryman said in a statement.
Rep. Hal Rogers, R-5th District, obtained almost $4 million for the Kentucky National Guard's Counter-Drug Program, which combats the cultivation and sale of marijuana in Southern and Eastern Kentucky.
McConnell set aside a separate $2.52 million for the Guard's anti-marijuana activities in the Daniel Boone National Forest.
Bunning obtained $2.45 million for construction of a facility at the Blue Grass Army Depot to demonstrate the effectiveness of the technology to be used to destroy chemical weapons at the site.
McConnell also wanted to be sure the Defense Department pushed forward on construction of the main Blue Grass disposal facility. He won approval of an amendment allowing research and development money to be used for construction of disposal plants in Kentucky and Colorado.
McConnell also added $20 million to the chemical weapons program, bringing it to $53 million, almost all of which is to be used for building in the two states. Blue Grass would receive about $40 million of that money, according to McConnell's office.
McConnell said his actions should permit a groundbreaking next year.
"We're very pleased. It's critical," said Craig Williams, director of the Chemical Weapons Working Group, a Berea-based citizens' organization that supports the disposal project.
Sens. Richard Lugar, R-Ind., and Evan Bayh, D-Ind., and Rep. Mike Sodrel, R-9th District in Southern Indiana, obtained nearly $6 million for research projects at Indiana University, including one on new security screening technology that could be used at airports and shipyards.
Other Kentucky projects include:
$5.78 million for continued production of military tents at Outdoor Venture Corp., McCreary County. (Rogers)
$2.4 million for development of a military command trailer that can be carried in a cargo plane, at Kentucky Trailer, Louisville. (Northup)
$4.2 million for anti-sniper infrared technology, at the University of Kentucky. (Bunning)
$3.5 million for ceramic armor produced at Superior Graphite, Hopkinsville. (Rep. Ed Whitfield, R-1st District, and Bunning)
$1 million for work on battlefield heating and cooling technology,
Keco Industries, Florence. (Rep. Geoff Davis, R-4th District)
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| Friday, December 23, 2005 |
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Transplant, weapons
projects funded
Defense bill has Kentucky impact
By James R. Carroll
jcarroll@courier-journal.com
The Courier-Journal
WASHINGTON -- Hand-transplant research at Jewish Hospital and work toward the disposal of chemical weapons were among Kentucky projects in the defense spending bill the House passed yesterday.
In all, Kentucky and Indiana lawmakers secured about $168 million for their states in the fiscal 2006 spending measure, which cleared the Senate late Wednesday. The bill now goes to President Bush.
"The federal money will allow Kentuckians to conduct important defense-related research and production activities to benefit our troops at home and abroad," Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said in a statement.
McConnell, Sen. Jim Bunning, R-Ky, and Rep. Anne Northup, R-3rd District, obtained more than $45 million for ongoing and new weapons work in Louisville by BAE Systems (formerly United Defense) and Raytheon.
McConnell also channeled $7 million for continuing research into new products and technologies that can reduce the cost of operating and maintaining warships. That work is conducted at the McConnell Technology Training Center in Louisville.
Jewish Hospital in Louisville will receive $3.5 million for research on anti-rejection drugs that will improve hand transplants, with the aim of making the surgery more effective and affordable for wounded soldiers. Northup secured the money.
Joanne Berryman, senior vice president of Jewish Hospital and St. Mary's HealthCare, said the money would assist a research team that includes the hospital, the University of Louisville and Kleinert Kutz, a group of hand surgeons.
"These funds will not only help our soldiers with severe limb injuries, it will also assist all patients who need multiple tissue transplants," Berryman said in a statement.
Rep. Hal Rogers, R-5th District, obtained almost $4 million for the Kentucky National Guard's Counter-Drug Program, which combats the cultivation and sale of marijuana in Southern and Eastern Kentucky.
McConnell set aside a separate $2.52 million for the Guard's anti-marijuana activities in the Daniel Boone National Forest.
Bunning obtained $2.45 million for construction of a facility at the Blue Grass Army Depot to demonstrate the effectiveness of the technology to be used to destroy chemical weapons at the site.
McConnell also wanted to be sure the Defense Department pushed forward on construction of the main Blue Grass disposal facility. He won approval of an amendment allowing research and development money to be used for construction of disposal plants in Kentucky and Colorado.
McConnell also added $20 million to the chemical weapons program, bringing it to $53 million, almost all of which is to be used for building in the two states. Blue Grass would receive about $40 million of that money, according to McConnell's office.
McConnell said his actions should permit a groundbreaking next year.
"We're very pleased. It's critical," said Craig Williams, director of the Chemical Weapons Working Group, a Berea-based citizens' organization that supports the disposal project.
Sens. Richard Lugar, R-Ind., and Evan Bayh, D-Ind., and Rep. Mike Sodrel, R-9th District in Southern Indiana, obtained nearly $6 million for research projects at Indiana University, including one on new security screening technology that could be used at airports and shipyards.
Other Kentucky projects include:
$5.78 million for continued production of military tents at Outdoor Venture Corp., McCreary County. (Rogers)
$2.4 million for development of a military command trailer that can be carried in a cargo plane, at Kentucky Trailer, Louisville. (Northup)
$4.2 million for anti-sniper infrared technology, at the University of Kentucky. (Bunning)
$3.5 million for ceramic armor produced at Superior Graphite, Hopkinsville. (Rep. Ed Whitfield, R-1st District, and Bunning)
$1 million for work on battlefield heating and cooling technology, Keco Industries, Florence. (Rep. Geoff Davis, R-4th District)
James R. Carroll can be reached at (202) 906-8141.
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