Peters Delivers Critical Resources for High-Impact Public Local Projects, Supports Humanitarian and Military Aid for Ukraine 

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI) tonight helped the Senate pass an essential bipartisan government funding bill for Fiscal Year 2022. Peters successfully secured funding in the legislation for dozens of high-impact public local projects in Michigan that can benefit from federal assistance. Peters also supported or led provisions to help restore the Great Lakes, invest in workforce training programs, bolster local manufacturing, expand Michigan’s defense footprint, and provide humanitarian and military aid to Ukraine. This legislation now heads to the President’s desk to be signed into law. 

“This government funding bill will make critical investments across our state to improve lives,” said Senator Peters. “In addition to including resources for dozens of high-impact public local projects in Michigan, the legislation will help restore the Great Lakes, invest in workforce training programs, bolster local manufacturing and expand Michigan’s defense footprint. This bill also provides humanitarian and military aid to Ukraine as we continue to support the people of Ukraine and stand up to Putin’s illegal and appalling invasion.” 

A number of provisions that Peters led or supported in the legislation include: 

·       GREAT LAKES: The bill includes $348 million for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative to invest in the Great Lakes’ health, ecosystem, and water quality. It also includes $4.94 million for the Brandon Road Lock and Dam, which is an essential chokepoint for keeping Asian carp from physically reaching the Lakes. 

·       SUPPORT FOR UKRAINE: The bill provides $13.6 billion in emergency funding to support the Ukrainian people and defend global democracy in the wake of Russia’s unprovoked attack on Ukraine. It includes humanitarian, security, and economic assistance for Ukraine and additional support for U.S. servicemembers and personnel deployed in neighboring countries. 

·       MANUFACTURING: The bill provides $158 million for the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP), which provides technical assistance to small and medium-sized manufacturers across the country to ensure their continued competitiveness. MEP centers offer resources that enable manufacturers to compete globally, support greater supply chain integration, and provide access to information, training, and technologies that improve efficiency, productivity and profitability. 

·       WORKFORCE TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT: The bill includes $2.9 billion for Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) State grants. It also provides $235 million for Registered Apprenticeships. 

·       PFAS CLEANUP: The bill provides a total of $453.7 million for military related PFAS cleanup – including at former bases. 

·       MILITARY CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS: The bill includes $94 million in funding for three projects in Michigan: $23 million for Alpena Aircraft and Maintenance Facility, $12 million to Enhance Southfield Army Reserve Facility, and $59 million to Enhance Battle Creek Facilities. 

·       CYBERSECURITY: The legislation also includes a provision based on Peters’ historic Cyber Incident Reporting Act, which he authored and passed through the Senate last week as Chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. It will require critical infrastructure owners and operators to report to the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) if they experience a cyber-attack or make a ransomware payment. Peters also helped secure $2.6 billion for CISA, as well as additional funding for federal agencies to improve cybersecurity. 

·       FUNDING FOR PROTECTING HOUSES OF WORSHIP: The bill includes $250 million in funding for the Nonprofit Security Grant Program, which Peters has previously called for to support the needs of houses of worship and other nonprofit organizations that want to secure their facilities against potential terrorist attacks. 

·       TELEHEALTH FLEXIBILITY: The bill includes several provisions similar to the CONNECT for Health Act, which Peters helped introduce. It allows for telehealth services to continue to be provided to Medicare beneficiaries in the home and in all areas of the country for 151 days after the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency. The bill also expands the practitioners eligible to provide telehealth services under Medicare, and allows qualified health centers and rural health clinics to continue to be reimbursed for telehealth services as distant site providers. Additionally, the bill allows for audio-only telehealth to continue for Medicare for 151 days after the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency. 

·       OPIOID TREATMENT: The bill includes $6.5 billion for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to help end the opioid crisis, including funding for states and tribes, medication-assisted treatment, research, and expanding the behavioral health provider workforce. 

·       SECURE TRAVEL AND TRADE ACROSS NORTHERN BORDER: The legislation includes $87 million, which Peters helped secure, for non-intrusive inspection systems, which have enabled Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) Officers to ensure safe and secure travel and trade across our borders. Peters previously called for resources to bolster CBP’s efforts to secure U.S. ports of entry – including the Gordie Howe International Bridge and the Blue Water Bridge. Peters also secured a provision that would require CBP to provide a detailed plan for the completion of the Blue Water Bridge Plaza expansion project. 

·       PAWS ACT: The bill includes $3 million for the Pet and Women Safety (PAWS) Act, legislation that Peters got enacted into law in 2018. PAWS grants are used to provide emergency and transitional shelter options for domestic violence survivors with companion animals, helping to empower victims of domestic violence to escape their abuse.  

·       ADDRESSING VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN: The bill reauthorizes the Violence Against Women Act and contains $575 million, the highest funding level ever, for grants provided by the Office on Violence Against Women. This support is vital for women who face sexual assault and domestic abuse.

·       PAY RAISE FOR TROOPS: The bill includes a 2.7 percent pay raise for all 2.1 million uniformed U.S. service members and approximately 750,000 civilian Defense Department employees. 

·       PROSWIFT ACT: The bill contains $5 million to fund a Commercial Space Weather Data Pilot program authorized by Peters’ PROSWIFT Act, which will strengthen the nation’s ability to predict severe space weather events and mitigate their harmful impacts on Earth.

·       FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OVERSIGHT: As Chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, Peters helped secure increased funding for Inspectors General across the federal government, whose offices are essential to Congress’ efforts to safeguard taxpayer dollars and uncover fraud, waste, and abuse in the federal government. 

The bill also includes funding secured by Peters for high-impact public local projects in Michigan that can benefit from federal assistance, including to build trust between communities and law enforcement, upgrade and build more resilient infrastructure and strengthen skills training programs: 

Building more resilient & sustainable water infrastructure

·       Martin Drain In-System Storage Device: The Martin Sanitary Diversion Drainage District in Clinton Township, will receive $1 million to reduce combined sewage overflows (CSO) to the Martin Retention Basin, which services the sewage needs for the cities of Roseville and St. Clair Shores and whose excess flows are discharged to Lake St. Clair, by installing an In-System Storage Device that will reduce CSO volume by 20 percent annually. 

·       Great Lakes Water Authority Detroit River Interceptor Evaluation and Rehabilitation: The Great Lakes Water Authority in Detroit will receive $2 million to evaluate and rehabilitate the Detroit River Interceptor (DRI), which is a critical piece of infrastructure to the Great Lakes Water Authority’s (GLWA) system. The project will result in a more reliable DRI capable of conveying capacity flows to GLWA’s water and will also address major blockages in the DRI caused by debris and other large objects that become lodged in the interceptor, which reduce its capacity and make the system more vulnerable to causing negative public health and environmental impacts. 

·       City of St. Clair Water Treatment Plant Improvements: The City of St. Clair will receive $970,000 to upgrade the performance and reliability of the St. Clair Water Treatment Plant (WTP), while also assisting it in complying with regulatory standards. 

·       Shelby Water Reservoir: The Township of Shelby will receive $1 million to support the Charter Township of Shelby’s Water Reservoir project, which is a 3.5-million-gallon facility that will be designed to equalize water demands, reduce pressure fluctuations in the distribution system, and to manage and reduce rates to users of the system. 

·       8 ½ Mile Drain Drainage District In-System Storage: $4.5 million will be used to maximize the use of existing infrastructure by constructing In-System Storage devices to increase sewer storage capacity, which will improve the water quality of Lake St. Clair and help alleviate the possibility of residential basement flooding during heavy rain events. 

·       St. Clair County Clay-Ira Interceptor Project: $1 million will go toward rehabilitating the interceptor sewer for Clay Township and Ira Township, restoring the service life of aging infrastructure pipelines and protecting the users and natural environment from catastrophic failures or the unexpected discharge of untreated wastewater directly into sensitive environmental areas. 

Expanding skills training & apprenticeship opportunities in Michigan 

·       Alpena Community College: Oscoda Center for Workforce Innovation: Alpena Community College will receive $1.1 million to create lab spaces and related career and technical education (CTE) instructional programs in the areas of: (1) Aerospace Technology; (2) Nursing and related health care programs; (3) Advanced Manufacturing; and (4) IT technicians to support greater broadband access across Northeast Michigan.

·       Genesee Intermediate School District (GISD) School Nursing Pilot Program: The Genesee Intermediate School District in Flint will receive $1 million to create a school nursing pilot program.

·       Michigan Apprenticeship Program Plus (MAP+): Macomb Community College (MCC) in Warren will receive $610,000 to fund and build on the MAP+ program for four years. 

·       Oakland University-Master of Science Physician Assistant (MSPA Program): Oakland University will receive $1.6 million to establish the OU Community Health Clinic and Wellness Center. 

Criminal justice & building trust between communities and law enforcement 

·       Ceasefire Detroit: The Detroit Police Department will receive $715,000 to increase the capacity of Ceasefire Detroit's Outreach Team to reduce violence through a balanced approach that coordinates law enforcement and social services. 

·       City of St. Clair Shores PD In-Car Dash and Body Cameras: The City of St. Clair Shores will receive $235,000 to help fund in-car cameras and body cameras to help improve transparency surrounding police interactions to build trust and help improve service to residents. 

·       Project Clean Slate: The City of Detroit will receive approximately $1.5 million to assist Detroiters in determining whether they are eligible for expungement, and if so, provide dedicated paralegal and attorney support. The goal of Project Clean Slate is to help Detroiters who have served their time reenter society to create better opportunities for employment, education, and housing. 

·       Monroe County Community College - Criminal Justice De-escalation Training Simulator: Monroe County Community College will receive $350,000 for an interactive training simulator to place trainees from public safety and community health disciplines into realistic scenarios to apply communication and de-escalation techniques. 

Rebuilding our roads, transportation and connectivity infrastructure 

·       Capital Region International Airport Cargo Ramp Expansion: Capital Region Airport Authority in Clinton County will receive approximately $8.1 million to expand the Capital Regional International Airport’s (LAN) International existing cargo ramp. 

·       Concourse A - Enabling Phases: Gerald R. Ford International Airport Authority in Kent County will receive more than $1.2 million to implement safety upgrades to support the expansion of the airport. 

·       Expansion of the Ypsilanti Transit Center: The Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority will receive $300,000 to conduct pre-construction activities for the expansion of the Ypsilanti Transit Center. 

·       Michigan Avenue Corridor Improvement: The City of Lansing will receive $1 million to modernize traffic signals and implement signal communications that will enable transit priority, emergency vehicle pre-emption, and special event timing plans, and also establish a framework to support autonomous and connected vehicles. 

·       Rural Broadband Expansion for the Upper Peninsula and Northern Michigan: Northern Michigan University will receive $1.2 million for a project to provide rural communities in the Upper Peninsula and Northern Michigan with fast, reliable, and robust broadband internet access. 

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