CRAFTSBURY COMMON – U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) voted Saturday morning to keep the government open and advance nearly $13 million of Congressionally Directed Spending for eight Vermont-based projects nominated by the Senator. Part of the appropriation went to Sterling College in Craftsbury Common to develop a new workforce readiness curriculum that enables students to engage in place-based, project-based learning in collaboration with community partners. The $695,000 for Sterling College was in addition to nearly $30 million in federal funds passed in early March as part of the first tranche of government funding, which will support 19 Vermont projects nominated by Sen. Welch.
“This bipartisan bill is not perfect but represents a compromise: we were able to secure solid wins for families across America, while avoiding far-right Republicans’ attempts to cut spending by 22% and include extreme policy riders, which would have hurt hardworking families in Vermont.
“This bill will provide additional resources for families with funding for Head Start, child care and public education, invest in FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund, strengthen passenger safety by bolstering our federal transportation safety workforce, and secure much-needed funding for our Federal Public Defenders to avoid layoffs.
“This package also includes over $12 million in funding for important projects in Vermont that I was proud to secure, along with the $30 million for projects announced earlier this month. These projects will make a huge difference across our state by creating green jobs and funding sustainable infrastructure projects, investing in training and education programs to bolster our healthcare workforce, and supporting mental health initiatives to create healthier communities.
Sen. Welch also secured the following federal investments to support Vermont communities: $1.7 million for Cathedral Square Corporation will provide SASH participants statewide with access to a mental health clinician, $996,000 for Vermont Healthcare Information Technology Education Center, Inc. in Williston to support 60 apprentices with access training and on-the-job learning opportunities that will eventually lead to a career at one of the University of Vermont Medical Center (UVMMC)’s locations.
There is also $740,000 for the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board in Montpelier to assist at least 100 Vermont farms and forests increase viability, access land, recover from the pandemic, and improve climate resiliency, $296,000 for Vermont Student Assistance Corporation in Winooski to create a talent pipeline for in-demand jobs that support navigation and $260,000 for the Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund in Montpelier to help eight climate economy/energy start-up companies deploy their efforts to reduce carbons emissions into Vermont businesses.
Senator Welch’s office is now accepting Congressionally Directed Spending requests for state and local government entities and non-profit organizations based in Vermont for Fiscal Year (FY) 2025. Requests must be completed and submitted via electronic application by Monday, April 8, 2024, at 11:59 PM ET. Learn more and apply on Sen. Welch’s website.
