FY2010
Commerce, Justice and Science request letter
Energy and Water request letter
Labor – Health & Human Services – Education request letter
Transportation and Housing and Urban Development request letter
Congressman Culberson requested money for the following projects in the FY2010 appropriations cycle:
Agriculture
Pediatric Nutrigenetic and Nutritional Epigentic Research
Organization/ Institution: Baylor College of Medicine
Baylor Plaza, Houston, Texas 77030.
Amount Requested: $2,000,000
It is my understanding that the funding would be used to perform genetic research to determine principle causes of health problems such as obesity, Type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
Commerce, Justice, and Science Subcommittee
Texas Border Sheriffs Coalition
Organization/ Institution: Texas Border Sheriffs Coalition
4141 Pinnacle Street #213; El Paso, TX 79902
Amount Requested: $6,000,000
Texas Border Sheriff’s Coalition was organized on May 4, 2005 and is represented by the Chief Law Enforcement Officer of each respective county along the Texas-Mexico border. Texas Sheriffs are empowered by the Texas Constitution to protect the lives, property, and the rights of the people, maintain order and security in the United States along the Texas border with the Republic of Mexico to enforce the law impartially, and provide police service in partnership with other law enforcement agencies and community partners. Sheriffs are totally accountable to the people of their county.
The Texas border county sheriffs have received funding from Congress in the last 3 appropriations cycles to defend our borders. They are using this funding to put more deputies on the streets, purchase equipment, and reduce illegal crossings.
Houston Interoperability Initiative
Organization/ Institution: City of Houston
900 Bagby, 2nd Floor; Houston, TX 77002
Amount Requested: $500,000
The City of Houston will use this funding to acquire interoperable communications equipment so that the city’s first responders can communicate on a 700MHz trunked public safety radio system that will provide full and continuous interoperability with the 800MHz regional radio system. Communications in the Houston area are hampered by incompatible and aging equipment, disparate radio systems, and limited funding. First responders in Houston are responsible for protecting the highest density of critical infrastructure in Texas, including the Port of Houston, the petrochemical industry, the largest medical center in the world, and extensive commercial assets.
Targeted Narcotics Enforcement Team, Houston, TX
Organization/ Institution: City of Houston
900 Bagby, 2nd Floor; Houston, TX 77002
Amount Requested: $500,000
The Targeted Narcotics Enforcement Team (TNET) is an enforcement group whose mission is to carry out investigations addressing the broad spectrum of drug trafficking in and through the Houston region. Their goal is to identify, target, and disrupt or dismantle major drug trafficking organizations operating on a regional scale. TNET also works through its coalition of investigators, attorneys, inspectors, and citizen groups to target the dealers and end users that make the DTOs’ work profitable. With drug violence spilling over into the streets of Houston, this funding will help provide resources needed for TNET to contniue their mission.
The JASON Project
Organization/ Institution: The JASON Project
44983 Knoll Square, Suite 150, Ashburn, VA 20147.
Amount Requested: $500,000
It is my understanding that the funding would be used for the development of standards-based science curriculum for middle school students and professional development programs to increase teacher effectiveness.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Organization/ Institution: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Herbert Hoover Building, Room 5221, Fourteenth and Constitution Ave, NW, Washington, DC 20230
Amount Requested: $5,000,000
It is my understanding that the funding would be used for research into carbon sinks through ocean fertilization.
Defense
Alliance for NanoHealth
Organization/ Institution: Rice University
6100 Main Street, MS 603, Houston, TX 77005
Amount Requested: $12,000,000
This project will support collaborative research to advance nanomedicine, which has the potential to provide significant medical breakthroughs in disease diagnosis, treatment and prevention.
Center for Cancer Immunology Research
Organization/ Institution: M.D. Anderson Cancer Center
1515 Holcombe Boulevard, Unit 169, Houston, Texas 77030
Amount Requested: $4,000,000
This project will support equipment, supplies and production at the Center for Cancer Immunology, a center utilizing innovation in immunotherapies and vaccinations to cure cancer. In the near future, the center will vaccinate children and adults against Leukemia.
Carbon Nano-Materials for Advanced Aerospace Applications (Armchair Quantum Wire)
Organization/ Institution: Rice University
6100 Main Street, MS 603, Houston, Texas 77005
Amount Requested: $5,000,000
This project will support the armchair quantum wire project to dramatically improve the efficiency of electrical systems used by the Air Force and in the longer term, to help make America energy independent.
Novel Strategies for Trauma Care
Organization/ Institution: University of Texas Health Science Center Houston
7000 Fannin, Ste. 1550, Houston, TX 77030
Amount Requested: $8,515,705
The purpose of this request is to enhance infrastructure and purchase monitoring and investigative equipment. Far too many preventable deaths result from failures to adequately identify and treat life and/or limb threatening injuries. The Center’s research will identify best practices for trauma management that is applicable in the hospital and on the battlefield.
Nano imaging Agents for early disease detection
Organization/ Institution: Methodist Hospital System
8060 El Rio, Houston, Texas 77054
Amount Requested: $1,000,000
The purpose of this request is to support the research and creation of nano-imaging agents for early disease detection. Nano-imaging agents are safely injected into a patient and provide a three-dimensional image, creating a “night vision” that lights up tissue changes and cell anomalies and enabling more accurate diagnostics
Technologies for Management of Trauma-Induced Cognitive Impairment in Military Personnel
Organization/ Institution: Baylor College of Medicine
One Baylor Plaza, Houston, Texas, 77030
Amount Requested: $2,000,000
The purpose of this request is to support research on the management of trauma-induced cognitive impairment. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have left thousands of soldiers from suffering from traumatic brain injuries and stress disorders. Asymptomatic patients must be diagnosed early to mitigate the long term effects of these injuries.
Consortium for Nanomaterials for Aerospace Commerce and Technology (CONTACT)
Organization/ Institution: Rice University
6100 Main Street, MS 100, Houston, Texas 77005
Amount Requested: $5,000,000
The purpose of this request is to support nanotechnology research to improve capabilities for the Air Force in aircraft, missiles and space applications.
Pediatric Cancer Research and Clinical Trials
Organization/ Institution: CureSearch
4600 East West Highway, Suite 600, Bethesda, MD 20814-3457
Amount Requested: $100,000
The purpose of this request is to support pediatric cancer clinical care trials throughout the nation. Clinical trials have significantly increased the cancer cure rate for children from less than 10 percent in the 1950’s to over 80 percent today.
Energy and Water
Brays Bayou
Organization/ Institution: Harris County Flood Control District
9900 Northwest Freeway, Suite 220, Houston, TX 77092.
Amount Requested: $28,850,000
It is my understanding that the funding would be used for construction of a flood damage reduction project along Brays Bayou in Harris County, Texas.
Buffalo Bayou and Tributaries, White Oak Bayou
Organization/ Institution: Harris County Flood Control District
9900 Northwest Freeway, Suite 220, Houston, TX 77092.
Amount Requested: $100,000
It is my understanding that the funding would be used for construction of a flood damage reduction project along White Oak Bayou in Harris County, Texas.
Buffalo Bayou and Tributaries
Organization/ Institution: Harris County Flood Control District
9900 Northwest Freeway, Suite 220, Houston, TX 77092.
Amount Requested: $100,000
It is my understanding that the funding would be used for oversight of a flood damage reduction project aimed at reducing the loss of life, injury, and property destruction in the Buffalo Bayou in Harris County, Texas.
Houston Ship Channel – Construction
Organization/ Institution: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the local sponsor is the Port Authority of Houston
P.O. Box 2562, Houston, Texas 77252.
Amount Requested: $58,350,000
It is my understanding that the funding would be used to add capacity for dredged material disposal sites along the Channel.
Houston Ship Channel – Operations and Maintenance
Organization/ Institution: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the local sponsor is the Port Authority of Houston
P.O. Box 2562, Houston, Texas 77252.
Amount Requested: $30,905,000
It is my understanding that the funding would be used for operations and mainentance of the Channels, including dredging activities.
Homeland Security Subcommittee
Predisaster Mitigation Harris County Flood Control District, TX
Organization/Institution: Harris County Flood Control District
99000 Northwest Freeway, Suite 220; Houston, TX 77092
Amount Requested: $1,000,000
This funding is for the voluntary acquisition and demolition of approximately 38 homes located deep in the floodway and floodplain of the White Oak Watershed of Harris County, Texas. The Harris County Flood Control District is charged with devising the flood damage reduction plans for the county, implementing the plans, and maintaining the infrastructure covering a 1,756 square mile area.
Interior and Environment
Geographical Information System Implementation
Organization/ Interior: Texas Medical Center
2450 Holcombe Blvd, Suite 1, Houston, Texas 77021.
Amount Requested: $1,000,000
It is my understanding that the funding would be used for an electric utility and environmental infrastructure study for the Texas Medical Center.
Public Utility Infrastructure Upgrade Analysis
Organization/ Interior: Texas Medical Center
2450 Holcombe Blvd, Suite 1, Houston, Texas 77021.
Amount Requested: $400,000
It is my understanding that the funding would be used for a study to determine the scope of infrastructure needs regarding fresh water and wastewater supplies at the Texas Medical Center.
Civil War Battlefield Protection Program
Organization/ Interior: American Battlefield Preservation Program
1849 C Street N.W. (2255), Washington, DC 20240.
Amount Requested: $7,000,000
It is my understanding that the funding would be used for a matching grants program that promotes preservation of the nation’s most historically important Civil War battlegrounds.
Labor- Health and Human Services- Education- Related Agencies
Center for Cancer Immunology
Organization/ Institution: M.D. Anderson Cancer Center
1515 Holcombe Boulevard, Unit 169, Houston, Texas 77030
Amount Requested: $2,000,000
The purpose of this project is to support the costs of equipment, supplies and production at the Center for Cancer Immunology, a center utilizing innovation in immunotherapies and vaccinations to cure cancer. In the near future, the center will vaccinate children and adults against Leukemia
Children’s Memorial Hermann Autism Program
Organization/ Institution: Memorial Hermann Foundation
9401 Southwest Freeway, Suite 1200, Houston, TX 77074
Amount Requested: $250,000
This purpose of this request is to support comprehensive health care for children and families affected by autism. Clinical staff will conduct full assessments of patients, coordinate initial referrals for hospital outpatient testing, and conduct follow-up visits with patients and families to provide ongoing monitor of patient progress
Memorial Hermann – Texas Medical Center: Critical Level I Trauma Care/Emergency Room Upgrades
Organization/ Institution: Memorial Hermann Healthcare System
6411 Fannin, Houston, TX 77030.
Amount Requested: $1,500,000
The purpose of this request is to purchase equipment at the Level 1 Trauma Center and expand existing adult and pediatric trauma care facilities. This equipment is critical to the Center’s ability to serve its patient volume, which is the highest in the nation.
Rice University BioScience Research Collaborative (BRC)
Organization/ Institution: Rice University
6100 Main Street, MS 603, Houston, TX 77005
Amount Requested: $500,000
The purpose of this request is to purchase equipment for the BioScience Research Collaborative, dedicated to improving the diagnosis and treatment of human disease through biomedicine and drug development.
Center for Translational Neuroinformatics (CTNI)
Organization/ Institution: University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
7000 Fannin, Suite 1550, Houston, Texas 77030
Amount Requested: $200,000
The purpose of this request is to purchase equipment for the Center for Translational Neuroinformatics. The center conducts innovative research to prevent and treat developmental and neurodegenerative diseases including autism, Alzheimer’s and brain injury.
CHP Digital Radiology
Organization/ Institution Harris County Hospital District
2525 Holly Hall, Houston, Texas 77054
Amount Requested: $250,000
The purpose of this request is to purchase direct-capture digital imaging devices. This equipment will enhance clinical work flow, patient treatment and increase the productivity of imaging technologists.
Advancing Cardiovascular and Neuroscience Centers of Excellence Through the Integration of Research, Clinical Care and Education
Organization/ Institution: St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital
3100 Main Street, Suite 865 (MC 3-106), Houston, Texas 77002
Amount Requested: $250,000
The purpose of this request is to purchase a 3-Tesla Magnetic Resonance Imaging scanner. This equipment will allow St. Luke’s to serve more patients with cardiovascular and neurological disease, pursue focused research projects that can have immediate clinical impact on patient care, and develop new, cost-effective imaging techniques that might otherwise be unavailable to the greater healthcare community.
Cell Differentiation Synthetic Biology at the Institute for Molecular Design
Organization/ Institution: University of Houston
4800 Calhoun Road, Houston, TX 77004
Amount Requested: $500,000
The purpose of this project is to purchase equipment for the Institute of Molecular Design. The Institute is developing new treatments to control catastrophic diseases including cancer, stroke and diabetes, as well as trauma
Childhood Cancer Research Network
Organization/ Institution: CureSearch
4600 East West Highway, Suite 600, Bethesda, MD 20814-3457
Amount Requested: $100,000
The purpose of this request is to create and support the Childhood Cancer Research Network, the nation’s first and only pediatric cancer. This database will ensure early access to best available pediatric therapies and clinical trials and enable researchers to conduct studies on the causes of childhood cancer.
Equipment Upgrades and Renovations for a Nursing Skills Lab at Houston Baptist University
Organization/ Institution: Houston Baptist University
7502 Fondren Road, Houston, TX 77074
Amount Requested: $50,000
The purpose of this request is to update space and equipment dedicated to training healthcare professionals. Expanding HBU’s Nursing Skills Lab will increase the number of students trained in nursing each year
Transportation and Housing and Urban Development Subcommittee
Transportation study for the Texas Medical Center, Houston, TX
Organization/Institution: Houston Galveston Area Council
3555 Timmons, Suite 120; Houston, TX 77027
Amount Requested: $1,000,000
In 2008, the Houston Galveston Area Council conducted a regional transportation study to develop a blueprint to address the region’s long-term transportation needs. The results of the study indicate that significant transportation improvements will be needed in several parts of the city, including the Texas Medical Center due to the unprecedented growth that is anticipated. Demands for cost-effective and environmentally-friendly mobility solutions are increasing. Alternative mobility solutions will include capitalizing on current transportation infrastructure by emphasizing multimodal mobility solutions and system improvements with a high benefit-cost ratio.
The Houston Galveston Area Council will use this funding to identify targeted mobility improvements for developing an efficient and functional multimodal transportation system in the Texas Medical Center. This planning is essential to keep Houston and the Texas Medical Center moving forward.
Advanced Transit Program/METRO Solutions Bus Expansion, Houston, TX
Organization/Institution: Houston METRO
1990 Main Street; Houston, TX 77208
Amount Requested: $1,000,000
Houston METRO maintains one of the best public bus system in the country. According to Federal guidelines, buses should be replaced every 12 years. This request will provide funding to continue expansion of the Park & Ride system throughout the Houston area and be used to purchase replacement buses for the METRO fleet. METRO has about 1200 buses and has developed an annual replacement schedule that replaces 100 buses per year.
Advanced Transit Program/METRO Solutions Bus Expansion, Houston, TX
Organization/Institution: Houston METRO
1990 Main Street; Houston, TX 77208
Amount Requested: $5,000,000
In 2003, the voters of Houston approved the METRO Solutions plan that includes buses, light rail, and commuter rail. This request will continue help fund the final design, land acquisition, and construction for the first segments on the North Corridor and Southeast Corridor Projects only. Additionally, this funding will also help begin the planning work for commuter rail segments.
Congressman Culberson helped to direct funding to the following projects in Fiscal Year 2010:
- $300,000 for Baylor College of Medicine to perform genetic research to determine principle causes of health problems such as obesity, Type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
- $4.85 million for the Texas Border Sheriffs to maintain order and security along our southern border and reduce illegal crossings.
- $1.35 million for the City of Houston to acquire interoperable communications equipment for the city’s first responders.
- $350,000 for the City of Houston’s Narcotics Enforcement Team to target the broad spectrum of drug trafficking in and through the Houston region.
- $4 million for the Alliance for NanoHealth to support collaborative research to advance nanomedicine, which has the potential to provide significant medical breakthroughs in disease diagnosis, treatment and prevention.
- $1.6 million for the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center to support the development of immunotherapies and vaccinations to cure cancer.
- $800,000 for Rice University’s Armchair Quantum Wire Project, which will improve the efficiency of electrical systems used by the Air Force and in the longer term, to help make America energy independent.
- $800,000 for Methodist Hospital to support the research and creation of nano-imaging agents for early disease detection.
- $3.2 million for Rice University to support nanotechnology research to improve capabilities for the Air Force in aircraft, missiles and space applications.
- $1.6 million for Pediatric Cancer Research clinical trials throughout the nation. Clinical trials have significantly increased the cancer cure rate for children from less than 10 percent in the 1950’s to over 80 percent today.
- $7.7 million for the construction of a flood damage reduction project along Brays Bayou in Harris County.
- $90,000 for the construction of a flood damage reduction project along White Oak Bayou in Harris County.
- $90,000 for the oversight of a flood damage reduction project aimed at reducing the loss of life, injury, and property destruction in the Buffalo Bayou in Harris County.
- $242,500 for the Port of Houston to add capacity for dredged material disposal sites along the Houston Ship Channel.
- $14.315 million for the Port of Houston for operations and maintenance of the Houston Ship Channel, including dredging activities.
- $1,000,000 for the voluntary acquisition and demolition of approximately 38 homes located deep in the floodway and floodplain of the White Oak Watershed of Harris County.
- $9 million for a matching grants program that promotes preservation of the nation’s most historically important Civil War battlegrounds.
- $1 million for M.D. Anderson Cancer Center to support the costs of equipment, supplies and production at the Center for Cancer Immunology, a center utilizing innovation in immunotherapies and vaccinations to cure cancer.
- $250,000 for Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital to support comprehensive health care for children and families affected by autism.
- $1,000,000 for Memorial Hermann to purchase equipment at the Level 1 Trauma Center and expand existing adult and pediatric trauma care facilities, which has the highest patient volume in the nation.
- $450,000 for Rice University to purchase equipment for the BioScience Research Collaborative, dedicated to improving the diagnosis and treatment of human disease through biomedicine and drug development.
- $100,000 for University of Texas Health Science Center Houston to purchase equipment for the Center for Translational Neuroinformatics. The center conducts innovative research to prevent and treat developmental and neurodegenerative diseases including autism, Alzheimer’s and brain injury.
- $300,000 for the Harris County Hospital District to purchase direct-capture digital imaging devices.
- $1,000,000 for the Houston Galveston Area Council to identify targeted mobility improvements for developing an efficient and functional multimodal transportation system in the Texas Medical Center.
- $1.42 million for Houston METRO to continue expansion of the Park & Ride system throughout the Houston area and be used to purchase replacement buses for the METRO fleet.
- $75 million for Houston METRO to continue help fund the final design, land acquisition, and construction for the first segments on the North Corridor and Southeast Corridor Projects only.
