05.08.09

Fiscal Year 2010 National Defense Authorization Act - Non MilCon

Priority Projects

Our state has been particularly hard hit by the economic downturn – unemployment levels have skyrocketed and I’ve heard from many local communities struggling to cover basic services like education, public safety, transportation and health care. As a United States Senator, part of my job is to help critical priorities in our state receive attention from the federal government so that we can help reinvigorate our economy, create new, high-paying jobs, and help our working families stay ahead in these tough economic times.

 

Part of that process at the federal level includes making sure that our state gets our fair share of funding from the federal government. Washington consistently pays more in federal tax dollars than we receive back in federal investment and services.

During the annual budget process, I submit requests to the Senate Appropriations Committee for congressionally directed spending for Washington state (sometimes referred to as “earmarks”) that benefits our state. Some of these include: flood control levees; airport, rail, highway and mass transit improvements; drinking water and wastewater infrastructure; gang crime prevention and intervention programs; workforce training; and, agricultural research. I am working to continue to make this process even more transparent and to ensure that we’re spending taxpayer dollars wisely.

 

Every year, I receive hundreds of requests for assistance from cities, counties, water and utility districts, transportation agencies, and others. I carefully review and evaluate these requests — and choose to submit a selection of these projects to the Committee.  The final outcome for any request will not be known until the bill has been approved by the House and Senate, and signed into law by the President.

I will be posting each request I make to my Web site as they are submitted to the Senate Appropriations Committee. 

Below you will find detailed information about requests I made for the FY 2010 National Defense Authorization Act:

 

2010 WA Mil Department Domestic Operations Response Equipment Request – Washington Military Department (Camp Murray, WA). 

 

Project Description – The federal equipment that is operated by the Washington National Guard has been deployed on a regular basis making it unavailable for state emergencies. This request will allow for the procurement of a Command and Control (C2) communications vehicle, a C2 field shelter, and a Truck Mounted Incident Site System. This request will allow the Washington National Guard to have the necessary equipment dedicated to the purpose of protecting Washington state residents in the event of a natural or man-made disaster.

 

Amount Requested – $3,500,000

 

 

Advanced Skills Management Implementation – Fleet Readiness Centers – Paladin Data Systems Corporation (Poulsbo, WA). 

 

Project Description – The Advanced Skills Management (ASM) software allows commanders to more effectively and efficiently track the availability of personnel for aviation maintenance. This project continues the use of the ASM software currently being used by over 56,000 Navy and Marine corps personnel and expands its use to additional Fleet Readiness Centers (FRC). This project will provide the Navy with a web based capability which will not only save time and money, but allow the personnel of the FRC to concentrate on their maintenance mission and ensure our fleet will be prepared when it is needed.

 

Amount Requested – $3,000,000

 

 

Dedicated Breast MRI System for Madigan Army Medical Center – Aurora Imaging Technology (Tacoma, WA). 

 

Project Description – In 2007 the DoD added MRI screening coverage for women at high risk. Madigan Army Medical Center’s current MRI unit is operating at capacity and servicewomen and veterans rising breast MRI needs are not being fully met. This request would equip the Madigan Army Medical Center with Aurora Imaging Technology’s cutting-edge MRI system. Aurora Imaging Technology has developed the only FDA-cleared dedicated breast MRI system. This cutting-edge system is currently in use nationwide and provides an accurate three-dimensional reading of breast tissue and has the ability to more efficiently screen DoD personnel.

 

Amount Requested – $3,585,000

 

 

Epigenetic Disease Research – Washington State University (Pullman, WA). 

 

Project Description – Washington State University is working with the U.S. Army to identify epigenetic biomarkers produced by exposure to a variety of environments and toxins. The Epigenetic Disease Research request will allow for the continuation of this research and research into potential therapies.

 

Amount Requested – $5,000,000

 

 

Institute for Simulation and Interprofessional Studies (ISIS) – University of Washington (Seattle, WA). 

 

Project Description – The Institute for Simulation and Interprofessional Studies (ISIS) provides targeted, intensive re-training programs for military personnel who return from deployment and need to recertify in their specialty in order to practice in WA State, and also for military personnel needing first-time WA State medical certification. ISIS is uniquely positioned to provide training, evaluation, and curricula to meet DoD needs and is currently working in partnership with Madigan Army Medical Center to develop these programs.  Through ISIS, University of Washington School of Medicine has established this regional model of distributed medical education for skills training that will eventually form a national model for civilian practice as well as the large scale model for military needs.

 

Amount Requested – $6,380,000

 

 

Madigan Army Medical Center Trauma Assistance Program – Madigan Army Medical Center (Tacoma, WA). 

 

Project Description – The requested funding will enable a regional partnership of military and civilian trauma centers to continue to train military medical personnel to treat people with trauma-related injuries. The Tacoma Trauma Trust (TTT), a partnership between Madigan Army Medical Center, Tacoma General Hospital (MultiCare) and St. Joseph’s Hospital (Franciscan Health System), provides critical trauma training for military medical personnel, while at the same time providing essential Level II trauma treatment for South King, Pierce, Kitsap, and Thurston Counties and southwest Washington for both a large population of military beneficiaries as well as nonmilitary residents. The requested funding is necessary to ensure military medical personnel receive vital training during this time of conflict. The funding level is also necessary to ensure the continuation of the region’s only Level II trauma services.

 

Amount Requested – $5,000,000

 

 

Malaria Vaccine Development – Protecting Our Troops – Seattle Biomedical Research Institute (Seattle, WA). 

 

Project Description – Seattle Biomedical Research Institute (SBRI) has been working with the Army to develop a vaccine that will prevent malaria infection.  A vaccine is urgently needed to protect our troops from malaria, and this goal is the top priority of the U.S. Military Infectious Disease Research Program. To date, no prophylactic intervention completely prevents infection and resultant morbidity from this disease, thus malaria remains a significant threat to daily operations for U.S. military personnel deployed in endemic regions.  SBRI scientists have developed a vaccine strategy that confers 100% protection in initial models. The requested funds will allow SBRI to prepare and test their second generation malaria vaccine with troops stationed at Fort Lewis, and monitor these troops for safety parameters, immune responses, and level of protection from malaria.

 

Amount Requested – $5,000,000

 

 

National Guard CST/CERFP Sustainment Training & Evaluation Program (CST/CERFP STEP) – TRIDEC (Richland, WA). 

 

Project Description – The 55 Civil Support Teams (CSTs) and 17 Chemical, Biological, Nuclear Enhanced Response Force Package (CERFP) teams are trained to perform functions that are critical to our nation’s ability to respond to incidents involving weapons of mass destruction.  The skills required to perform these functions must be constantly maintained and updated as response tactics improve. STEP ensures consistency and standardization in response capabilities, builds cooperation between CST/CERFPs and other government entities, and provides immediate internal and external evaluation and analysis capabilities through standardized After Action Reviews and external evaluation framework for use by the National Guard Bureau.

 

Amount Requested – $1,200,000

 

 

Optical Neural Techniques for Combat and Post-Trauma Healthcare – Lockheed Martin Aculight Corporation (Bothell, WA). 

 

Project Description – A new generation of technologies utilizing mid-infrared lasers to control nerves offers tremendous promise not only for application at the acute treatment stage but also for chronic treatment and quality of life enhancement like hearing or sight restoration. These laser nerve stimulation systems can accurately target affected nerves and tissues and treat them without impacting surrounding tissues. This technology treats the problem more effectively without causing negative side effects, and ultimately improves the quality of life for those treated.

 

Amount Requested – $4,700,000

 

 

Perfect Match Program Extension – Puget Sound Blood Center (Seattle, WA). 

 

Project Description – Due to restrictions on donating blood from persons serving overseas for long periods of time, Bremerton and Madigan rely heavily on PSBC for supplies. The Perfect Match Program will be able to specifically help Bremerton Naval Hospital and Madigan Army Medical Center’s need for ethnically matched blood because the program focuses on expanding the ethnic diversity of the blood donor population and increasing the ability to support serious medical needs of patients requiring frequent, multiple blood transfusions. 

 

Amount Requested – $2,000,000

 

 

Pre-symptomatic autoimmune disease detection demonstration project – Benaroya Research Institute and Virginia Mason (Seattle, WA). 

 

Project Description – In Washington State, the incidence of type 1 diabetes and of multiple sclerosis is among the highest in the country. There is a major unmet medical need to improve the health of these individuals, and to decrease the risk of similar disease in their relatives who share genetic susceptibility.  This funding will establish a demonstration project to evaluate this model for personalizing treatment and disease management in diabetes and multiple sclerosis. 

 

Amount Requested – $4,500,000

 

 

Puget Sound Naval Maintenance and Repair Partnership – The National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS) (Bremerton, WA). 

 

Project Description – The Advanced Naval Sustainment and Reset program will develop and integrate new technology and methods into the maintenance and repair establishment of Navy Region Northwest. The program will identify and prioritize required improvements; identify, develop and validate new technology in order to make maintenance duties more effective and efficient. These solutions would be replicable at repair and maintenance installations Navy wide. 

 

Amount Requested – $2,105,000

 

 

Systems Biology Biomarkers Toxicology Initiative – Institute for Systems Biology (Seattle, WA). 

 

Project Description – The Edgewood Chemical Biological Center (ECBC) runs a program studying the genetic effects resulting from very low level exposures to chemical nerve agents. The Systems Biology Biomarkers Toxicology Initiative would support ECBC's molecular toxicology program by improving the detection of changes in disease states, developing techniques for the quantitative analysis of toxins in blood, and developing the software tools necessary to analyze new forms of biological data. This collaboration will enable DoD to better detect whether troops have been exposed to harmful substances and to give early diagnoses of traumatic brain injuries.

 

Amount Requested – $5,000,000

 

 

Understanding Increased Risk of Preterm Birth and Stillbirth in a Post-Combat Setting – Seattle Children’s Hospital (Seattle, WA). 

 

Project Description – Servicewomen who endure post combat conditions experience high levels of stress, an increased risk of exposure to toxins and pathogens, are susceptible to poor nutrition and impoverishment, all of which raise the potential for higher preterm birth and stillbirth rates. This project supports the biomarker and post combat stabilization work done by the Edgewood Chemical Biological Center through researching the effects of post combat stress and related risks on pregnant women through identifying key biomarkers.

 

Amount Requested – $3,500,000

 

 

Western Regional Counter Drug Training Center – Washington National Guard (Camp Murray, WA).  

Project Description – The requested funding would allow for the establishment of the first Counter Drug Training Center for the West Coast. Currently, personnel are required to travel to the Midwest and East Coast for this training which has resulted in additional costs and less availability. The Western Regional Counter Drug Training Center will provide accessible, world-class counter drug prevention, detection, and interdiction training for the western United States.

 

 

Amount Requested – $2,500,000

 

 

 

 

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