Congress has passed — and President Biden has signed — a bipartisan bill to fund the government and stave off a shutdown.
The U.S. House passed the bill March 22 by a vote of 286 to 134 with overwhelming support from Democrats and nearly 50-50 support from Republicans. The U.S. Senate followed suit early the next morning in a 74-24 vote, with about two dozen Republicans joining nearly all the Democrats in support of the measure. President Biden signed it last weekend.
So what’s in it for Bucks County?
A breakdown provided by U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick’s office showed north of $20 million in funding for Bucks County projects. Fitzpatrick supported the bill, which allocated funding for the following:
• $4M for the Route 1 Corridor Revitalization Project from the Philadelphia border through Bensalem to Middletown.
• $4M for expansion of the Bristol Township Senior Center.
• $2.9M for United Way of Bucks County to build a HELP (Healthy Eating and Living Partnership) Center on Bristol-Emilie Road in Bristol Township.
• $2.9M for Family Service Association of Bucks County for expansion of the Bucks County Emergency Homeless Shelter.
• $2.1M for Perkasie Borough to support the Park Avenue Stormwater and Pedestrian Improvements project.
• $1.7M for Bristol Borough to fund the Trenton Avenue Streetscape and trail improvement project, which includes sound barriers between homes and the rail lines of Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor.
• $1.4M for Woods Services to develop affordable housing in Bucks County that supports individuals with disabilities in the form of a four-story building on the Woods’ property in Middletown Township.
• $1.2M for Tullytown Borough in support of the Old Tullytown Revitalization Project
• $1M for the Bucks County Crisis Stabilization Center, a place to direct clients with drug and mental health issues instead of a hospital emergency room.
• $727,000 for Modernization of Bucks County Public Safety Programs, including radio battery and charger replacements and body-worn cameras for police officers.
• $707,286 for a Langhorne Manor Borough Stormwater Project.
• $635,000 for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Bucks County, which is creating a mentoring hub and expanding and renovating its facilities to benefit at-risk children.
• $259,000 for the September 11th National Memorial Trail, which will be used to buy and install signs on roads that are part of the trail, which runs through Washington Crossing and Bucks County.
“I am thrilled the community project funding I fought for was included in the House-passed bipartisan spending packages,” said Fitzpatrick, in a statement. “These projects included programs that are vital to assisting organizations that serve our homeless population, modernize our water infrastructure, help local municipalities, and aid essential social services.”
Fitzpatrick requested funding for 15 projects. All were funded, at least partially, except for Middletown Township’s project to replace its Public Works garage.
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