News from Representative Berry

WASHINGTON, D.C. –

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Blanche Lincoln and Mark Pryor along with U.S. Representatives Marion Berry (AR-01), Vic Snyder (AR-02), John Boozman (AR-03), and Mike Ross (AR-04) today announced $1,513,298 in federal grants to Arkansas fire departments through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Assistance to Firefighters Grants (AFG) program. All awards were made through the AFG’s Vehicle Acquisition and Operations and Safety Program Areas.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Blanche Lincoln and Mark Pryor and U.S. Representative Marion Berry (AR-01) announced today that St. Francis River Regional Water District will receive a $266,500 USDA Rural Development grant and $337,000 loan to construct a new well in Marmaduke that will serve as an additional source of water in Clay, Craighead and Greene counties. The funds will be used to construct the well, a well house, backup generators and booster pump stations.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – After serving Arkansas’s First Congressional District for 7 terms, Congressman Marion Berry (D-AR, 1st) announced today in the following statement that he would not seek reelection in 2010.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today Congressman Berry (D-Ark.) and Congressman Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) joined community pharmacy officials and a community pharmacy owner to discuss the effect Medicaid generic prescription drug reimbursement cuts, based on an unfair average manufacturer price (AMP) formula, would pose to pharmacies and patients. This threat would be detrimental to patients, especially in rural areas, who depend on community pharmacies as their primary form of medical advice.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Blanche Lincoln and Mark Pryor and U.S. Representative Marion Berry (AR-01) announced that the Delta Regional Authority (DRA) will award $400,000 to the city of Osceola for the construction of a floating barge at the Osceola River Port. The installation of a new floating barge will increase the amount of product that can be brought into the harbor. This project is expected to create nine jobs, while helping to retain an additional 19 jobs.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Blanche Lincoln and Mark Pryor and U.S. Representative Marion Berry (AR-01) announced that Memphis Bioworks Foundation in partnership with Mid]South Community College and other regional educational institutions will receive $2.9 million to train workers and prepare them for efficiency and renewable energy jobs, as well as green occupations in other industries. The Eastern Arkansas Workforce Investment Board and Mid]South Community College will use the funding to train participants through their renewable energy training program.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Blanche Lincoln and Mark Pryor and Representatives Marion Berry (AR-01), Vic Snyder (AR-02), John Boozman (AR-03), and Mike Ross (AR-04) today announced that the U.S. Department of Labor has awarded $1,238,564 to the Arkansas Department of Workforce Services to assist clean-up and recovery efforts after the October severe storms, tornadoes, and flooding that affected much of Arkansas. Funds will be used to create temporary jobs to assist in recovery efforts following the damage caused by the severe weather.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Blanche Lincoln and Mark Pryor and U.S. Representative Marion Berry (AR-01) today announced that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has awarded $3,301,756 in funds to the Arkansas State Game and Fish Commission for the cleanup and repair of damage that occurred as a result of the ice storm of January 2009.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Blanche Lincoln and Mark Pryor and U.S. Representatives Marion Berry (AR-01), Vic Snyder (AR-02), John Boozman (AR-03) and Mike Ross (AR-04) today announced funding for Arkansas priorities that are critical to the state’s military installations, research institutions, and defense contractors. The Defense Appropriations bill for fiscal year 2010 passed the House today, and the Senate is expected to vote on the legislation in the coming days.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, United States Representative Marion Berry (AR-01) released this statement regarding the Senate's efforts to pass a proposal for direct importation of prescription drugs, which would have made it easier to import cheaper prescription drugs into the United States from Canada and Western Europe. Congressman Berry has been a longtime advocate for importation. Senator Byron Dorgan introduced the Senate companion bill to Congressman Berry’s bill H.R. 1298, Pharmaceutical Market Access and Drug Safety Act of 2009. The vote on the Senate amendment was 51 to 48, nine short of the 60 needed for passage.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Blanche Lincoln and Mark Pryor and U.S. Representatives Marion Berry (AR-01) announced that Mammoth Spring National Fish Hatchery will receive funding to continue with the construction of their visitor and environmental education center. The Department of Interior announced that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has awarded a contract of $1,281,000 to Linc Government Services, LLC through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA).

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Blanche Lincoln and Mark Pryor and U.S. Representatives Marion Berry (AR-01), Vic Snyder (AR-02), and Mike Ross (AR-04) today announced funding for Arkansas projects contained in a group of fiscal year 2010 spending bills, which passed the House of Representatives yesterday. The package will fund a number of federal agencies in the coming year, including the Departments of Transportation, Commerce, Justice, Health and Human Services, Education, and Veterans Affairs. The Senate is expected to vote on the package in the coming days.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Blanche Lincoln and Mark Pryor and U.S. Representative Marion Berry (AR-01) today announced that the City of Jonesboro will receive $500,000 for site improvements for Nordex USA, Incorporated, which will be located at Craighead Technology Park. Before construction can begin on the facility, infrastructure projects such as erosion control, grading and asphalt paving must be completed. The funding will be used to help complete this phase of the construction process.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Representatives Marion Berry (AR-01) and Travis Childers (MS-01) introduced legislation to provide timely disaster assistance to producers facing severe crop loss from this fall’s heavy rains and floods. Senator Blanche Lincoln (D-AR), Chairman of the United States Senate Committee on Agriculture and Senator Thad Cochran (R-MS) introduced companion legislation last week.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Blanche Lincoln and Mark Pryor and U.S. Representative Marion Berry (AR-01) today announced that the City of Stuttgart will receive $350,000 from the Delta Regional Authority to make improvements to Hartz Road and extend sewer, water mains to accommodate construction of a new biomass fuel plant. The Stuttgart Industrial park will support the Colusa Biomass, Inc. development. The new Colusa Biomass-Ethanol Plant will be the first cellulosic ethanol plant in operation worldwide and is expected to create 45 jobs.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, United States Representative Marion Berry (AR-01) released this statement regarding the House passage of his bill H.R. 3634, to name the post office in Swifton after George Kell, who was known as a famous athlete and community leader. The post office is located at 109 Main Street in Swifton, Arkansas.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Blanche Lincoln and Mark Pryor and U.S. Representatives Marion Berry (AR-01), Vic Snyder (AR-02), John Boozman (AR-03), and Mike Ross (AR-04) today announced that Arkansas will receive $1,780,905 for distance learning and telemedicine projects across the state. The funding is provided through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development Grant Program.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, United States Representative Marion Berry (AR-01) released this statement honoring our servicemen and women in uniform and their families on Veterans Day.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, United States Representative Marion Berry (AR-01) released this statement in support of H.R. 3962, The Affordable Health Care for America Act.