Wes Hickman (202-224-5972) or Kevin Bishop (864-250-1417)

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) today voted in support of the spending bill that finances most federal agencies. The vote in the Senate was 65-30. A similar measure was passed by the House of Representatives today, and a vote on the final version will occur next week. President Bush should sign it into law. The measure covers the government budget year that started October 1 and is a compilation of nine separate bills financing all federal agencies except the Department of Defense and the Homeland Security Department. “I am pleased that my colleagues have come together in a bipartisan fashion to finish the work on the federal budget,” said Graham. “Every Senator was asked to give up some projects and make sacrifices for the common good.” “I would like to thank my colleague, Senator Hollings, and all the members of the delegation for working together to benefit all South Carolinians,” said Graham. The projects for the Lowcountry and Pee Dee of South Carolina include: Beaufort County:

• $2 million for US 278.
• $200,000 to Beaufort Memorial Hospital for facilities and equipment.

Bennettsville:

• $36 million for the activation of a new prison facility.

Berkeley County:

• $20 million towards land acquisition for Bonneau Ferry.

Charleston:

• $20 million for a cooperative agreement between MUSC and the National Institute of Standards and Technologies for construction of research facilities.
• $14 million to the Army Corp of Engineers for operations and maintenance at Charleston Harbor.
• $10 million for the Medical University of South Carolina oncology center.
• $5 million for Project Seahawk to enhance intermodal security and law enforcement within our nation’s coastal cities.
• $4 million dollars to the Medical University of South Carolina for buses and bus facilities.
• $3.3 million to the Army Corp of Engineers for operations and maintenance of the Cooper River/Charleston Harbor.
• $3 million to the U.S. Vegetable Laboratory.
• $2 million for Water Missions International, a faith-based nonprofit engineering organization, to develop clean water treatment projects in developing countries.
• $2 million to the College of Charleston for the School of Science and Mathematics
• $1.5 million to the Army Corp of Engineers for the deepening and widening of Charleston Harbor.
• $1 million for the King Street and Spring Cannon Corridor.
• $700,000 to From Darkness to Light, of which $450,000 is to develop an online training and certificate program to prevent child sexual abuse.
• $350,000 to the Army Corp of Engineers for general construction at Folly Beach.
• $275,000 to the Advanced Technology Institute for a demonstration program of diabetes diagnostic and care services through tele-health technology.
• $250,000 to the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) for study of the ‘Charleston Bump’
• $250,000 for Charleston CPW for wastewater tunnel replacement.
• $250,000 for the American College of the Building Arts for curriculum development, educational facility, and equipment.
• $250,000 to Charleston Southern University for facilities and equipment.
• $250,000 to Trident Technical College to equip the hospitality, tourism, and culinary arts program.
• $225,000 to the Army Corp of Engineers for operations and maintenance of the Folly River.
• $100,000 for restoration and preservation of the C.S.S. Hunley.

Colleton County:

• $50,000 to the Colleton County Memorial Library for books and library materials.

Dillon County:

• $1 million to the Dillon County Airport for land acquisition and runway construction

Florence County:

• $1.5 million for the I-95/SC 327 interchange.
• $500,000 for law enforcement technologies.
• $50,000 to USDA ARS Florence for funding to continue animal waste treatment efforts.

Georgetown County:

• $3.48 million to the Army Corp of Engineers for operations and maintenance at Georgetown Harbor.
• $1 million to the Georgetown County Airport for various improvements.
• $145,000 to Five Rivers Community Development Corporation for land acquisition.
• $28,000 to the Army Corp of Engineers for operations and maintenance at Murrells Inlet.

Horry County:

• $500,000 to Horry County Airport to conduct an airport study.

Jasper County:

• $200,000 to the Town of Ridgeland for the Wagon Branch Water Project.

Lee County:

• $1.5 million for Bishopville Bypass construction.
• $97,000 to the Lee County Public Library for facilities expansion and relocation.

Mt. Pleasant:

• $750,000 for the US 17 and Bowman Road interchange improvements.
• $150,000 to Mt. Pleasant Waterworks for the Rural Roads Gravity Wastewater Extension Project.

Myrtle Beach:

• $4 million for I-73.
• $500,000 to the Myrtle Beach Downtown Redevelopment Corporation for a new storm water drainage system.
• $125,000 for expansion of the Myrtle Beach International Convention Center.

Walterboro:

• $1.6 million to the Lowcountry Regional Airport for the installation of an Instrument Landing System on Runway 23.

Williamsburg County:

• $39.47 million for prison opening.
• $50,000 to the Williamsburg County Library in Kingstree for books, library materials, and computers.

Other Projects of Note:

• $3 million to the Army Corp of Engineers for general construction at Lakes Moultrie and Marion.
• $2.5 million to the Army Corp of Engineers for operations and maintenance of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway.
• $1.25 million to South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) for land acquisition within the Waccamaw Wildlife Refuge.
• $850,000 for Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge.
• $900,000 for the South Carolina National Heritage Corridor Discovery Sites.
• $500,000 to South Carolina Department of Natural Resources southeastern regional taxonomic center for marine and estuarine organisms.
• $500,000 to National Oceanic and Atmospheric for a geodetic survey in South Carolina.
• $200,000 to NOAA for debris removal.

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