BUCHANAN COUNTY, Va. (WJHL) — U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) voted in favor of a legislative package that will give millions in federal funding to Southwest Virginia projects on Wednesday.
“While we’re disappointed that Congress has yet to get a full spending bill across the finish line, we’re pleased to see the Senate move forward on a package to fund critical components of the government,” Warner and Kaine said in a press release. “This package will help fund veterans’ benefits, nutrition programs for families, affordable housing assistance, local infrastructure projects, military construction projects, and much more.”
Members of Congress were able to work with the communities they represent to request funding for specific projects in a manner that promotes transparency and accountability for the 2024 Fiscal Year appropriations process, the release said.
Below are funding amounts going to specific communities in Southwest Virginia:
- $1,500,000 for the Appalachia Service Project to reconstruct homes that were destroyed in the recent floods in Buchanan County
- $1,500,000 for Helping Overcome Poverty’s Existence, Inc. (HOPE) to construct at least 30 units of new, energy-efficient, affordable housing units in downtown Wytheville
- $522,000 for the Ballad Health Foundation to expand access to dental care through the Appalachian Highlands Community Dental Center in Abingdon
- $366,000 to complete the Blue Ridge Discovery Center Visitor Center in Smyth County. The visitor center will feature exhibits, interactive displays and educational materials that highlight features of Southwest Virginia
- $90,000 to purchase a new dump truck that will be used to help complete maintenance of the drinking water and wastewater systems in Cedar Bluff
Northern, Central, Hampton Roads, Eastern Shore, Southside and the Shenandoah Valley communities in Virginia also received funding for specific projects.
