July 20, 2023

Manchin Secures More than $77 Million for West Virginia in Three 2024 Funding Bills

Washington, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV), member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, secured a number of West Virginia priorities in the Appropriations Committee markup of the Fiscal Year 2024 Energy and Water (E&W); Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD); and State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs (SFOPS) funding bills. This funding includes $77 million earmarked for specific West Virginia projects, including $12.5 million for Corridor H and $5 million for the Wheeling Convention and Visitors Bureau, among others. Millions more will be allocated to West Virginia for highways, critical infrastructure, and other important programs.

The Senate Appropriations Committee continues to work through the rest of the funding bills, which will hopefully be voted on by the full Senate later this year.

“I am pleased that the Committee has advanced bipartisan appropriations bills that provide funding to West Virginia for some of the state’s top priorities: supporting coal communities that built this great nation, completing Corridor H, and addressing youth homelessness. As a member of the Appropriations Committee, I am committed to bringing back regular order, doing our job, and passing these funding bills on time to deliver these crucial resources to West Virginia,” said Senator Manchin.

West Virginia priorities included in the FY24 Energy and Water funding bill:

National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL): $144 million for NETL including $89 million for research and operations and $55 million for NETL infrastructure. NETL, with a primary location in Morgantown, WV, is the only national laboratory owned and operated by the Department of Energy (DOE). Its mission is to strengthen our nation’s security, improve our nation’s environment, and advance energy options that fuel our nation’s economy.

Senator Manchin included language prohibiting funds to plan, develop, implement or pursue the consolidation or closure of any NETL sites and directs DOE to prioritize the Joule super-computer, site-wide upgrades for safety, and addressing and avoiding deferred maintenance.

Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (FECM): $892 million for FECM which uses research, development, demonstration, and deployment (RDD&D) approaches to advance technologies to reduce carbon emissions and other environmental impacts of fossil fuel production and use. The organization includes the National Energy Technology Laboratory, the only government-owned and government-operated lab, with an office in Morgantown, WV.

CCUS: Carbon Capture received at $135 million. Carbon Management Technologies overall received $462 million.

Weatherization Assistance Program: $326 million for the Weatherization Assistance Program, which reduces energy costs for low-income households by increasing the energy efficiency of their homes, while ensuring their health and safety.
Interagency Working Group on Coal and Power Plant Communities and Economic Revitalization: $5 million for the Interagency Working Group on Coal and Power Plant Communities, which facilitates economic revitalization in coal, oil and gas, and power plant communities and supports workers.

West Virginia priorities included in the FY24 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development funding bill:

Appalachian Development Highway System (ADHS): $350 million in funding for ADHS, which works to complete a system of designated corridors and roadways within the 13 States that make up the Appalachian Region, including Corridor H.

$12.5 million in dedicated funding for Corridor H through Congressionally Directed Spending.

Autonomous Vehicle Research in Rural Areas Includes language expressing concern about DOT’s delays in awarding funding to the higher education consortia working on autonomous vehicle research in rural communities and directs DOT to brief this committee on its plan to adhere to congressional intent.
Grants in Aide for Airports: $500 million for the Grants in Aid to Airports Program, which is a critical source of funding to help airports improve safety and continue to modernize. It also includes prioritization of small airports and expanded terminal eligibility.
Essential Air Service (EAS) Program: $348 million in funding for EAS program, which connects over 170 small communities to major airports and metropolitan areas throughout the country.
Crashworthiness Research: $222 million in funding for Crashworthiness research. Senator Manchin also included language recognizing the importance of lightweight plastics and polymer composites play to improving automotive safety, meeting consumer demand for innovative and autonomous vehicles, increasing fuel efficiency, and supporting new highly skilled manufacturing jobs. It also directs National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to leverage lessons learned from lightweight materials research for future lightweight automotive design.
Homeless Assistance Grants: $3.9 billion for Homeless Assistance Grants, which provide funding for West Virginia local governments and nonprofit providers to serve individuals experiencing homelessness.
U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH): $4.3 million for USICH, which coordinates federal government efforts to prevent and solve homelessness.
HOME Investment Partnerships Program: $1.5 billion for the HOME program, which is the largest federal block grant to increase physical housing stock.
Addressing homelessness:

Language directing the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to report on the feasibility of collecting eviction, foreclosure, and overall housing loss data which will be critical in determining the number of additional West Virginians at risk of homelessness.
Language to urge federal agencies to redouble their focus on youth homelessness.
Language that directs that federal homeless prevention grant programs operate on two-year, rather than one-year, cycles to provide nonprofits with the time and certainty they need to serve our most vulnerable citizens.

West Virginia priorities included in the FY24 State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs funding bill:

Educational and Cultural Exchange Programs: These programs foster engagement and encourage dialogue with citizens around the world, particularly with educators and students, with the goal of promoting mutual understanding between the people of the United States and other countries.
Fulbright Program: The Fulbright Program is America's flagship international exchange program. For 75 years, Fulbright has built a network of experts and leaders including heads of state, ministers, leading researchers, and public health officials.
National Endowment for Democracy: The National Endowment for Democracy (NED) makes more than 1,600 grants to support projects of non-governmental groups abroad.
Democracy Fund: The Democracy Fund is reflective of the United States' commitment to liberty, democracy, and rule of law.
Global Health Programs: USAID has been successful in saving the lives of millions of children through its investment and implementation of nutrition programs, and progress against global malnutrition must be accelerated using transformative approaches to improve the mechanisms that affect the nutritional status of women and children. Additionally, reporting on nutrition-specific outcomes and coordination between the Bureau for Global Health, the Bureau for Resilience and Food Security and the Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance will ensure that U.S. government investments in nutrition are efficient, effective and maximized to reduce maternal and child malnutrition and mortality.

Senator Manchin also secured $77,369,233 in Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS) requests or ‘earmarks’ in both the FY24 E&W and THUD funding bills. The Senate Appropriations Committee allows members of Congress to submit CDS requests, which provide opportunities for state and local governments, non-profits, and other public entities to receive targeted funding for projects that bolster their communities.

Energy and Water Development

RECIPIENT	DESCRIPTION	LOCATION	COUNTY	AMOUNT	PURPOSE
Center for Applied Research & Technology, Inc.	Carbon-Managed Distributed Energy System	Bluefield	Mercer	$656,000	Funds a Carbon-Managed Distributed Energy System for research and development.
City of Morgantown	Morgantown Monongahela River Trash Removal Initiative	Morgantown	Monongalia	$375,000	Removes trash collecting at the Morgantown Lock and Dam.
West Virginia Public Energy Authority	WV Public Energy Authority Hydrogen and Critical Mineral Extraction from Fossil Fuels	Morgantown	Monongalia	$270,000	Researches the ability to extract clean hydrogen, rare earth elements, and critical minerals from fossil fuels
West Virginia University	WVU Chromatography-Mass Spectrometer Research Equipment	Morgantown	Monongalia	$233,000	Acquires a liquid chromatograph/mass spectrometer.
West Virginia University	WVU Remote Sensing Tools for Climate Change Abatement Research	Morgantown	Monongalia	$280,000	Acquires advanced technology and develops methods to optimize research in West Virginia.
5 TOTAL PROJECTS	$ 1,581,233

Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies

RECIPIENT	DESCRIPTION	LOCATION	COUNTY	AMOUNT	PURPOSE
Appalachian Service Project	Home Repair for Disadvantaged West Virginia	Statewide	Statewide	$400,000	Repairs substandard homes in rural West Virginia.
Arthurdale Heritage, Inc.	Arthurdale Heritage West Virginia Historic Preservation Training Center	Arthurdale	Preston	$500,000	Stabilizes the building infrastructure and upgrades life-safety systems.
Berkeley County Commission	South Berkeley Inwood Park	Bunker Hill	Berkeley	$1,125,000	Creates an outdoor recreational park.
Bluefield WV Economic Development Authority	WV Create Center: Site Development Project Carbon Corridor	Bluefield	Mercer	$557,000	Funds clearing and grading required for development.
Boy Scouts of America	Steven A. Antoline Family Conservation Complex and Sustainability Program	Glen Jean	Fayette	$1,400,000	Constructs the Steven A. Antoline Family Conservation Complex and Sustainability Program.
Boys & Girls Club of Parkersburg	Boys & Girls Club Building Great Futures in the Great Outdoors	Parkersburg	Wood	$750,000	Constructs outdoor recreation and educational facilities.
Boys & Girls Club of the Eastern Panhandle	Boys & Girls Club of the Eastern Panhandle Facility Renovation and Expansion	Martinsburg	Berkeley	$2,000,000	Renovates the current youth facility.
Braxton County	Holly Gray Park Pavilion Replacement	Sutton	Braxton	$1,500,000	Replaces the badly deteriorated pavilion at Holly Gray Park.
Cabwaylingo Appalachian Mission Inc.	Caywaylingo Appalachian Mission Resurfacing and Forklift Purchase	Dunlow	Wayne	$90,000	Repairs and reinforcements pavement and replaces forklift.
Calhoun Homes, Inc.	Calhoun Homes Inc. – Critical Housing Stabilization and Weatherization Project	Mount Zion	Calhoun	$200,000	Funds rehabilitation and weatherization improvements.
Capitol Market Inc.	Renovation and Restoration of Capitol Market	Charleston	Kanawha	$1,168,000	Repairs and renovates the outdoor and indoor exterior surfaces and the Market.
City of Clarksburg	Downtown Clarksburg Mobility & Accessibility Revitalization	Clarksburg	Harrison	$500,000	Repairs and replaces sidewalks through Clarksburg’s central business district.
City of Hinton	New River Center Housing and Retail Development	Hinton	Summers	$1,830,000	Rehabilitates a vacant historic structure.
City of Hurricane	City of Hurricane Meeks Mountain Trails	Hurricane	Putnam	$512,000	Extends utilities and builds ADA restroom facilities.
City of Martinsburg	B&O Roundhouse Farmers Market & Events Center	Martinsburg	Berkeley	$750,000	Retrofits historic railroad maintenance shop buildings.
City of Martinsburg	Martinsburg Platform Fire Truck Replacement	Martinsburg	Berkeley	$1,800,000	Replaces a fire truck to service the City’s public safety needs.
City of Morgantown	Morgantown Housing Creation and Blight Removal	Morgantown	Monongalia	$2,000,000	Creates affordable housing while removing blighted buildings.
City of Point Pleasant	City of Point Pleasant Rehabilitation of Blighted Kisar-Kincaid House	Point Pleasant	Mason	$750,000	Funds the rehabilitation of the Kisar-Kincaid House.
City of Smithers	Smithers Longacre Readiness Development	Smithers	Fayette	$2,500,000	Funds site readiness for water and sewer.
City of Spencer	Spencer Development Authority – Downtown Housing Rehabilitation	Spencer	Roane	$1,500,000	Rehabilitates the Chandler Building to create housing units.
City of Summersville	City of Summersville Visitor Center	Summersville	Nicholas	$1,800,000	Develops the Summersville Visitor Center.
City of White Sulphur Springs	White Sulphur Springs Recreation	White Sulphur Springs	Greenbrier	$2,688,000	Constructs a recreation facility.
Community Impact Network Inc.	Ohio County Childcare	Wheeling	Ohio	$1,000,000	Creates a child care center.
Community Markets Inc.	Local Food Access Program	Charles Town	Jefferson	$187,000	Provides access to health West Virginia grown food.
Element Federal Credit Union	West Side Charleston WV Empowerment Project	Charleston	Kanawha	$500,000	Rehabilitates a blighted property into a financial empowerment center.
Grant County Commission	Grant County Hike & Bike Trail Project	Petersburg	Grant	$607,000	Constructs a rail trail system.
Housing Authority of the City of Beckley	HACB Stormwater Management	Beckley	Raleigh	$819,000	Alleviates flooding issues at two developments.
Jefferson County Community Ministries	Jefferson County Community Ministries, Community Service Center Project	Ranson	Jefferson	$1,000,000	Establishes the first emergency shelter in the county.
Jefferson County Museum	Webb-Blessing Housing Restoration & Reuse Action Plan	Charles Town	Jefferson	$100,000	Restores and renovates the Webb Blessing House for public use.
Kanawha County Commission	Capital Sports Center – Kanawha County Commission	Charleston	Kanawha	$2,000,000	Funds the construction of the Capital Sports Center.
Keyser-Mineral County Public Library	Keyser-Mineral County New Public Library Building	Keyser	Mineral	$1,000,000	Constructs a new library building.
Mountaineer Food Bank	Mountaineer Food Bank Warehouse Expansion	Gassaway	Braxton	$1,000,000	Expands and reconfigures the main warehouse.
New River Community and Technical College	New River Community and Technical College Welding and Machining Training Facility	Ghent	Raleigh	$2,750,000	Replaces a welding and machining training facility.
Polymer Alliance Zone, Inc.	Huntington Industrial Development Center	Huntington	Cabell	$1,000,000	Renovates a large industrial complex.
Putnam County Development Authority	Kanawha Manufacturing Building	Red House	Putnam	$50,000	Finances the purchase of an industrial building.
Southern Appalachian Labor School	Historic Oak Hill School New River Apartments	Kincaid	Fayette	$975,000	Converts the downtown former school building into affordable housing.
The Augusta Heritage Center	Augusta Heritage Center Redeveloping the Wilt Building into a Cultural Center, Tourist Destination, Educational Center, and Quality Housing	Elkins	Randolph	$750,000	Redevelops the historic Wilt Building.
The West Virginia Land Trust, Inc.	West Virginia Land Trust’s Airport Park Restoration and Development	Morgantown	Monongalia	$304,000	Funds a new public greenspace.
Town of Gauley Bridge	Gauley Bridge Public Parks Equipment Upgrades	Gauley Bridge	Fayette	$70,000	Updates playground and parks with boat docks and new equipment.
Town of Gauley Bridge	Demolition of Former Gauley Bridge High School	Gauley Bridge	Fayette	$360,000	Demolishes the former high school building.
Town of Union	Town of Union Street Lighting	Union	Monroe	$375,000	Replaces street lights in the historical district of downtown Union.
Unleash Tygart, Inc.	Unleash Tygart: Grafton WV Development & Revitalization Initiative	Grafton	Taylor	$3,000,000	Establishes the Grafton Development Initiative.
Wheeling Convention & Visitors Bureau	Wheeling Welcome Center	Wheeling	Ohio	$5,000,000	Transforms a blighted building into a new Wheeling Welcome Center.
Woodlands Development Group	Philippi Commercial Spaces Development	Philippi	Barbour	$315,000	Supports the planning and development of viable commercial storefront spaces.
YWCA of Charleston, West Virginia, Inc.	YWCA Building Preservation & Improvements	Charleston	Kanawha	$233,000	Preserves and improves essential buildings.
Friends of the Cheat, Inc.	Cheat River Rail-Trail Construction	Kingwood	Preston	$250,000	Constructs a rail trail along the Cheat River.
City of Charleston	Charleston Clay Street Connector	Charleston	Kanawha	$400,000	Upgrades the streetscape and sidewalks.
Morgan County Commission	North Depot Trail Head & Development Hub Project	Berkeley Springs	Morgan	$720,000	Funds the design and construction of the North Depot Trail Head.
Harrison County Commission	Rail Trail Connector to North Bend Trail	Clarksburg	Harrison	$1,300,000	Completes the development and construction of a multi-use rail trail.
West Virginia Division of Highways	Corridor H (Wardensville – VA State Line)	Wardensville	Hardy	$12,500,000	Funds the Wardensville to Virginia State Line section of Corridor H
Corporation of Shepherdstown	Shepherdstown Path Project	Shepherdstown	Jefferson	$543,000	Constructs a pedestrian path.
West Virginia Division of Highways	WVU Tech Campus Corridor Streetscape	Beckley	Raleigh	$1,240,000	Funds infrastructure improvements.
West Virginia Division of Highways	Harmony Grove I-79 Interchange	Charleston	Monongalia	$1,500,000	Constructs a new interchange.
Monongahela River Trails Conservancy	Star City Caperton Trail Paving Project	Star City	Monongalia	$220,000	Repairs a section of the Mon River-Caperton-Deckers Creek Rail Trail system.
Kanawha Valley Regional Transportation Authority	Kanawha Valley Regional Transportation Authority Facility Replacement Project	Charleston	Kanawha	$1,000,000	Upgrades the Kanawha Valley Regional Transportation Authority Operations and Maintenance Facility.
West Virginia University	WVU Personal Rapid Transit (PRT) Passenger Stations and Guideway Project	Morgantown	Monongalia	$6,400,000	Refurbishes four Personal Rapid Transit System stations.
56 TOTAL PROJECTS	$ 75,788,000

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