Dodd Beats Back McCain Amendment to Strip $500,000 in Funding for Waterbury

September 17, 2009

Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) struck back today at an amendment offered by Senator John McCain (R-AZ) that would have stripped $500,000 of critical federal funding for redevelopment in Waterbury.

This amendment would have stripped Waterbury of half a million dollars of vital federal funding for redevelopment and it deserved to be overwhelmingly defeated. Waterbury - facing a 12.7 percent unemployment rate - is in need of economic development assistance to get back on its feet, and this funding will provide a shot in the arm for the city and the entire Naugatuck Valley.

Senator Dodd requested the funding to help the City of Waterbury revitalize contaminated, blighted areas of the city (commonly referred to as brownfields) for economic development. Waterbury has millions of square feet of unused factory space which should be redeveloped for commercial or other beneficial uses that will bring jobs back to Waterbury.

The amendment offered by Senator McCain would have eliminated funding for three brownfield redevelopment projects funded through the Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development (HUD) and Related Agencies appropriations bill.

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