Rep. Malliotakis requests over $11M in funding for Snug Harbor, St. George Theatre and other district projects

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. – Rep. Nicole Malliotakis requested over $6 million for various projects on Staten Island and more than $5 million to fund various projects in the South Brooklyn part of her district.

Malliotakis’ requests were submitted to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and the House Committee on Appropriations.

There is a look at the funding proposals:

• Goodhue Center, 304 Prospect Ave., 10301 - $494,000 requested for improvements and repairs.
• Biplane Catheterization Lab at Richmond University Medical Center, 355 Bard Ave., 10310 - $1,813,000 requested to build a biplane Catheterization lab.
• Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden, 1000 Richmond Terrace - $300,000 requested to renovate and upgrade the interior of the Music Hall, which was built in 1892.
• Integrated Women and Newborn Center at Staten Island University Hospital, 475 Seaview Ave., 10305 - $2,000,000 requested to create a facility to match and improve upon their maternity and obstetric care.
• St. George Theatre, 35 Hyatt St., 10301 - $1,492,560 requested for St. George Theatre’s Restoring a Masterpiece.

Also, a total of $2.9 million was requested by the NYPD for three separate projects: $350,000 for Critical Response Command K9 training and equipment; $2 million for forensic equipment; and $550,000 for personnel protective equipment (PPE).

“Members of Congress know their districts better than federal bureaucrats,” said Malliotakis (R-Staten Island/South Brooklyn).

“By directly appropriating funding for particular projects, it ensures money returns to the district where it’s needed most. Whether it be our hospitals that deliver critical health care, our non-profit organizations that offer culture and essential services or our NYPD that provide public safety, these organizations play a vital role in our community and need support after suffering cuts to their budgets over the past year,” she continued.

EARMARKS WERE REINSTATED FOR FISCAL YEAR 2022

Formerly known as congressional earmarks, now called directed congressional spending or member designated projects, they were brought back earlier this year when House Republicans voted via secret ballot to reverse the ban that put a halt to earmarks for the last decade.

The ban took place in 2011 after earmarks were tied to corruption and “bloated” spending.

The ban was lifted, and measures were put in place, such as requiring congressional members publicly disclose the earmark with a written justification for the funding and stating they have no vested financial interest in the project.

The new process for request funding has been called arduous and because of strict requirements, many projects do not meet the criteria for funding.

Each member is allowed up to 10 requests and the U.S. House of Representatives will allow up to $13 billion in earmarks for House appropriations bills, a total of 4,350 earmarks for fiscal year 2022.