Johnson announces funds for USD construction projects

Johnson announces funds for USD construction projects U.S. Sen. Tim Johnson (D-SD) has announced that $94,352 of funding he requested and secured as a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee for The University of South Dakota (USD) is on its way.�?  Johnson received word from the Department of Health and Human Services that the funding has been released to help cover the cost of constructing a new addition to the GEAR Center, located at University Center in Sioux Falls. â�?�?I am proud to secure funding to improve our facilities devoted to education and research to give our students a modern place to learn,â�? said Johnson. â�?�?A key part of my Hometown Prosperity Plan is investing in the public good, and this funding is a wonderful example of that kind of investment.â�? This funding will help build a specialized addition that will house state-of-the-art facilities for molecular and cellular imaging, animal housing, and clean rooms for working with nanoscale systems and biohazards. This funding was secured in the Omnibus spending bill passed by the Senate in December.�? Earmarks, like this one, are grants secured by members of Congress, enabling them to support high-priority projects in their home states. Each member of Congressâ�?�? ability to deliver earmarks for their state varies depending on their seniority, committee assignments, and other factors. Sen. Johnsonâ�?�?s Hometown Prosperity Plan is a four-pillar agenda for advancing South Dakotaâ�?�?s economy from the federal level. The four pillars, or strategies, include â�?�?Promoting Partnerships,â�? â�?�?Emphasizing Entrepreneurship,â�? â�?�?Investing in the Public Good,â�? and â�?�?Protecting Pocketbooks.â�? The full plan includes specific actions related to each strategy and can be downloaded from http://johnson.senate.gov.