Federal funding makes itself felt in Southwest Nebraska

As the 2003 sessions of the U.S. House and Senate enter the home stretch, a number of people in Southwest Nebraska are on pins and needles, watching closely to see how airport and hospital funding bills will fare.

Nothing is certain until the national lawmakers meet in conference committee to hammer out differences between the House and Senate versions of spending bills. But, as of today, area officials remain hopeful that needed funding will come through.

On Thursday, the Senate passed an appropriations bill that includes $910,000 in funding for an Instrument Landing System at the McCook Airport. Promoted by Doug Vap as a vast improvement for air service in McCook, the plan has the backing of U.S. Senators Ben Nelson and Chuck Hagel and U.S. Congressman Tom Osborne. Vap, a member of the Nebraska Aeronautics Commission, is among many McCookites now closely watching to see what action is taken by the House-Senate conference committee.

Also of considerable interest to McCook constituents is a bill which would provide funding assistance for mid-size Nebraska hospitals. Community Hospital of McCook is among the hospitals, called "The Magnificent Seven," which would benefit from the Rural Community Hospital legislation. The new "rural" category would make the hospitals, with between 15 and 50 beds, eligible for cost-based reimbursement for Medicare patients.

The plan is still alive as part of the Senate's Medicare prescription drug bill. That bill is in conference committee. If the rural hospital legislation comes out intact, Community Hospital would receive close to a million dollars a year in additional funding.

Another million dollars in funding is at stake for Southwest Nebraska in the defense appropriations bill. If the plan wins approval in conference committee, 21st Century Systems would launch a research project to test a repair detection system for military vehicles. For the research, 21st Century would be based at McCook Community College and do testing on military equipment in Frontier County.

Also on the legislative front, McCook is among nine Nebraska communities with airports which are keeping a close watch on Essential Air Service legislation. Changes in the law have been proposed in the Senate, but both Sen. Nelson and Sen. Hagel are resisting the changes, which they say could lead to some communities being required to pay a 10 percent match to receive the Essential Air Service funds.

Washington D.C. is thousands of miles away. But as we are reminded in every session of Congress, action taken there has a tremendous impact on life here at home. Hopes for Southwest Nebraska projects remain high, but nothing is certain until the conference committees agree and the bills are passed and signed into law.