Congressman Patrick J. Murphy

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Local Issues

Fighting For 8th District Families

Making Washington Crossing VA National Cemetery a Reality
Stopping a Waste Transfer Station in Bensalem
Creating a Green Energy Jobs in Bucks County
Helping Yardley Recover from Flooding
Securing an EMS Trailer in Springfield Township
Helping Redevelopment in Lower Bucks
Hosting a Veterans Jobs and Business Opportunities Roundtable
Funding Gang Prevention Efforts
Protecting the Future of Willow Grove Air Base
Helping Businesses on River Road Recover
Securing Important Firefighter Grants
Fighting for Better Service to Cornwells Heights Station
Grants to Help the Homeless
Funding for Environmental Projects

Making Washington Crossing VA National Cemetery a Reality

Those who have sacrificed so much to ensure our freedom deserve a fitting final resting place worthy of their service to our great nation. That’s why Congressman Murphy has worked so hard to make the Washington Crossing VA National Cemetery a reality

Click here to Learn More

Stopping a Waste Transfer Station in Bensalem

Waste Transfer Stations, while important, could also pose a serious health and environmental risk to those who live nearby. They are garbage piles are as tall as two stories and composed of trash, largely made of construction debris that can include elevated levels of arsenic and mercury. In the case of the proposed waste transfer station in Bensalem, a company called J.P. Rail tried to go around the Bensalem Township and state rulings preventing this waste transfer station.

By fighting to close a loophole, Congressman Murphy, along with both State Rep. Gene DiGirolamo and Mayor Joe DiGirolamo and his colleagues in Congress, helped stop those who are skirting the law and protect the safety and health of our community and environment.
Introduced an amendment to the “Federal Railroad Safety Improvement Act of 2007” would state that the Surface Transportation Board does not have exclusive authority to preempt state and local regulation of solid waste management facilities.
This amendment passed with bipartisan support and language that closed this loophole for one year was included in the spending package of 2008 that is now signed into law.

Creating a Green Energy Jobs in Bucks County

Bucks County is becoming a hub for green energy industries. Already home to Gamesa, the second largest windmill manufacturer in the world, Bucks County has also welcomed solar and biofuels manufacturers who will create thousands of good paying jobs.

Click Here to Learn More

Helping Yardley Recover from Flooding

After three floods in 22 months, the sewer system in Yardley was left severely damaged. Flood waters entered the sewers, pushing waste water into homes and businesses, and devastating the local economy and hundreds of homes. Following the June 2006 flood, Yardley Borough was forced to borrow $6.4 million to cover the costs for repair to its badly damaged sewer system. Yardley was only set to receive $112,324 through FEMA’s Public Assistance Grant Program, the burden on taxpayers was significant.

Congressman Murphy announced $614,280 in additional funds for sewer repair. This additional money brings the total assistance to $726,604.
This substantial increase will help rebuild the parts of Yardley’s infrastructure damaged by the June 2006 storm. It will also ease the tax burden on Yardley residents, who are footing the bill.
Congressman Murphy was also able to secure an additional $500,000 for the sewer repairs though the appropriations process – bringing the total federal assistance for sewer repairs over $1.1 million. Several Yardley neighborhoods, in fact, were flooded primarily not by water overflowing from the Delaware, but from water that backed up through the Borough’s waste water system.
Congressman Murphy secured $530,000 in funding to proactively help prevent future flooding damage from canal overflow by funding the cost, purchase and installation of Back-Flow Preventers. These Back-Flow Preventers would prevent water from backing up and would prevent flooding and water damage in the event of future storms.

Securing an EMS Trailer in Springfield Township

Located in Springfield Township, the Upper Bucks Regional Emergency Medical Services, UBREMS, protects about 30,000 people in Upper Bucks, providing full time paramedics and emergency services. In January 2007, toxic mold was found in one of the two UBREMS stations. It would have cost $30,000 to restore the building – something that the township could not afford to pay. The building was demolished, and UBREMS personnel were forced to move outside the township. This greatly increased emergency response times to life-threatening situations where minutes could mean the difference between life and death. However by working with officials at both the state and local levels, Congressman Murphy was able to secure a brand new mobile home from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and have it sent to Springfield Township to be placed on the original UBREMS site. By obtaining this mobile home for UBREMS, we saved tens of thousands in tax dollars for Springfield Township residents; but more importantly, it will save lives in the future.

Helping Redevelopment in Lower Bucks

Redevelopment and economic revitalization in Lower Bucks is a top priority. Congressman Murphy is working closely with state and local governments to promote economic development in Lower Bucks—especially moving forward on the recommendations in the Bucks County Waterfront Plan.

Some of the steps Congressman Murphy is taking on this front include:

Fighting for federal funding for environmental restoration, flood mitigation and waterfront recreation programs in Bristol Borough and Bristol Township.
Applying for new project authorizations in WRDA that will allow the Army Corps of Engineers to move forward on planning, design and construction of waterfront development and flood mitigation projects from Yardley to Bensalem - this is a critical first step in securing funding in the future.
Participating in a working group to evaluate all options and issues involved with the Maple Beach waterfront redevelopment, including new industrial development, dredging, public waterfront access and environmental clean-up and come to agreement on redevelopment strategy.

Hosting a Veterans Jobs and Business Opportunities Roundtable

Veterans seeking employment and small businesses looking for employees do not always know how to find each other. That is why Congressman Murphy, himself an Army veteran, held a round table discussion concerning employment and small business opportunities for veterans. This excellent event was an excellent opportunity that brought together veterans, small business, and entrepreneurial communities.

The Veterans Jobs and Business Opportunities Roundtable addressed ways to promote the hiring of veterans, including ways to reach out to Iraq and Afghanistan veterans, promoting services available to veterans who are seeking employment, and the benefits of hiring veterans. Additionally, it addressed the ways to assist veterans forming small businesses, and discussed different opportunities for Veterans Owned Small Businesses (VOSB) and services available for veterans starting and developing VOSB’s.

Funding Gang Prevention Efforts

Gang violence has reached Bucks County. Our officers on the street are working hard, and we need to continue to do everything we can to stop this trend. Congressman Murphy believes that we need to work together to stop the influence of gangs on our children and our communities, before these gangs establish themselves in our neighborhoods. That means giving law enforcement professionals the tools they need.

Congressman Murphy fought for $352,500 to help fund the Bucks County Security Threat Group Initiative, a County-wide gang prevention program that will empower law enforcement to curb this growing problem. This is a comprehensive approach to reducing gang violence, using both enforcement and education. The majority of the funding will be used to create a task force of local law enforcement agencies for proactive policing. The project will also provide for better information sharing among agencies. It will allow further training and awareness programs for parents and teachers. This will be a county-wide effort, and yet another example of how we can benefit from cooperation at all levels of government.

Protecting the Future of Willow Grove Air Base

Congressman Murphy teamed up with neighboring Montgomery County Rep. Allyson Schwartz (PA-13) to offer and pass an amendment to the FY2009 NDAA, that will prevent future use of the airfield at NASJRB Willow Grove for commercial and cargo purposes - an important victory for the local community.

Pennsylvania is currently working with the DoD to transform Willow Grove into a Joint Interagency Operation Installation dedicated to national defense, homeland security, and emergency preparedness. This amendment - drafted in coordination with Pennsylvania’s Department of Military & Veterans Affairs, supported by federal, state and local leaders and virtually all of the Pennsylvania congressional delegation and both Senators – is an important step towards Willow Grove achieving its homeland security mission. Governor Rendell said "I commend Congresswoman Allyson Schwartz and Congressman Patrick Murphy for introducing an amendment to pending Department of Defense legislation to address [the air strip at Willow Grove].”

Helping Businesses on River Road Recover

Congressman Patrick Murphy convened several meetings in a public-private partnership to assist River Road businesses recovering from the disastrous effects of flooding. These businesses have encountered immense economic hardship due to road closures resulting from flood damage caused by the Delaware River in 2005 and 2006.

Murphy was able to bring together: the Upper Bucks Chamber of Commerce; the Central Bucks Chamber of Commerce; the Bucks County Commissioners, local municipal governments; the Bucks County Conference and Visitors Bureau; the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and others to identify ways to promote these businesses during the extended road closures.

Several initiatives resulted from these meetings, including: special signage placed at key detour points along River Road; enhanced web site directions to the River Road area, and; a special program - “Dining on the Delaware” - coordinated by the Central Bucks Chamber of Commerce.

Securing Important Firefighter Grants

Congressman Patrick Murphy is fighting to ensure our first responders have the resources they need.

Congressman Murphy not only voted for increased funding for firefighter grants, he also helped secure over $1.6 million in grants for fire departments and EMS in Bucks County in 2007. Over 90% of the fire depart-ments in the 8th district are all-volunteer organizations, and Congressman Murphy is working hard to help these first responders protect their communities.
Congressman Murphy voted for a large funding increase for the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Firefighters (SAFER) grant program and helped provide almost $1 million in SAFER grants this year—approximately 9% of the grants awarded nationwide—to fire departments in Bucks County.

Fighting for Better Service to Cornwells Heights Station

At a time when economic growth is vital to this region, increasing commuter participation from Cornwells Heights will not only decrease traffic, congestion and air pollution, but it will also stimulate the local economy. At its peak, 26,000 riders used Cornwells Heights every year and that number was growing by 11 percent. Now commuters face the option of fewer trains and higher fares (avg. $972 per/month), or longer commutes through SEPTA, crowded highways with record gas prices. At a time when Lower Bucks County is making progress with economic growth and revitalization, improvements for commuters can continue moving the region forward.

Congressman Murphy passed an amendment that would force Amtrak to determine whether more frequent stops at these stations, or better discounts there for daily commuters, would lead to an increase in ridership.
This report will lead to increased ridership through a plan to expand passenger rail service by increasing the frequency of stops or reducing commuter ticket prices for this route.
This amendment passed with bipartisan support, and the larger bill passed with a veto-proof margin of 311-104.

Click Here to see how Congressman Murphy stopped this short sighted proposal.

Grants to Help the Homeless

Congressman Murphy was pleased to announce continued funding from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for nine 8th-district homeless assistance providers. These organizations provide shelter and other critical supportive services for homeless individuals and families. The grants, totaling nearly $750,000 will help homeless shelters and other providers to continue to provide emergency shelter and affordable housing to people in need.

$747,310 to Nine 8th District Organizations:

American Red Cross, Lower Bucks County Chapter – American Red Cross Homeless Shelter: $80,905
Bucks County Dedicated HMIS: $108,796
Bucks County Housing Group, Inc. – Milford Square Transitional Housing Program: $160,407
Bucks County Office of Employment and Training, Inc. – Homeless Outreach Project for Employment: $93,698
Indian Valley Housing Corporation – Expanded Services for Transitional Housing (Renewal): $44,989
Indian Valley Opportunity Center: $32,000
Penn Foundation, Inc. – Village of Hope Supported Housing Program (Dual Diagnosis Women’s House): $72,887
Penndel Mental Health Center, Inc. – Community Residential Services 1: $71,670
Penndel Mental Health Center, Inc. – Community Residential Services 2: $81,958

Funding for Environmental Projects

Congressman Murphy joined with the Bucks County Chapter of Trout Unlimited and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to announce the award of $101,000 in combined federal and private funding for improvements to the Mill Creek Watershed.

The money will allow the Bucks County Chapter of Trout Unlimited to improve stream habitat - specifically for brown trout. The project promises to benefit all cold water fisheries, as well as enhance the land and water in the 21-square mile watershed. The grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation's Delaware Estuary Program will restore eroding streambanks, establish a riparian buffer and remove a dam on Watson Creek.

Congressman Murphy is committed to protecting our environment, not only through national policy, but also by utilizing the resources of the federal government to fund local projects

The award is one of only 22 grants given to local nonprofits and government by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to fund conservation projects under its Delaware Estuary Watershed Grants Program (DEWGP).