Zeldin: Vital wins for Long Island

New York Congressman, Lee Zeldin, issued the following statement following House passage of the Senate Amendment to the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 (H.R. 133), which includes government funding through September 30, 2021, and additional coronavirus relief:

“Throughout December, as Congress’ new COVID-19 relief and annual appropriations legislation was being negotiated, I worked closely with House and Senate leadership, and the White House and other officials in the Administration, to secure important local priorities for Long Island and desperately needed coronavirus relief.

“It’s an honor to have delivered on these vital wins for Long Island and help ensure our communities get back to a normal way of life as soon as possible in the wake of coronavirus, and I look forward to continuing to fight for the priorities most important to our communities.

“However, moving forward, there must be a better way to legislate rather than 5,500+ page spending bills released just hours before a vote. The American people deserve nothing less than a thoughtful and deliberative budget process defined by transparency and open debate.”

The Senate Amendment to the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 (H.R. 133) includes: 

• Long Island Priorities, such as: 
  • Plum Island: Language to permanently repeal the 2008 federal law that required Plum Island to be sold to the highest bidder;
  • Carlls River, Patchogue River and Forge River Sewer Projects: A one-year extension of the deadline for the use of Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funding, saving these three local sewer projects; 
  • Fire Island to Montauk Point Project (FIMP): Provides authorization for the construction of this project, which includes essential dredging and shoreline projects and spans 83 miles of coastline;
  • Hashamomuck Cove Coastal Storm Risk Management Project in Southold: Provides authorization for the construction of this project, which will reduce coastal storm damage;
  • Reel Point Preserve on Shelter Island: Directs the expedited completion of the feasibility study and, if justified, the preconstruction of this project, which will focus on navigation and shoreline stabilization; 
  • Goldsmith Inlet in Southold: Directs the expedited completion of the feasibility study and, if justified, the preconstruction of this project, which will focus on improving navigation; 
  • Lake Montauk Harbor in Montauk: Directs the expedited completion of the feasibility study and, if justified, the preconstruction of this project, which will focus on improving navigation;
  • Wading River Creek in Riverhead: Authorizes a feasibility study for this project, which will focus on hurricane and storm damage risk reduction, flood risk management, navigation, and ecosystem restoration, etc.