DCCC - Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee

08/14/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 08/14/2024 09:18

MARCY MONEY: Kaptur “brought more than $777 million into the 9th Congressional District this year”

New reporting from the Toledo Blade chronicles MarcyKaptur's success in securing funds for projects to "rebuild and retool" Toledo communities and bring new jobs to Northwest Ohio.

Among the "$777 million" she has brought to Ohio's 9th district, Kaptur says she looks for programs that "will benefit large numbers of people" and "have the maximum economic impact," with an emphasis on safety services and projects "that go toward the cleanup of the Great Lakes and providing clean drinking water to her community."

While "moneyis usually allocated to bigger cities," Kaptur's knowledge and seniority on the House Appropriations Committee plays a critical role in the flow of federal funds. "There's never enough money," she told the Blade, "so unless you have a voice you will never succeed."

DCCC Spokesperson Aidan Johnson:
"MarcyKaptur has been a proven champion for working families in Northwest Ohio for decades. Kaptur's extensive experience, knowledge, and care for Ohioans is second to none - and voters know they can count on her to get things done."

  • U.S. Rep. MarcyKaptur (D., Toledo) has brought more than $777 million into the 9th Congressional District this year, but she didn't do it alone.

  • Funding opportunities first start in Congress, when it passes legislation that would allocate a specific amount of moneyto local projects. A window of time opens where local governments, nonprofits, and agencies can write grant proposals.

  • The airport recently worked with Ms. Kaptur and U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D., Ohio) to secure $1.7 million for two multitasking snow removal units. Mr. O'Donnell said the airport has worked with federal legislators for years to secure funding, and Ms. Kaptur and Mr. Brown specifically have been helpful through the process.

  • Ms. Kaptur said safety services, for fire and police, are typically her priority. She is also drawn to support projects that go toward the cleanup of the Great Lakes and providing clean drinking water to her community.

  • "I try to look for programs where I know they will benefit large numbers of people," she said. "And also, since Toledo is an older, urban city, I look for projects that will rebuild and retool [the city] to have the maximum economic impact."

  • Ms. Kaptur, a minority member of the House Appropriations Committee, said location and longevity also play a role in the flow of funding.

  • "Until you rise in seniority of these major committees, your community has no voice," she said. "… The appropriations committee is one of the exclusive committees of the Congress. We have a responsibility for federal spending, and there's never enough money. There never is, and so unless you have a voice you will never succeed."

  • Ms. Kaptur, who has been in office since 1983, said that moneyis usually allocated to bigger cities and state capitals, making it harder to bring economic growth to the Toledo area.

  • The annex and upgrades to the James M. Ashley and Thomas W.L. Ashley Federal Courthouse in downtown Toledo took more than 25 years to receive funding for, Ms. Kaptur said. The moneyfor the courthouse was passed through the federal base budget.

  • "With the federal courthouse, we were surpassed by every other city, Atlanta, Cleveland, Denver," Ms. Kaptur said.

  • Her current fight, which has been ongoing since she's been in office, is securing funding for a veterans hospital with a direct relationship to the University of Toledo Medical Center. Currently, the closest veterans hospital is in Ann Arbor, attached to the University of Michigan.

  • "We need a primary relationship, not a clinic," Ms. Kaptur said. "We need to be able to serve our veterans here to the extent we can, and we should have the same rights as a veteran from Michigan, but the veterans committee has never approved that."