Congress agrees to give Idaho $8 million for Special Olympics
IDAHO PRESS TRIBUNE
11-01-07
Idaho Sen. Larry Craig and Rep. Mike Simpson have secured a total of $8 million for the 2009 Special Olympics World Winter Games in Idaho on the final version of legislation funding the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education.
The $8 million total brings federal funding for the Idaho-held Games in line with that received by other states in previous years, the congressmen said.
Craig secured $3 million for the games in the original Senate-passed version of the legislation. Over the past several weeks, Simpson secured bi-partisan support on the House side for an additional $5 million bringing total Idaho Games funding to $8 million.
“With this conference report, Congress has clearly demonstrated support for the 2009 games in Idaho,” Craig said. “Mike and I were proud to work this issue on both sides of the Capitol, and I think that teamwork paid off. This was an important step.”
Organizers say the event will attract more than 3,000 athletes from more than 100 nations to compete in seven Winter Olympic-type sporting events and will be the largest multi-sport event ever held in the state.
Craig and Simpson are both members of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education and were appointed as conferees to final negotiations on the bill which concluded today. The bill will be considered in its final form in the coming weeks by the House and Senate and will eventually be sent to President Bush.
