WASHINGTON, D.C. -- U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) announced today that the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) awarded a $130,000 competitive federal grant to the Kentucky Habitat for Humanity (KyHFH).
Last month, Senator McConnell contacted USDA on behalf of KyHFH in support of the grant application. The funding will help KyHFH provide technical assistance to its rural affiliates, which serve 23 counties across the Commonwealth.
In 2014, the federal government designated parts of Eastern Kentucky as a Promise Zone due to high rates of poverty in the region. The competitive grant will help KyHFH serve and support Kentuckians in economically distressed rural areas of Eastern Kentucky, including those in the state’s Promise Zone.
“This is great news for Eastern Kentucky, and I was honored to work with Kentucky Habitat for Humanity to help secure these funds,” Senator McConnell said. “This assistance will allow KyHFH to develop and implement a critical home repair program to serve low-income Kentuckians who have limited ability to maintain and repair their homes.”
Mary Shearer, Executive Director for Kentucky Habitat for Humanity, said, “These funds will serve at-risk rural populations in our state who need help repairing their home. We are very grateful for Senator McConnell supporting our grant application. Every time KyHFH has reached out to the Senator, he has delivered. Without him and our community partnerships and volunteers, we would not be able to help provide the needed resources for disadvantaged individuals, families and veterans throughout Kentucky.”
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) released the following remarks today regarding Senate completion of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA):
“Our nation faces many national security threats across the globe. The threats and challenges posed by Iran, China, Russia, North Korea, ISIL, al-Qaeda, and its affiliates represent a diverse range of conventional and asymmetric capabilities that threaten our national security and that of our allies.
“We also know that the challenges we face have been compounded by everything from sequestration to the last administration’s self-defeating foreign policy, with the Obama Administration’s focus on reducing the size of our conventional force only adding to the burden of our forward-deployed units.
“We have to be smart if we’re going to address these challenges effectively and do right by our men and women in uniform appropriately. We have to provide our servicemembers with the resources and training they need. That’s obvious. We have to continue the hard work of rebuilding our military and restoring combat readiness. That’s ongoing. We have to modernize the Pentagon and root out waste within the military bureaucracy. That’s important for strengthening accountability.
“We also have to prepare for the threats of both today and tomorrow by promoting defense innovation, enhancing cyber security, and — especially when you consider all the recent belligerence from North Korea — strengthening missile defense. For these reasons and many others, like authorizing a well-deserved raise for our servicemembers, it’s imperative that we join together today in passing the defense authorization legislation before us.
“I thank the Armed Services Committee for its good work on this year’s National Defense Authorization Act. The members of that committee, from both parties, came together to support this year’s NDAA and send it to the Senate floor. It’s yet another testament to the leadership of Senator McCain, the committee’s top Republican, and Senator Reed, his Democratic counterpart. Thank you, Chairman McCain. Thank you, Ranking Member Reed. Thank you to everyone else who worked so hard on this legislation. Now, let’s pass it.”
