WASHINGTON, D.C. — Vice President Joe Biden and Attorney General Eric Holder Tuesday announced $1 billion in grants to fund the hiring and rehiring of law enforcement officers all across the country under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

The grants will be awarded to 1,046 law enforcement agencies from all 50 states, including more than $30,956,114 in grants to fund the hiring and rehiring of 202 law enforcement officers in North Carolina.   These funds will provide 100 percent of the approved salary and benefits for these officers for three years.  All police departments receiving the grants will then be required to retain the grant-funded positions for a fourth year.

“A big part of the Recovery Act is about building communities – making them as strong as they can be, allowing every American family to live a better life than the one they are leading now,”  said Vice President Joe Biden.  “And we can’t achieve the goal of stronger communities without supporting those who keep our streets safe.”

The Recovery Act grants, which will be administered by the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) through the federal agency’s COPS Hiring Recovery Program, provide much needed financial support to state, local and tribal governments,  and will help the nation’s law enforcement agencies add and retain the manpower needed to fight crime more effectively through community policing. The Department of Justice received over 7,200 applications for more than 39,000 officer positions, representing a total of $8.3 billion in requested funding.

“These Recovery Act funds will pump much needed resources into communities through a program with a proven track record,” said Attorney General Holder. “The tremendous demand for these grants is indicative of both the tough times our states, cities and tribes are facing, and the unyielding commitment by law enforcement to making our communities safer.”

The COPS Hiring Recovery Program funds were awarded to the following applicants in North Carolina:

Fairmont Police Department
1– $105,915

Winston-Salem, City of
25 — $3,884,575

Wadesboro Police Department
1 — $127,163.00

Fayetteville Police Department
17 — $2,528,240.00

Mt. Gilead Police Department
1– $127,179.00

Warsaw Police Department
1– $126,175.00

Kill Devil Hills, Town of
1– $163,410.00

Kenly Police Department
1– $116,579.00

Princeville, Town of
1– $97,491.00

Lumberton, City of
3 — $442,743.00

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department
50 — $8,545,950.00

Enfield Police Department
1– $130,751.00

Kinston Police Department
2 — $252,588.00

Rocky Mount, City of
8 — $1,088,808.00

Wilmington Police Department
13 — $2,005,809.00

Roanoke Rapids Police Department
1 — $119,925.00

Hertford Police Department
1 –$164,644.00

Hope Mills, Town of
1– $152,372.00

Salisbury Police Department
4 — $646,924.00

Reidsville Police Department
2 — $287,472.00

Ocean Isle Beach, Town of
1– $145,288.00

Littleton Police Department
1 — $117,141.00

Lexington, City of
1 — $145,005.00

Elizabeth City
3 — $435,834.00

Mt. Airy Police Department
2 — $257,598.00

Lincoln County Sheriff’s Department
6 — $889,566.00

Waynesville Police Department
2 — $275,482.00

Sanford, City of
4 — $650,860.00

Wallace Police Department
1– $124,578.00

Chadbourn Police Department
1 — $123,158.00

Morven, Town of
1 — $115,523.00

Monroe Department of Public Safety
2 — $321,168.00

Greenville Police Department
8 — $1,648,656.00

Hoke County Sheriff’s Department
3 — $396,099.00

Roxboro Police Department
2 — $314,790.00

Henderson Police Department
3 — $369,306.00

Woodland Police Department
1 — $134,100.00

Troy, Town of
1 — $116,196.00

Garner Police Department
1– $172,356.00

Benson Police Department
1 — $146,352.00

Pittsboro, Town of
1 — $187,883.00

Sharpsburg Police Department
1– $116,952.00

Franklin County Sheriff’s Office
3 — $430,863.00

Eden Police Department
2 — $291,672.00

Plymouth Police Department
1– $117,206.00

Gastonia Police Department
8 — $1,038,960.00

Red Springs, Town of
1 — $136,356.00

Madison, Town of
1 — $137,840.00

Stoneville Police Department
1 –$100,835.00

Richmond County Sheriff’s Department
3 — $383,778.00

The Recovery Act includes $4 billion in Department of Justice grant funding to enhance state, local, and tribal law enforcement efforts, including the hiring of new police officers, to combat violence against women, and to fight internet crimes against children. In addition to today’s COPS awards, to date the Department of Justice has awarded $1.7 billion through formula state and local Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grants, $95 million through the Victims of Crime Act Formula Grant Program, $41.5 million for Internet Crimes Against Children initiatives, $127 million in Office on Violence Against Women Recovery Act funds and $8.6 million for assistance for law enforcement along the Southern Border and in high intensity drug trafficking areas.

For more information about the COPS grants, or to learn which law enforcement agencies received funding, please visit www.cops.usdoj.gov.

LAS VEGAS, NV – President Barack Obama today marked the 100th day of the Recovery Act by releasing “100 Days, 100 Projects,” a report from the Vice President that highlights the progress the country has made in the first 100 days of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and the work that is already being done to build a new foundation for America’s economic recovery.

View the report

“One hundred days ago, in the midst of the worst economic crisis in half a century, we passed the most sweeping economic recovery act in history – a plan designed to save jobs, create new ones, and put money in people’s pockets,” President Obama said.  “Now, one hundred days later, we are meeting our economic challenges head-on and beginning to see early signs of progress across the country.”

Among the projects in the report are two new Recovery Act investments totaling over $467 million to expand and accelerate the development and use of geothermal and solar energy throughout the country that the President will announce today during a visit to Nellis Air Force Base in Las Vegas, Nevada with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.  Nellis Air Force Base is home to the largest solar photovoltaic array in the United States, and 25 percent of the energy used by the 12,000 people that live and work on the base is generated by the 72,000 solar panel installation.  The Recovery Act funds announced today represent a substantial down payment on bringing renewable energy technology like that used at Nellis to the mass market and is expected to create thousands of jobs, particularly in the western United States.  To learn more about the new Recovery Act investments in geothermal and solar energy technology, click HERE.

Today’s announcement is just one of the many ways the Recovery Act is jump-starting the economy today and building a new foundation for sustained economic growth in the future.  Across the country, the Recovery Act is already at work, providing essential financial relief for American families and businesses, creating and saving jobs, and spurring technology and infrastructure investments that will lay the groundwork for the new economy – and work is just getting started.

In Southern California, construction is underway on the I-405 Sepulveda Pass Project on the San Diego Freeway, one of the most congested highways in the nation, because of a $189.9 million Recovery Act investment.

In Cumberland, Maine, Storey Brothers Trucking, a small family-owned business that was struggling to pay its 19 employees is now back to work and boosting the local economy because of a $2 million Recovery Act grant awarded to the Portland Water District for upgrading the town’s sewer system.

In Pearl, Mississippi, a $1.3 million Recovery Act grant award is allowing the Family Health Care Clinic to open three new branches that will offer medical and dental services to low-income and uninsured residents and provide increased job oppor­tunities in the community by employing 70 staff over the next two years.

At the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, a $17.5 million Recovery Act grant is funding the development of a solar fuels research center that will conduct research on how to use artificial photo­synthesis to produce low-cost and efficient solar fuels.

President Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act into law on February 17, 2009.  Just 100 days into the two-year economic recovery program, over $112 billion in Recovery Act funds has been obligated to stimulative programs and projects and over 150,000 jobs have been created or saved by the Recovery Act.

In addition to providing immediate relief measures for American families like the Making Work Pay tax credit and a 65 percent reduction in COBRA health insurance premiums, the Recovery Act also provides new and expanded energy-efficiency and first-time homebuyer tax credits that are driving fresh consumer demand and makes multi-billion dollar long-term investments in high-speed rail, broadband access, a nationwide smart energy grid and a modern health information technology system.

RALEIGH, N.C. — Gov. Bev Perdue was joined Thursday by Transportation Secretary Gene Conti and other elected officials in Camden County at a ceremonial groundbreaking today for one of North Carolina’s first highway improvement projects funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

The event was held at the George M. Wood Memorial Park on U.S. 158 in Camden County near the Camden/Pasquotank County line.

The $6.1 million project will widen a congested 2.4-mile stretch of U.S. 158 from east of the Pasquotank River to north of Havenwood Drive in Elizabeth City from two to four lanes. The highway is known locally as the Camden Causeway and serves as the main link between Elizabeth City and Camden and Currituck counties.

“This recovery project will make a significant contribution to Camden County and this region now and in the future,” Perdue said.  “It will quickly put people to work and have a significant economic impact.  Improving U.S. 158 helps northeastern North Carolina prepare for future growth and ensures this region is ready when new opportunities arise.”

Last week, Secretary Conti awarded the project contract to low-bidder RPC Contracting Inc. of nearby Kitty Hawk. Subcontractor Sanford Contractors Inc., based out of the Lee County city by the same name, will conduct the project’s bridgework and anticipates purchasing sand, stone and concrete locally, as well as utilizing area hardware stores, fuel suppliers and food establishments. The project will be completed by Aug. 1, 2011.

“Projects of this magnitude offer an immediate economic benefit to local businesses and contractors, which is good news in these economic times,” Secretary Conti said. “We anticipate all areas of North Carolina will see similar benefits as projects begin in those communities.”

The U.S. 158 widening project is one of 11 economic recovery projects awarded to contract in March. The projects are located in Alamance, Brunswick, Camden, Currituck, Forsyth/Stokes, Gaston, Mecklenburg, Montgomery, Scotland and Stanly counties.  It is also one of the $466 million first phase recovery infrastructure projects that are expected to create and sustain 14,000 jobs across the state.

The bids on these projects came in more than 19 percent, or nearly $15.8 million, below NCDOT estimates. Work on all contracts can start as soon as April 27, with the exception of the Currituck County bridge replacement project, which will begin no sooner than July 1 due to an environmental moratorium.

According to the Federal Highway Administration, every $1 million spent on transportation creates 30 jobs, and according to the construction industry, every dollar invested in transportation trickles down into the economy six times.

For more information about recovery funding for infrastructure improvements in North Carolina, as well as other NCDOT projects and activities, visit www.ncdot.gov.

RALEIGH, N.C. — Gov. Bev Perdue announced today that work will begin in April on the state’s first nine highway and bridge projects funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The contracts total $36.3 million and were awarded today by Transportation Secretary Gene Conti to the lowest respective bidders, as required by state law. A list of the projects is attached.

“These first road projects will create a wide range of jobs throughout North Carolina and can address some of our most pressing, ready-to-go infrastructure needs,” Perdue said.

The projects are located in Brunswick, Camden, Currituck, Gaston, Mecklenburg, Montgomery, Scotland and Stanly counties. Two projects, one located in Alamance County and one in Forsyth/Stokes counties, were let to contract on March 17 and will be awarded once the respective low bidders demonstrate that they have met “good faith effort” requirements in attempting to reach the disadvantaged business enterprise goals set forth in the contracts. The disadvantaged business enterprise goals were met or exceeded on the nine contracts awarded.

The bids received on all 11 economic recovery projects let to contract in March came in more than 19 percent, or nearly $15.8 million, below NCDOT estimates. Work on all contracts can start as soon as April 27, with the exception of the Currituck County bridge replacement project, which will begin no sooner than July 1 due to an environmental moratorium.

According to the Federal Highway Administration, every $1 million spent on transportation creates 30 jobs, and according to the construction industry, every dollar invested in transportation trickles down into the economy six times.

In addition to helping create jobs, the nine projects awarded will complete needed infrastructure improvements. They include four widening projects that will help improve mobility and reduce congestion; three construction projects that will extend key corridors and provide regional access; and two bridge replacement projects, one of which will replace the state’s fourth oldest bridge still in use.

“Each of these projects reflects local priorities that, in many cases, have been delayed or unfunded in the past,” Conti said. “We have an ongoing dialogue with our planning organizations across the state to determine which projects are most needed and will provide the greatest potential for economic development.”

NCDOT received a total of $838 million through the economic recovery plan, including $735 million for highway and bridge projects and $103 million for transit. In February, Gov. Perdue announced 70 highway and bridge projects that would be let to contract between March and June using the first half of NCDOT’s recovery funds. The highway and bridge projects being paid for through the remaining funding will be announced next month.

The main factors considered were whether the projects could be let to contract within 120 days of the Feb. 17 bill signing and the role they play in meeting NCDOT’s overarching goals of safety, mobility and infrastructure health. The legislation also specifies that projects in economically distressed areas should be given priority, and all but three projects are in counties that fall in that category.

Officials selected projects diverse in size, type and geographic location to help benefit a wide range of industry partners, as well as ensure equitable distribution of funds. Most of the projects have been approved as part of NCDOT’s seven-year Statewide Transportation Improvement Program.

Gov. Perdue and Secretary Conti are also working with Sen. Kay Hagan, Rep. Mel Watt and the rest of North Carolina’s Congressional delegation to pursue discretionary grant money included in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to use for the $300-million replacement of the Yadkin River Bridge on I-85 in Davidson and Rowan counties.

Along with awarding these economic recovery projects, Secretary Conti also approved 10 contracts for bridge replacements located in Beaufort, Bladen, Columbus, Davidson, Edgecombe, Franklin, Haywood, Sampson, Richmond and Watauga counties to be paid for through traditional funding. A list of these projects is also attached.

The N.C. Board of Transportation delegated Secretary Conti authority to award contracts for highway projects in accordance with Gov. Perdue’s Executive Order No. 2. The board will meet on Thursday, April 2 at 9 a.m. in Raleigh to consider other matters that remain under its purview.

For more information about recovery funding for infrastructure improvements in North Carolina, as well as other NCDOT projects and activities, visit www.ncdot.gov.

Vice President Joe Biden announced Wednesday that the Department of Health and Human Services will award $2,768,783 in Recovery Act funding to provide meals to low-income seniors in North Carolina.  The funding is expected to provide nearly 14 million meals nationwide.

“Across the country, older Americans depend on senior centers and home delivery programs for regular, healthy meals. Today, more senior citizens are in need, but the programs they depend on are on the brink of reducing their services or closing down,” said Vice President Biden. “The Recovery Act will help ensure older Americans are not forced to choose between paying bills and buying food.”

Nationwide, the Recovery Act provides $65 million for congregate nutrition services provided at senior centers and other community sites, $32 million for home delivered nutrition services delivered to frail elders at home and $3 million for Native American nutrition programs. The funding will be awarded to 56 states and territories and 246 tribes and Native Hawaiian organizations. States will award the funds to organizations that provide nutrition services in their communities. Funding for nutrition programs for seniors in the Older Americans Act was initially authored and championed by Senator Edward M. Kennedy.

The Recovery Act funding comes as budget constraints have forced states and tribes to limit community-based services and critical Older Americans Act related services, including home-delivered meals. Across the country, organizations that serve senior citizens have scaled back services and limited the number of meals served per week. 

The economic downturn has also made it difficult for many seniors to afford the right foods to keep themselves healthy and active. Additionally, many seniors may be too impaired to prepare nutritious meals for themselves.  Without regular nutritious meals, the health of many older Americans declines; they become more susceptible to illness; their ability to manage their chronic diseases is reduced, and they may lose their ability to remain at home, independent in their community.

For more information about senior nutrition programs and to see a state-by-state breakdown of funding for senior nutrition programs, visit www.hhs.gov.

The activities described in this release are being funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).  To track the progress of HHS activities funded through the ARRA, visit www.hhs.gov/recovery.  To track all federal funds provided through the ARRA, visit www.recovery.gov.

WASHINGTON – Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke told Congress Tuesday that any hope for an economic recovery will hinge on the government’s ability to prop up shaky financial markets.

The effectiveness of a string of radical actions taken by the Fed, the Treasury Department and other agencies to stabilize markets “will be critical determinants of the timing and strength of the recovery,” Bernanke said in testimony to the Senate Budget Committee.

The Fed chief found himself on the hot seat when lawmakers voiced concerns about the government’s new $30 billion lifeline for ailing insurance giant American International Group. The latest plan, announced Monday, marked the government’s fourth effort to stabilize AIG.

Both Democratic and Republican lawmakers expressed skepticism over whether the action would work, said they were worried that more taxpayer money will be needed to rescue the company and demanded more accountability.

“I share your anger,” Bernanke said. The government didn’t really have a choice but to take the action because a collapse of AIG would have grave implications for the country’s already fragile economic and financial health, he added.

“We’re no better off,” huffed Sen. Jim Bunning, R-Ky. “The bottom line: the Fed and the Treasury will leave the door open for more bailouts in the future.”

President Barack Obama’s recently enacted $787 billion stimulus package of increased federal spending and tax cuts should help revive moribund consumer demand, boost factory production over the next two years and “mitigate the overall loss of employment and income that would otherwise occur,” Bernanke said.

However, the Fed chief warned that the timing and magnitude of the impact of the stimulus package is subject to “considerable uncertainty, reflecting both the state of economic knowledge and the unusual economic circumstances that we face.”

The recession, now in its second year, is inflicting more damage to the economy daily as layoffs mount and companies cut production.

The economy contracted at a staggering 6.2 percent in the final three months of 2008, the worst showing in a quarter-century, and the Fed has said it will probably shrink during the first six months of this year. Recent economic barometers “show little sign of improvement,” Bernanke said.

Still, the Fed chief told lawmakers that the U.S. will be better off “moving aggressively” to solve economic problems because the alternative “could be a prolonged episode of economic stagnation.”

The nation’s unemployment rate in January jumped to 7.6 percent, the highest in more than 16 years. And the number of newly laid-off people signing up for unemployment benefits has risen since mid-January, “suggesting that labor market conditions may have worsened further in recent weeks,” Bernanke said.

The government will release February unemployment data on Friday and many economists are predicting the unemployment rate rose to 7.9 percent last month while employers cut nearly 650,000 jobs.

With jobs vanishing, nest eggs cracking and home values tanking, consumers have reined in their spending. That has forced companies to lay off workers, trim production and cut back in other ways. It’s a vicious circle of negative forces that feed on each other, deepening the recession.

In back-to-back appearances on Capitol Hill last week, Bernanke planted a seed of hope that the recession could end this year if the government was successful in turning around wobbly financial markets. But the Fed chief didn’t repeat that remark in Tuesday’s testimony.

Bernanke said the government has made some progress on the financial front since last fall, but he told lawmakers that “more needs to be done.”

The Obama administration has revamped a $700 billion financial bailout program aimed at strengthening banks, but has said additional money could be needed.

Obama’s first budget holds out the possibility of spending $250 billion more for additional financial industry rescue efforts.

“Whether further funds will be needed depends on the results of the current (stress tests) of banks, the evolution of the economy and other factors,” Bernanke said.

The price of such bold action will push the nation’s federal budget deficit to nearly $1.8 trillion this year, and above $1 trillion in 2010 and 2011, he said. Of the deficits, “I’m afraid they are unavoidable” to get the economy on a recovery path, Bernanke said.

Asked whether Obama’s economic assumptions in his budget are too rosy, Bernanke said although they are a little more optimistic than the Fed’s projections, “these things are hard to predict with precision.”

RALEIGH – The state has launched www.NCRecovery.gov, a guide to services of the newly created Office of Economic Recovery & Investment, Gov. Bev Perdue said Friday.  The Web site will let visitors track federal recovery funds in North Carolina, as well as learn about local contract and grant opportunities.

“I am committed to providing the people of North Carolina with a simple-to-navigate guide that is efficient, transparent and accountable,” Perdue said in a press release. “I want the people of North Carolina to understand exactly how the money will be used to put North Carolina back to work.”

The Web site will serve as a resource on the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, its impact on North Carolina and information about the state Office of Economic Recovery and Investment.

In the upcoming weeks, visitors will be able to track stimulus money as it is spent, suggest projects for funding and learn how to apply for contracts and grants that may be available.

On Feb. 17, Gov. Perdue announced the creation of the Office of Economic Recovery & Investment to coordinate and track North Carolina’s handling of federal stimulus funds.  Perdue named Dempsey Benton, former secretary of the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, to lead the office.

The federal recovery package provides approximately $6.1 billion in direct aid to North Carolina to create jobs, and to rebuild and expand the state’s critical infrastructure. It also provides for targeted federal tax cuts, additional grants from federal agencies and direct funding to local governments for specific federal programs in North Carolina.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Richard Burr (R-North Carolina) issued the following statement on the Senate passage of H.R. 1, The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009:

“The current economic crisis we are facing requires action, but the stimulus bill that was voted on in the Senate today was the wrong action.  It will spend nearly a trillion dollars on projects to expand government programs, and will provide little stimulus to the overall economy.  In fact, this bill will cost American taxpayers $209,550 for every job the bill’s supporters claim it will create.  These are some of the many reasons I opposed this bill.

“The serious economic crisis we are facing will balloon into an even larger crisis if our leaders do not put the government credit card away.  We are expected to have a $1.2 trillion deficit this year, and the National Debt is approaching $11 trillion. With the news of additional spending in the coming weeks from the administration, we could be spending close to $3 trillion dollars in the first 60 days of the year.”

By SEAN MUSSENDEN
Media General News Service

WASHINGTON-The House passed an economic recovery package Wednesday that would send at least $16 billion to North Carolina, including $1.9 billion over the next two years to help the state patch its gaping budget hole.

The $819 billion package is a mix of spending and targeted tax cuts that supporters hope will immediately create new jobs and kick-start the slumping economy.

Despite President Barack Obama’s plea for bipartisan unity, the package passed along party lines, with every Republican and 11 Democrats voting against it. Rep. Heath Shuler was the only North Carolina Democrat to vote against the measure.

“We have an obligation to get ourselves out of a ditch,” said Rep. Mel Watt, D-N.C. “I’m sure a lot of Republicans believe they have the luxury of standing back and second guessing and saying, `no, no, no.’”
Republicans complained that the package was loaded with spending projects that would not immediately create jobs while significantly expanding the deficit.

“We can immediately jumpstart the economy by cutting taxes, but that’s not what this bill is all about. This bill is all about sneaking in all their pet projects,” said Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-N.C.
Foxx and other Republicans backed an alternative package that that included larger tax cuts and less spending. The alternative failed Wednesday.

The package that passed included almost $300 billion in increased tax breaks for the poor, some parents, homebuyers and businesses. Republican and Democratic economists disagree about how effective tax cuts are in stimulating the economy.

It also included more than $500 billion for road projects, school construction, health care for the poor and other programs.

One provision would require the Homeland Security Department to only purchase uniforms made in the United States.

Rep. Larry Kissell, D-N.C., a former textile worker who sponsored the uniform provision, said he hoped it would help North Carolina’s ailing textile and apparel manufacturers.
“With our presence in textiles, I feel that it will help us. But, if not, it will help workers somewhere,” he said.

Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., complained that the many of the tax cuts in the legislation expire within two years. And he complained that the package spent money on the National Endowment for the Arts but did not increase specific assistance for workers who lost jobs when trade deals prompted companies to send jobs overseas.

“There are worthy things not included in the bill,” he said.

In a statement, Shuler said he voted against the package because it would significantly expand the deficit and contained “too much additional spending in areas that will not offer immediate economic stimulus.”

The Senate is expected to pass a costlier version of the package. Then, a committee of House members and senators will hash out differences between the bills. President Barack Obama hopes to sign it by mid-February.

A state-by-state analysis of the House bill by the Center for American Progress, a progressive think tank, found that North Carolina would receive at least $16 billion from the larger spending and tax cut provisions in the bill.

North Carolina’s share includes $937 million in 2009 and again in 2010 to make up a budget shortfall in the state.

Gov. Bev Perdue, D-N.C., flew to Washington earlier this month to tell congressional leaders and Obama’s aides that the state faces a $2 billion shortfall this year.

Perdue said she could make up half the deficit by cutting state spending but wanted the federal government to make up the remaining $1 billion.

Because the final version has not been signed by Obama, “We’re not quite in a position to say whether it’s enough to fix all our problems, but we’re hopeful,” said Chrissy Pearson, a Perdue spokeswoman.

How North Carolina House Members Voted
Yes
Mike McIntyre, D
Larry Kissell, D
G.K. Butterfield, D
Bob Etheridge, D
Brad Miller, D
David Price, D
Mel Watt, D

No
Howard Coble, R
Virginia Foxx, R
Walter Jones, R
Patrick McHenry, R
Sue Myrick, R
Heath Shuler, D

***

The House version of the economic recovery package targets billions to North Carolina, including money to…

…patch the state budget deficit-$1.9 billion
…bolster Medicaid-$2.6 billion
…build highways and bridges-$802 million
…repair run-down schools-$551 million
…fund clean-water projects-$105 million

Source: Office of the Speaker of the House