Costa Says Budget Resolution Passed by House Contains "Sufficient Funding" to Complete Mendota Federal Prison

Costa says budget resolution passed by House contains "sufficient funding" to complete Mendota Federal Prison

The continuing federal budget resolution passed by the House Wednesday contains money that could be used to complete construction of the Mendota Federal Prison, according to Congressman Jim Costa, D-Fresno.

Included in the Bureau of Prisons portion of the continuing resolution is more than $432 million in prison construction funds.

In remarks prepared for delivery on the House floor, Costa praised House Appropriations Committee Chairman David Obey, D-WI, and Congressman Jerry Lewis, R-CA, the Committee's Ranking Member, "for including sufficient funding to complete the construction of the Mendota Federal Prison."

The current phase of construction on the Mendota site is due to be completed in March and funding issues had left continuation of the project in limbo. However, Costa noted that with passage of the budget resolution, "The federal government is stepping up to a commitment that was to California and Mendota by providing enough funds to complete the prison."

So far, Costa stated, the Bureau of Prisons has spent $100 million to complete about 40 percent of the Mendota prison facility. Once completed, the facility will provide 1552 beds to help address overcrowding in the nation's federal prison system which is currently 37 percent over capacity. Costa said, "The prison will provide good jobs and a major boost to Mendota's very depressed local economy."

http://www.house.gov/apps/list/press/ca20_costa/MendotaPrison.html