Owens asks subcommittee to provide key NNY funding

WASHINGTON — Rep. William L. Owens asked a key congressional subcommittee Wednesday to protect funding for military base operations and to consider funding a new Wellesley Island border station that was left out of President Obama's budget request.

In a hastily-scheduled appearance before a House Budget subcommittee, Mr. Owens, D-Plattsburgh, touted those as two priorities going into fiscal 2011, which begins Oct. 1.

The Budget Committee drafts a budget resolution, which is a blueprint for spending on federal programs. The actual funding, however, comes through the Appropriations Committee.

On the border station issue, Mr. Owens said the U.S. General Services Administration had requested $171.5 million, but the request was not reflected in the president's budget request to Congress last month.

On the base operations issue, Mr. Owens said many communities remain uneasy despite the Army's restoration of most of this year's proposed budget cuts and an "very modest" increase in funding reflected in the proposed budget.

"Ensuring adequate operational funding for our Army installations is critical to easing the burden on both our soldiers and the greater communities they reside in. I urge the committee to carefully consider the base operation support budget for the Army," Mr. Owens said.