Senate stimulus bill also contains windfall for federal agencies

The Senate appears to be following in the House's footsteps by allotting billions of dollars to federal agencies in its version of the economic stimulus bill. Some of the money would go to grant programs run by those agencies, while other funds would contribute directly to improving facilities and operations.

The Senate Appropriations Committee plans to mark up the bill (S. 1) on Tuesday.

After Congress hammers out the final bill and it is signed into law by President Obama, the public will be able to track how the government spends federal funds in the package at www.recovery.gov.

Examples of spending in the Senate's $825 billion 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment bill follow. This list is not comprehensive.

Defense Department

• $2.4 billion for quality of life programs and family-friendly military construction projects
• $3.2 billion for energy efficiency, repair and modernization projects for Defense facilities, including health care buildings
• $613 million to improve energy efficiency and for alternative energy projects, including those focused on wind and solar power and photovoltaic system installation
• $410 million to expand Defense's Homeowners Assistance Program during the national mortgage crisis

Energy Department

• $40 billion for development of clean, efficient U.S. energy

Environmental Protection Agency

• $6 billion for sewer, wastewater and drinking water systems nationwide through EPA's Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Fund programs
• $1.4 billion for environmental cleanup programs, including Super Fund

General Services Administration

• $2.6 billion to replace older vehicles in the government fleet with alternative fuel automobiles
• $6 billion to make federal buildings more energy efficient and help eliminate a backlog of $8.4 billion in repair projects

Health and Human Services Department

• $5 billion for efforts to computerize health records

Homeland Security Department

• $1.2 billion to accelerate procurement and installation of baggage screening and checkpoint security equipment at airports
• $500 million to secure high-risk critical infrastructure such as dams, tunnels and bridges

NASA

• $1.5 billion, including $500 million to provide critical data about Earth's resources and climate

National Science Foundation

• $1.4 billion for research, infrastructure and competitive grants

Veterans Affairs Department

• $3.4 billion for construction and improvements of the department's hospitals and medical centers, long-term care facilities and upgrades at VA cemeteries

Other

• $110 million for the Government Accountability Office and agency inspectors general to provide oversight of spending in the stimulus bill