Senator Lamar Alexander made the following statement on Wednesday on his expectation that the Senate Appropriations Committee, of which he is a senior member, will pass legislation to fully fund the new Nashville federal courthouse:
“Tomorrow I expect the Senate Appropriations Committee will approve $181.5 million in funding for a new federal courthouse in Nashville.
This is extremely good news for Nashville because, in a rare move, the bill will include funding in one fiscal year for what is intended to be the full amount of funding to build the new courthouse, instead of spreading the funding out over several years. This means the courthouse project, which is desperately needed, will finally be completed.
“Nashville’s new courthouse is the Federal Judiciary’s number-one priority because construction of a new courthouse is the only solution to address serious security problems and meet future space needs in Nashville. With a 38 percent caseload increase in 2014 and since the courthouse is also home to nine other federal agencies and offices, Nashville is long overdue for a new courthouse, and I will continue to work to ensure it is finally funded this year as it moves from committee to consideration by the full Congress.”
The Nashville federal courthouse has been on the Administrative Office of the Courts’ Five Year Plan for 18 years. Congress has already appropriated $26.1 million for the new courthouse, and the site has been acquired and is ready for construction.
The legislation the Senate Appropriations Committee is expected to approve on Thursday is the fiscal year 2016 Financial Services and General Government Appropriations bill.