The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Omnibus Appropriations Bill this week, including more than $400,000 in funding for equipment at Richmond Community College, a measure originally proposed by former U.S. Rep. Robin Hayes.

U.S. Rep. Larry Kissell voted for the appropriations bill, which will now make its way to the Senate floor.

Many of the measures in the bill, including the RCC equipment funding, were originally proposed by the man Kissell unseated in November’s election - Hayes, according to congressional records.

Richmond Community College President Dr. Sharon Morrissey noted it was her understanding that Hayes first introduced the funding on the House floor, and Kissell threw his support behind it after taking office.

“It would greatly benefit Richmond Community College to have this money,” she said. “We’re getting ready to build our new Scotland County campus, and the way the state budget looks right now, I believe we’re going to have some very deep cuts.”

Some of this money could possibly be used to complete the equipping of the new campus, she said.

“The other thing we could certainly use this money for, we are looking at some changes to our technical education programs in the Forte Building,” Morrissey continued. “There are opportunities for us to upgrade some equipment there, and perhaps add some equipment that we don’t have, so it would be wonderful to be able to upgrade what we have there now.”

The resolution also includes funding for public schools and hospital upgrades in Scotland County, and Anson County Schools.

Hayes originally proposed funding throughout the bill for research about animal waste management, research at the National Textile Center and construction and education funding for Scotland, Anson and Stanly counties, among other items.

Tom McInnis is an active member of the Richmond County Republican Party, and holds an elected seat on the Richmond County Board of Education.

He said it was his feeling that anyone who ran on the GOP ticket in last November’s election would have a difficult task overcoming Obama’s campaign and the mandate for change by the American people.

“Robin Hayes has done more for Richmond County than any congressman, certainly in the past 50 years, maybe in recorded time,” McInnis said. “Mr. Hayes had a lot of things for Richmond County that were in the pipeline when he left office. I applaud Congressman Kissell for taking Congressman Hayes’s ideas and initiatives and seeing them to fruition.”

The “Kissell Amendment” to the Stimulus Package, requiring the Transportation Security Administration to purchase American-made uniforms, was one of the Hayes initiatives Kissell was able to follow-up on, he noted.

A press release sent out by Kissell’s office stated he cosponsored a bill with Texas Republican Rep. Ron Paul, to block cost-of-living pay raises for members of Congress.

“It would just be wrong to accept a raise while so many people in my district are without jobs,” Kissell said in the release. “I cannot understand how politicians can talk about belt-tightening without ever managing it themselves. While pay raises are being rejected on Capitol Hill, funds from the Omnibus Appropriations Act are headed to struggling communities. That’s the way it should be.”