Budzinski-Championed Local Projects Pass House of Representatives

The funding requests, totaling $27.8 million, will address critical needs across the district

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski (IL-13) announced that $27.8 million in funding for local projects she secured as part of the federal budget process has passed out of the full House of Representatives. After two years of obstruction from House Republicans, the bill now heads to the Senate, where it is expected to be passed and signed into law. 

“I promised my district that I would not rest until these dollars were brought home. Today, we are one step closer to making that promise a reality. From finally addressing chronic flooding in the Metro East to improving the safety of our drinking water, these initiatives will enhance the quality of life throughout the district,” said Budzinski. “Beyond the impact of these local projects, this funding bill sends a clear message: it rejects the Trump Administration’s harmful cuts to rural America and prioritizes protecting housing programs and lowering the cost of living for working families.”

A summary of the projects that have been passed, along with the funding amount, is available below:

• $7.3 million for the Cahokia Heights East Interceptor: The funding will be used for construction of interceptor sewers to modernize the city’s sanitary sewer service and reduce sewage overflows.
• $500,000 for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers General Reevaluation Report for East St. Louis & Vicinity: The funding will be used to initiate a General Reevaluation Report (GRR) within an approximate 86,000-acre study area that contains eleven communities, 126,745 residents, $8 billion in property value, over 46,000 structures, 167 critical structures, and 8,700 acres of prime farmland to investigate structural and non-structural approaches to solving recurring flood risk challenges in the study area.
• $1.1 million for the Village of Glen Carbon Drinking Water Plant: The funding will be used for the construction of a new 3,000,000-gallon-per-day water treatment facility. 
• $750,000 for the TASC Juvenile Justice System Specialized Case Management and Wraparound Services: The funding will be used to provide a program of services which identifies and meets the treatment needs of juvenile drug-dependent and alcohol-dependent offenders in Sangamon, Madison, St. Clair, and Champaign counties to reduce recidivism and help impacted youth become thriving citizens in their communities.
• $18 million for Navigation and Ecosystem Sustainability Program: The funding will be used for several Upper Mississippi River improvement efforts, including navigation improvements and aquatic ecosystem restoration.
• $200,000 for Gillespie Rural Policing Technology: The funding will be used for street cameras and accompanying hardware to address multiple local security-related needs. 

This is in addition to a previously enacted project which provided $1 million to the Village of Harristown for water service line replacement. The legislation also includes funding for nationwide Budzinski-led priorities such as:

• $18 million for United States Economic Development Administration’s (EDA) Recompete Pilot Program
  • The Recompete Pilot Program is a federal initiative authorized by the CHIPS and Science Act that provides flexible, long-term grants to economically distressed communities to reduce the “prime-age employment gap” by creating good-paying jobs. Congresswoman Budzinski has been a key champion of the program, successfully securing major planning and implementation grants for Illinois’ 13th District—specifically for projects in Springfield and Decatur—to revitalize local workforce and infrastructure.
• $41 million for EDA Tech Hubs 
  • The Regional Tech Hubs Program is a flagship economic development initiative from the CHIPS and Science Act designed to transform regions into globally competitive centers of innovation. Congresswoman Budzinski is a leading advocate for the program, successfully securing a federal Tech Hub designation and a $51 million implementation grant for the iFAB Hub in Central Illinois.
• $175 million for Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP)
  • The Manufacturing Extension Partnership is a national public-private network managed by the Department of Commerce that provides small and medium-sized manufacturers with technical expertise and resources to modernize, improve efficiency, and compete in global markets. Congresswoman Budzinski has been a staunch defender of the program, leading efforts to protect it from Trump’s budget cuts and advocating for increased funding to support local partners like the Illinois Manufacturing Excellence Center (IMEC), which has helped create and retain hundreds of jobs across Illinois’ 13th District.
• $964 million for Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (Byrne JAG) Program
  • The Byrne JAG Program is the primary provider of federal criminal justice funding to state and local governments, supporting a wide range of needs from law enforcement equipment to crime prevention. Congresswoman Budzinski has been a key advocate for this funding, successfully securing over $322,000 for six cities in her district and championing additional funding for the program in federal spending bills to ensure local police have the tools and training they need.
• $4.4 billion for State and Tribal Assistance Programs
  • State and Tribal Assistance Programs, like the Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds (SRF), are federal-state partnerships that provide low-interest loans and grants for critical infrastructure like lead pipe replacement and wastewater treatment. Congresswoman Budzinski has been a primary advocate for these funds in Illinois to support the modernization of water systems in communities like Cahokia Heights and East Alton.