The funding comes despite conservative opposition to the federal government paying for specific local projects.
As part of the spending packages Congress passed last week to avoid a government shutdown, roughly $14 billion will be headed for nearly 7,000 state and local projects through earmarks, according to a tally by Kentucky Republican Sen. Rand Paul’s office.
While those receiving the money say earmarks will help communities deal with an array of issues from increasing the number of salmon on Alaska’s coast to addressing urban blight in Detroit, they are strongly opposed by some conservatives, including Paul, who considers them “wasteful spending.”
In part, Paul objects to spending tax dollars when the nation is $1.6 trillion in debt. He also argues that local governments, and not the federal government, should be covering the $1.2 million cost of Rhode Island’s bike path renovation.
ROUTE FIFTY
by KERI MURAKAMI
APRIL 1, 2024