Durbin and IL Delegation Members Send Letter to Govenor and Legislative Leaders

Press Release

Durbin and IL Delegation Members Send Letter to Govenor and Legislative Leaders

U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today sent a letter to the Governor of Illinois Rod Blagojevich and four legislative leaders, Speaker of the House Michael Madigan, House Republican Leader Tom Cross, President of the Senate Emil Jones, Jr. and Republican Leader Frank Watson. Durbin was joined by Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) and other members of the Illinois Congressional delegation including Representatives Melissa Bean (D-IL), Jerry Costello (D-IL), Danny Davis (D-IL), Rahm Emanuel (D-IL), Mark Kirk (R-IL), Ray LaHood (R-IL), Don Manzullo (R-IL), Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) and John Shimkus (R-IL).

[text of letter attached and below]

May 25, 2007

The Honorable Rod Blagojevich
Governor
Capitol Building
Springfield, IL 62706

The Honorable Michael J. Madigan
Speaker of the House
Capitol Building
Springfield, IL 62706

The Honorable Tom Cross
House Republican Leader
Capitol Building
Springfield, IL 62706

The Honorable Emil Jones, Jr.
President of the Senate
Capitol Building
Springfield, IL 62706

The Honorable Frank C. Watson
Republican Leader
Capitol Building
Springfield, IL 62706

Dear Governor Blagojevich, Speaker Madigan, President Jones, and Leaders Cross and Watson:

In the 109th Congress, we worked together in a bipartisan manner to provide Illinois with a 33.4 percent per year increase in federal funding for transportation infrastructure - the largest in the state's history. SAFETEA (P.L. 109-59) provided the state with the resources necessary to make significant investments in highway and transit infrastructure throughout Illinois. We're proud of this accomplishment and want all of the federal funding set aside for Illinois to be invested in our state's transportation system.

We understand that the State of Illinois needs to provide as much as $1.2 billion to complete all of the projects in our state that are eligible for federal matching funds under P.L. 109-59.

We encourage you to enact state legislation to provide the needed state match for the federal transportation funds we secured in 2005. If the State of Illinois does not enact a capital bill and provide the non-federal match this year, as much as $6.1 billion in federal funding could be at risk.

Our state responded after Congress passed comprehensive transportation infrastructure legislation in the late 1990s by enacting Illinois FIRST. That capital bill ensured that all federal funding secured by the Illinois Congressional Delegation could be spent on highway and transit projects. In short, thanks to the state match, no federal funds were left behind.

We hope we can count on you to enact appropriate legislation that will provide the required state match to the federal funds available to our state.

We share the mutual goal of helping Illinois secure the highest return for its tax dollars, and we stand ready to work with you to that end.

Sincerely,

Dick Durbin
U.S. Senator

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