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CBS St. Louis - Durbin: Federally Funded Road Projects in Illinois Could be Halted

News Article

Date: June 30, 2014
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Transportation

By Brett Blume

Road construction projects in Illinois could soon come to a screeching halt.

The U.S. Senate left D.C. for its week-long 4th of July break without voting on a bill that would replenish the fund for six months, with a price tag of $9 billion.

Senator Dick Durbin says some quick action will be needed when they all return to Washington.

"I don't want that moment to come when we shut down the Highway Trust Fund and say to the state of Illinois and every other state, "Stop your construction in place, and let the politicians in Washington argue for a while,'" he says.

Durbin scoffs at a Republican-backed plan to fund highway repairs by ending Saturday mail delivery, calling that "unrealistic."

The Senate bill seeks changes to tax deductions for mortgages and inherited retirement accounts.

Even if passed, however, it would only provide six months worth of road funding.


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