D.C. Memo: Klobuchar, Smith seek seek funding for hundreds of local projects via earmarks

WASHINGTON Minnesota s congressional delegation is seeking millions of dollars in special funding for local projects despite growing doubt they will survive Those projects known as earmarks are supported by both Democrats and Republicans even among the toughest GOP budget cutters Sen Amy Klobuchar has submitted requests for funding for a wide array of road and water and sewer projects police and fire stations and other local projects MinnPost details reporter Shadi Bushra determined the Democratic senator s requested projects would cost a total of nearly million They include more than million for the expansion and renovation of a YMCA in Alexandria million for a fire hall in Spring Grove million for a new police station in Le Sueur and million for a new building at St Paul s Como Park Zoo Klobuchar also appealed for million for a new lock and dam system in Richmond Township that would be constructed by the U S Corps of Engineers million for the replacement of bridges in Lakeville million to rehabilitate the iconic Hennepin Avenue suspension bridge in Minneapolis and much much more From upgrading critical infrastructure and improving citizens safety to investing in childcare I worked with local leaders across the state to secure this central funding Klobuchar disclosed in an emailed comment Once completed these projects will improve the quality of life for Minnesotans Sen Tina Smith s requests include million to improve a sanitary system in Plummer million for a new crisis services center in Paynesville and million for a flood prevention activity to prevent flooding of valuable agricultural land in Marshall County Smith also requested million for a new well and expansion of a wastewater restoration pond in Dennison million to fund a commercial truck driving campaign at Minnesota State College in Winona and million for a new recycling center in Columbia Heights Bushra determined Smith s earmark requests totaled nearly million Related from March Minnesota cities towns nonprofits denied millions of dollars in earmarks U S House members are also requesting earmarks Although the Senate this week worked to push forward appropriations bills which would allow for countless of the nearly requests submitted in that chamber alone it s likely Congress won t be able to pass all and maybe even any of the spending bills that fund the federal executive So the likelihood of a stopgap funding bill that would not have earmarks but would keep the executive running past the end of the federal fiscal year Sept is growing So is the likelihood of a shutdown Last year hundreds of millions of dollars in earmark appeals Minnesota s federal lawmakers fell victim to Congress inability to approve appropriations bills Earmarks were banned in sufferers of a series of scandals and an anti-spending movement fueled by the Tea Party which considered such projects wasteful pork But proponents pushed for their return arguing that they account for a tiny fraction of the federal budget help to fund much-needed projects and foster consensus-building and bipartisanship in Congress as lawmakers across the political spectrum work toward common goals So earmarks were resurrected in in a limited way Renamed locality funding projects lawmakers were required to certify that neither they nor their immediate families have any financial interest in projects they requested and to make their requests residents Liberation Day is here maybe Rep Kelly Morrison D- rd District joined other Democrats this week in warning of the dangers of President Donald Trump s tariffs which continued to cause confusion as the Aug deadline for imposing the new levies came into focus She traveled to small businesses across her district this week to discuss the devastating consequences these reckless tariffs will have on their businesses and costs for consumers a release from the lawmaker s office mentioned Over the past sparse months I ve heard from countless small business owners who are terrified about what Trump s tariffs will mean for their businesses Morrison stated in a video she posted on X Trump backed off his threat of levies on imported copper exempting refined metals which are the mainstay of international trading That resulted in a plunge in U S prices for copper Trump also gave Mexico another extension from the imposition of his Liberation Day tariffs and cut a deal with the European Commission to drop proposed tariffs on European Union countries from threatened months ago to Other deals informed in fresh days have been with Japan the Philippines Indonesia and Vietnam Brazil will be hit by tariffs but countless Brazilian products including orange juice will be exempt When Trump initially paused his plan to impose reciprocal tariffs on friends and foes in April his top pact advisor Peter Navarro promised the president was going to achieve agreement deals in days But that was more than days ago and only two deals have been finalized one of which is with China and that agreement expires in two weeks All the other deals the Trump administration has revealed have been essentially rough drafts none have been finalized Meanwhile judges on the U S Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit who heard a episode this week on the legality of the proposed levies were skeptical that Trump can use emergency powers and work around Congress to impose tariffs Still the threat of tariffs as well as increased inflation in June provoked the Federal Reserve to continue to freeze interest rates In situation you missed it Content reporter Shadi Bushra communicated on why there is a nearly unprecedented number of special elections to seats in the state legislature this year The state hasn t seen that several special elections six since President Trump s pick to be the next U S Attorney in Minnesota veteran attorney Daniel Rosen had bipartisan assistance for his candidacy in a key committee But his confirmation is hostage to a very partisan fight in the Senate over fast tracking certain of Trump s nominees Reporter Matthew Blake wrote about a little noticed immigration-related provision in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act that would strip Medicaid and other governing body fitness care services from refugees and others granted asylum status President Trump attacked the Minnesota Star Tribune s coverage of his immigration policies just days after Rep Tom Emmer did the same as the president continues to put Minnesota executives agencies and institutions in the bull s eye This and that A reader questioned how is it accomplishable that Ghislaine Maxwell is the only one serving time in prison for the entire Epstein saga Congress should fully investigate the Epstein occurrence since Trump s Justice Department can t be trusted to do so the reader added Please keep your comments and any questions coming I ll try my best to respond Please contact me at aradelat minnpost com The post D C Memo Klobuchar Smith seek seek funding for hundreds of local projects via earmarks appeared first on MinnPost