Benton Times

Washington, DC—September 16, 2024—Congressman Steve Womack (AR-3), Chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD), released a joint op-ed with his colleague Congressman Juan Ciscomani (AZ-6) regarding the benefits of Community Project Funding. Both congressmen secured funding for their districts in the Fiscal Year 2025 THUD Appropriations Act.

The full op-ed from Friday, September 13, 2024, is available here and below:

OPINION | GUEST WRITERS: Bang for the buck

Community Project Funding effective

by Steve Womack AND Juan Ciscomani Special to the Democrat-Gazette

The U.S. Constitution grants Congress the power of the purse. This power is exercised through the annual appropriations process, and the House Appropriations Committee leads the House's power of the purse efforts.

One of the more well-known elements of the annual appropriations process is Community Project Funding, also known as earmarks. Community projects are individual appropriations for specific projects that are requested by members of Congress through an open and public process. The requests are vetted by the House Appropriations Committee and projects are funded through annual appropriations bills.

Community Project Funding does not increase federal spending. Instead, it allocates money that would be spent by federal agencies to address local needs.

Usually, federal spending for projects such as fire station upgrades, water infrastructure construction, and road improvements is allocated by the Executive Branch through centrally managed grant processes. However, Community Project Funding helps restore the Legislative Branch's power of the purse by empowering members--who are far more aware of local needs than Washington-based bureaucrats--to allocate funding to projects that will make significant impacts on their communities.

Areas of our country that are rapidly growing can experience delays in substantial federal investment for large projects as federal funding is often targeted toward historically populated areas. Community Project Funding can help shift that paradigm. For example, a project included in this year's Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD) bill will complete the Springdale Northern Bypass, unleashing economic opportunity for the region and beyond while prioritizing travelers' safety. In Oro Valley, Ariz., this funding package secured an investment to repair and maintain bridges to increase safety and enhance mobility in this bustling community.

Smaller towns also see massive impacts from community projects. A $3 million investment for Huntsville's water system will provide water to residents and ensure the fire department has an adequate supply to protect people from fires. A $1.9 million investment for Duncan, Ariz., a rural community with fewer than 1,000 residents, will maintain and revitalize roads which have not been repaired in over 45 years. Without Community Project Funding, projects of this magnitude for small communities may be a pipe dream.

With our ballooning national debt under scrutiny, protecting taxpayer dollars and reining in wasteful spending remains our top priority as appropriators. To reiterate: Community Project Funding does not increase federal spending but reallocates money that would be spent by federal agencies to address local needs instead. Discretionary spending accounts for 26 percent of total federal spending appropriated by Congress each year; out of that 26 percent only 0.5 percent is used by the House of Representatives for community projects.

Bottom line--Community Project Funding provides substantial impacts across various regions with a small yet effective amount allocated in THUD bills for these initiatives. Legislators who know their communities best can target funds towards critical projects solving problems creating jobs boosting economy delivering real results impacting daily lives Americans no better avenue exists than through Community Project Funding.

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