Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today met with members of the United Counties Council of Illinois to discuss how the American Rescue Plan is impacting communities in Illinois. During their conversation, the Senators received an update on the $14 billion allocated to Illinois through the State and Local Fiscal Recovery (SLRF) Program to aid counties and municipalities in covering pandemic costs, replacing lost revenue, and investing in local infrastructure. Durbin and Duckworth also discussed the historic importance of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), which will funnel $17 billion in direct and guaranteed funding into Illinois to continue funding investments made through the state’s REBUILD Illinois legislation.
Durbin and Duckworth went on to emphasize their priority of improving broadband equity across the state. IIJA included $65 billion for broadband deployment, allocating at least $100 million to Illinois’ efforts to expand access to high-speed internet.
“It’s no secret that our municipalities and counties were hit hard during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. We know the best way to rebuild our communities is through historic investment, which is why I was a strong advocate of the American Rescue Plan and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. With this federal funding in hand, Illinois can begin long-term projects that will fortify our roads and expand broadband access in every corner of the state,” said Durbin.
“We know our local governments were hit hard by the economic impacts of COVID-19,” Duckworth said. “But with the American Rescue Plan—thanks to Democrats and President Biden—we were able to provide necessary resources for municipalities in every corner of our state. I was proud to support the American Rescue Plan, and I’m going to keep working for policies that help our small businesses, support our working families and allow our economy to thrive.”
Photos of the meeting are available here.
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