Durbin: Earmarks are a good thing

Posted on March 11, 2022

*U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin. (Photo courtesy YouTube)*

By Dave Dahl

SPRINGFIELD – The new federal budget, passed Thursday, includes “member initiatives,” also known as “earmarks.”

To U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), that’s not a dirty word.

Example?

“The Illinois State Police asked for money to buy a robot. Why would they buy a robot? To safely deal with ordnance and explosives that could be part of a terrorist plot.

“I got the money in there for them.”

Durbin said he and the state’s other U.S. senator, Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), secured $210 million in such projects for the state. He adds the initiatives make up about 0.6 percent of the total budget.

And Durbin said while there’s no specific plan, there could be “forgiveness” of the federal gas tax, as the U.S. continues to examine the effects of cutting off Russian imports.

Dave Dahl can be reached at [email protected].

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