Quigley Statement on 2014 Consolidated Appropriations Act
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Representative Mike Quigley (IL-05) released the following statement regarding the 2014 Consolidated Appropriations Act, which passed the House by a vote of 359-67:
“In my first year on the Appropriations Committee, I’ve been proud to fight for infrastructure and public safety programs that will strengthen the Chicago area economy, create jobs and increase safety in our local communities. The 2014 Consolidated Appropriations Act represents the bipartisan compromise needed to move Chicago and America forward, providing some relief from the devastating sequester cuts that have harmed our economic growth and recovery. While I am encouraged by the bipartisan precedent this bill sets for next year’s appropriations process, this bill is far from perfect, and I will continue fighting for increased investments in Chicago’s future.”
As the only Illinois member of the House Committee on Appropriations, Rep. Quigley used his position during the 2014 Appropriations process to advocate for the following programs:
- Core Capacity, Capital Investment Grants: $120 million will be available for the Chicago Transit Authority’s (CTA) modernization of the Red and Purple lines. This is the first time money has been appropriated for core capacity, which Rep. Quigley advocated for in the FY 2014 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations (THUD) bill.
- Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) Grants:$600 million will be available for a variety of infrastructure projects in the Chicago area, including the Elgin-O’Hare Western Access Project.
- Funding for Implementation of Positive Train Control:$80 million will be available to fund transportation programs, including the Railroad Safety Technology Grant Program. Rep. Quigley has repeatedly called for this funding, which will help Metra implement positive train control measures by the 2015 deadline.
- McCook and Thornton Reservoirs: $25.5 million secured by Rep. Quigley at the request of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) will be used to complete the reservoirs and reduce long-term flooding in Cook County.
- Community Development Block Grants: $3.03 billion will be available to fund a wide range of unique community needs. The City of Chicago uses these grants to fund affordable housing, anti-poverty programs and infrastructure development.
- Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Hiring Grant: $214 million will be available for local communities to increase police officer hiring. Rep. Quigley fought for increased COPS funding in the FY14 Commerce-Justice-Science Appropriations Act, and Chicago secured nearly $1.9 million in COPS funding last year.
- Firefighter Hiring Grants: $680 million will be available for local communities to increase firefighter hiring. Just this month, the Franklin Park Fire Department secured a Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant totaling $461,724.
- U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) Officers: Additional funding is provided for the hiring of an additional 3,430 CBP agents who perform customs processing. This means better security and less waiting at O’Hare and Midway airports, two changes surely to be welcome by travelers and local businesses alike.
On the House Committee on Appropriations, Rep. Quigley sits on the Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies (THUD) and the Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government. Guided by the principles of a fiscally streamlined and efficient government, Rep. Quigley has led a push for a “3B Budget Plan” that is bipartisan, achieves big deficit reduction and balances spending cuts with tax reform. He is the author of Reinventing Government: The Federal Budget, a report which offers 60 recommendations to save $2 trillion over the next 10 years.
###
