Transportation & Infrastructure Archives - Congresswoman Cheri Bustos

Investing In our Infrastructure to Create Jobs in our Community

Studies have shown that investments in our infrastructure lead to new economic activity and job creation – that’s why I’m proud to help lead the fight to invest in Illinois’ roads, bridges, rail lines and airports. From working across the aisle in Congress to meeting with a Republican White House, I stand ready to collaborate in a bipartisan nature to reinvest in our infrastructure.

The 17th district is home to three international airports (Quad-City International Airport, Peoria International Airport and Chicago Rockford International Airport), in addition to several smaller regional airports. I’ve fought hard to bring home federal support for these airports. Additionally, after seeing how the Chicago Rockford International Airport’s cargo operation has helped to drive the local economy, I founded the bipartisan Air Cargo Caucus to raise awareness to lawmakers and their staff about the importance of supporting this critical industry.

Our district is defined by its connections. Our highways span thousands of miles that connect east to west and north to south. The Mississippi River, our district’s western border, and the Illinois Waterway move millions of tons of goods every year through aging locks and dams. The agricultural products, along with other products and goods, moved through these highways and waterway systems are key to commerce in the region. I was proud to push the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to prioritize the Navigation and Ecosystem Sustainability Program (NESP) and help secure $4.5 million for funding to update our locks and dams on the Upper Mississippi and provide critical ecosystem restoration. And with critical rail projects like the Quad-City to Chicago rail line still being developed, I am optimistic about the potential for new economic development opportunities in the future.

In 2015, I was proud to help lead a bipartisan effort to pass the first long-term highway bill in a decade. This legislation was projected to provide Illinois with over $7.5 billion in funding for highway, transit and transportation safety programs through fiscal year 2020. As Congress considers a new highway bill, I will continue to fight for the infrastructure needs of Illinois.

If we want to attract new employers to our region and create more good-paying jobs, we must strengthen our infrastructure system. Our parents left us with a world-class transportation system. We owe it to the next generation to carry on this promise.

More on Transportation & Infrastructure

Press Release

February 21, 2020

BUSTOS, DURBIN, DUCKWORTH ANNOUNCE MORE THAN $2.6 MILLION FOR CHICAGO ROCKFORD INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

WASHINGTON – U.S. Representative Cheri Bustos (D-IL-17), along with U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced $2,699,192 in U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) grant funding to reconstruct a deicing containment facility at Chicago Rockford International Airport in Rockford. “Chicago Rockford International Airport contributes a great deal to the economic strength of […]

Press Release

February 11, 2020

BUSTOS, DURBIN, DUCKWORTH ANNOUNCE $4.5 MILLION IN FUNDING FOR LOCKS AND DAMS ALONG UPPER MISSISSIPPI AND ILLINOIS RIVERS

Funding would modernize and expand seven outdated locks on the Upper Mississippi and Illinois Rivers WASHINGTON – U.S. Representative Cheri Bustos (D-IL-17), along with U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), today announced that $4.5 million worth of funding for the Navigation and Ecosystem Restoration Program (NESP) was included in the U.S. Army […]

Press Release

February 11, 2020

Bustos Response to President’s Budget

Administration Fails to Live Up to Promises to Protect Medicaid or Invest in Infrastructure $25 Billion Slashed from Federal Crop Insurance Program that Protects Farmers From Severe Weather and Price Drops Rural America sees Funding for Broadband, Health Clinics, Economic Development Gutted WASHINGTON – Congresswoman Cheri Bustos, a member of the powerful House Appropriations Committee, […]

Press Release

January 29, 2020

Bustos Statement on House Democrats Infrastructure Plan

Washington – Today, Congresswoman Cheri Bustos (IL-17) praised the Moving Forward Framework, a comprehensive infrastructure plan released by House Democrats. Released on the same day that the United States Mexico Canada Agreement (USMCA) was signed into law, the Moving Forward Framework presents another opportunity for bipartisan agreement, spearheaded by House Democrats. The framework proposes an […]