Towns and military bases in Alabama could receive millions for projects ranging from fire department funding to water system improvements to construction at military bases after the U.S. Senate passed its first funding bills Friday.
Gaining bipartisan support, the Senate passed a funding package to direct money for military construction, the Veterans Affairs Department, the Agriculture Department and the Food and Drug Administration. Lawmakers also passed a bill to fund Congressional operations Aug. 1.
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“Now, it is critically important that we do our job because, No. 1, it’s what’s best for the American taxpayers,” U.S. Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., told Alabama Daily News in an interview. “It costs them less when we actually work and work on time.”
Government funding runs out Oct. 1. Congress has a lot of work to do before that deadline and after the August recess to get all 12 funding bills passed. If these first three appropriations bills pass the House and get signed by President Trump before Oct. 1, any potential continuing resolution would only have to cover the agencies not covered in the passed bills.
As part of the package, Alabama will receive funding through earmarks, also known as congressionally directed spending. As an appropriator, Britt secured funding for eight projects in the agriculture bill and six in the military construction measure. U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., also secured funding for a project in each bill.
Britt said the senator’s team works with communities across Alabama to understand the funding needs of localities.
“It’s a very transparent process, which is excellent because then the American people can see what we’re doing, and there’s accountability there, but we work hard to try to spread that across Alabama as well as we can, year to year,” Britt told ADN.
A breakdown of funding directed to Alabama’s military bases in the military construction measure can be viewed here.
EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was written by Alex Angle and originally published by Alabama Daily News.
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