Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski visited the Metro East on Tuesday to talk with local leaders about how recent funding cuts will impact projects in southeastern Illinois.
The Cahokia Heights sewer project is just one of 15 in total.
In March, Congress passed appropriations legislation that left out more than $67 million for projects in southern Illinois that were already approved by Congress.
And now Budzinski, a Democrat, said she has to resubmit them for the fiscal year 2026.
“I want to say that these projects, each and every one of them, there these are not Democratic or Republican priorities. These are the priorities of the communities, of the working people that I’m so proud to represent in Congress. And they deserve a lot better,” Budzinski said.
More than a million dollars was promised to the city of Cahokia Heights for a project called the West Interceptor.
“Right now we’re connected with East St. Louis. Even though we can be OK with our sanitary sewer, if they have problems, it comes to our side and vice versa. If we have problems, it could come to their side,” Cahokia Heights city engineer Sheldon Butler said.
It’s part of the major sewer and water system overhaul for Cahokia Heights and East St. Louis that is required by a consent decree handed down from the U.S. Justice Department.
“So the fact that you’re mandating that we fix these problems and then you fight representatives like her who’s trying to fight for those dollars. It’s just very devastating,” Francella Jackson, the chief of staff to Cahokia Heights Mayor Curtis McCall, said.
If they don’t get this money, Jackson said the project could disappear altogether.
“And then we have to go back and tell these residents you’re going to continue to have raw sewage coming up in your homes. You’re going to continue to suffer from water and things like that because they’re playing games in Washington with people’s lives,” Jackson said.
Budzinski said she is worried about being able to secure this funding again.
“The level of uncertainty that we’re seeing at the federal level is going to impact the investments that are going to be made at the state and the local level. This is going to have a trickle-down effect,” Budzinski said.
The city of Cahokia Heights said there is no other source of funding for this sewer project other than taking it out of their general fund, away from other city services.
