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Congressional Community Funding requests, including those submitted by U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett and U.S Rep. Greg Casar to benefit the Austin community, will not be moving forward for Fiscal Year 2025.
"The fiscally irresponsible insistence of House Republicans that federal government funding limp along from one short-term continuing resolution to another rather than approving annual appropriation bills also eliminates every community project direct appropriation proposed by any Congressmember," Rep. Doggett said. "I worked for months with the City, the SAFE Alliance, and AISD to develop and gain Appropriation Subcommittee approval for worthwhile projects that meet genuine local needs. Now that effort is most regretfully lost, though I will look for an opportunity to try again in next year's Appropriation bill."
The continuing resolution signed by President Donald Trump on March 15, which continued funding of the federal budget at approximately the same levels adopted by Congress in Fiscal Year 2024, has the additional effect of shelving all pending Congressional Community Funding (CCF) requests.
For the City of Austin that means approximately $9.7 million of requested funding will not be available this year. The requests included funding projects such as the Waterloo Greenway Creek Restoration and Water Quality Improvements, Austin Community Violence Intervention, Dove Springs Early Childhood Education Center, and the Oak Brook extension of the Northern Walnut Creek Trail.
CCF requests are funds provided by Congress and directed by members of Congress to specific projects within a member's district. In Fiscal Year 2022, CPFs returned after a decade-long moratorium. Since then, the City has received approximately $23.6 million through CPF requests.
According to the City's Intergovernmental Relations Office, congressional leadership has indicated that members will be able to submit CCF funding requests for Fiscal Year 2026.
"While the news that anticipated funding for these important community projects will not be available this fiscal year is certainly disappointing, we will not abandon these efforts," Mayor Kirk Watson said. "The City will continue to prioritize and seek to identify ways to fund important projects. We are also hopeful that earmarks will be considered in Fiscal Year 2026 and stand ready to assist our Congressional delegation in championing the needs of Austinites. I want to thank Congressman Casar and Congressman Doggett for their hard work."
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