Rep. Elissa Slotkin seeks funding for Michigan infrastructure and safety projects
The Michigan Democrat is working to get federal funds from Congress’ annual spending bills to improve public transit, water treatment facilities, and public safety across the state.
Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) announced on May 24 that she is seeking tens of millions of dollars through the Community Project Funding program to benefit 15 projects in her district intended to do everything from improving public transit to funding new firefighting equipment.
“The projects I will advocate for prioritize supporting our first responders, protecting public safety, improving public transit, and addressing aging infrastructure to ensure access to clean water,” Slotkin said in a news release.
The Community Project Funding program began in 2022 as a new process by which lawmakers are able to request funding for specific projects in their states and districts, known as “earmarking.” Congress had banned earmarks for more than a decade in an effort to combat waste and possible corruption; among the reforms of the new system is that members must now prove that they have no conflicts of interest in the funding they seek.
For the 2025 fiscal year, Slotkin is seeking $7.5 million for a senior and community center in Meridian that will provide programming for residents aged 55 and older; $1 million for the Capital Area Transportation Authority in Lansing to purchase a new electric bus; and $2 million for the Clinton Area Transit System to improve its public transit maintenance facilities. Slotkin is also seeking funds for several local fire departments to purchase new fire engines.
“This is the first step of a long process, and there are no guarantees, but my staff and I understand the impact this funding would have for Mid-Michigan and will fight for it at every step of the process,” Slotkin said in the release.
Slotkin has successfully obtained nearly $50 million in funding for similar projects since 2022.
In 2022, Slotkin secured $24 million for 10 projects in Michigan, including $1.3 million for the Lansing Police Department to help train its crisis assessment team, which is composed of a social worker, a medic, and plainclothes officers.
In 2023, Slotkin secured $15 million funding for 15 projects, including $500,000 for a gun violence intervention program in Ingham County and $1.17 million for power-loading ambulance equipment in Livingston County.
This year, Slotkin successfully obtained $18.5 million for 13 projects, including $1 million for a public safety building in Owosso and $1.6 million for an affordable housing development in Okemos.
