Document 3OV8nbMM9d79vmDYxJ9b0D9J

United tatc,s*mate WASHINGTON, DC 20510 March 10, 2025 The Honorable Sean Duffy Secretary U.S. Department of Transportation 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE Washington, DC 20590 Dear Secretary Duffy: We are writing to express concern with the Trump Administration's efforts to pause all Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL, P.L. 117-58) funding--an attempt that was plunged further into chaos by the now-rescinded memo from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB, M23-13), which directed all federal agencies to pause activities related to the obligation or disbursement of federal fmancial assistance. Following intervention by federal courts, the flow of obligated funding--for which grant recipients already signed grant agreements with DOT--to the Illinois Department of Transportation appears to have resumed, after disruptions. However, the delays caused by OMB's unconstitutional memo could have consequences for every project that was awaiting a promised outlay from the federal government. State and local governments, and grant recipients, carefully planned for this funding, and counted on the federal government to deliver it on time, because it was already set in law and awarded to them. To have interfered with this funding at all risked unnecessary and unfortunate ripple effects on state and local budgets, ongoing construction projects, and the economy. Concerningly, the Federal Highway Administration also notified state DOTs that it would suspend approval of state plans to receive National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) formula funding, which Congress funded through advance appropriations in BIL. This action delays $31.7M allocated for Illinois to deploy electric vehicle chargers. DOT has provided little insight into the status of unobligated funding that has been awarded to Illinois projects, and whether it will make available future rounds of formula funding and grant opportunities funded by advance appropriations in BIL, as well as those annually appropriated by Congress. We have heard from many constituents who have grave concerns that the grant awards their towns recently celebrated, which would finally make long-needed infrastructure upgrades possible, will suddenly and unconstitutionally be cancelled at the whims of the Trump Administration. On behalf of Illinois residents and grant recipients, we ask that you provide answers to the following questions by March 31, 2025: 1. What outlays or payments to states, localities, and grant recipients were paused or interrupted--and for which programs or projects--between the issuance of the OMB memo and DOT's resumption of the flow of obligated funds? How long was this delay? OST-S10-250310-061 OST-2025-1105 Page 00059 Sierra Club v. Dept. of Transp. - 3:25-cv-06221 SC_EVERSPLIT0008382 Page 2 2. Does DOT plan to open for application the additional rounds of grant programs already appropriated by Congress? 3. Does DOT plan to release to states the upcoming formula funding that already was appropriated by Congress? 4. For awarded but yet-unobligated projects, is DOT continuing to move the funding process forward by completing the necessary outreach, review, and procedures to obligate the funds and make them available to grant recipients? We appreciate your timely attention to this matter and await your response. Sincerely, Richard J. Durbin United States Senator Tamm uckworth United States Senator OST-S10-250310-061 OST-2025-1105 Page 00060 Sierra Club v. Dept. of Transp. - 3:25-cv-06221 SC_EVERSPLIT0008383