From infrastructure to playgrounds, $264M for Pa. projects this year vanished in Congress’ budget battle

Bensalem Township wants to build a new fire station. Sharon Hill’s library needs renovations, and SEPTA’s subway entrances on Market Street were planning a much-needed facelift.

Each project was slated for federal funding this year, which has vanished. When Congress passed the continuing resolution, or CR, to keep the government open last month, it bypassed the traditional budget process, which would have included earmarks, now called community project funds, amounting to about $264 million destined for Pennsylvania for the 2025 fiscal year.

The project funds weren’t a major part of the debate between Democrats and Republicans during the vote on the continuing resolution, as Democrats focused their arguments on claims that the CR amounted to a “slush fund” for President Donald Trump and billionaire adviser Elon Musk to cut government programs.

But the loss of the funding amid other federal cuts to local organizations and governments — and atop new tariffs rattling markets — leaves the future of funding for bridges, roadways, homeless shelters, and stormwater projects in Pennsylvania and nationwide uncertain.

And with a budget battle looming in Washington over how to further cut spending, Democratic lawmakers have expressed some fear that the focus on reductions could translate to fewer future earmarks for local projects.

“Because of the Republicans’ Continuing Resolution budget, Community Project Funding programs were left unfunded and in limbo,” said U.S. Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, (D., Chester), who had 15 projects lined up for funding this year.

“As local jurisdictions face funding cuts, it becomes even more critical to fund these projects — particularly those that address health and safety, like equipment for fire departments, road intersection safety improvements, and mental health-care facilities,” Houlahan said, adding that she will ask all approved recipients to resubmit for the new budget year.

Funding approved in 2024 remains intact, and the figure for 2025 project earmarks — $264 million across 263 projects — is a drop in the bucket compared to total federal funding that comes to Pennsylvania — about $50 billion to the state government alone. But for individual communities, the cancellation could have an impact, something even Republicans who voted for the CR acknowledged.

“It’s kind of like having your kids fail out of Christmas this year,” said U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly (R., Butler), who was approved for the second-most funding of any House member behind U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R., Bucks). ”You think Santa Claus is bringing everything, and they come down Christmas morning, and there’s nothing under the tree."

Earmarks, provisions in Congress’ yearly budget bill allocating federal dollars for local projects, were once heavily criticized by watchdog groups and fiscal conservative lawmakers, but the system has been updated to prevent abuse, including restrictions on who can receive the funding — local governments and nonprofits, instead of private businesses.

Every member of Congress in Pennsylvania except for Republican U.S. Reps. Scott Perry (R., York) and Lloyd Smucker (R., Lancaster) requested project funding.

Sen. John Fetterman (D., Pa.) had secured the most money of any Pennsylvania representative, as is typical for senators, with $54.9 million in projects across the state. (Fetterman requested some of that money jointly with former Sen. Bob Casey, a Democrat who lost his seat in November. Sen. Dave McCormick, the Republican who replaced Casey, has not had a chance to go through the process yet.)

Fitzpatrick requested the most money of any Pennsylvania member of the House, $34 million.

The House Democrats’ campaign arm was quick to criticize Republicans, including Fitzpatrick, one of the few GOP members to win in a district Trump lost, for voting for the CR that did not include funding for the projects he requested.

“Brian Fitzpatrick canceled funding for projects to rebuild critical local infrastructure, fund the police, and improve life for middle-class families,” said Justin Chermol with the Democratic Coordinated Campaign Committee.

Fitzpatrick did not respond to a request for comment.

Fetterman also supported the continuing resolution, which passed the Senate with bipartisan support but cleared the House without a single Democratic vote.

Congress passed the full-year funding extension after Republicans, who control both chambers, failed to come to an agreement on the standard appropriations bills that fund the government each year. Those bills included the $264 million for Pennsylvania projects.

U.S. Rep. Dan Meuser (R., Luzerne), who had nearly $16 million slated for his district, said he would have preferred to vote on a budget bill that included the project funding, but did not regret supporting the CR.

“I don’t make good the enemy of perfect,” said Meuser, a Republican who has hinted at running for Pennsylvania governor. “I mean, that was the best we could do, and I will be resubmitting them.”

That process starts April 14, when requests can be submitted to the Appropriations Committee. But with Trump’s budget unlikely to come until May, appropriations bills are already delayed and might not be considered until midsummer. And because lawmakers are limited in the number of projects they can request, skipping a year of funding means anything in the queue for 2026 will likely have to wait.

“We must remember that this money was already promised, and it is supposed to be available now,” said U.S. Rep. Madeleine Dean, (D., Montgomery), who was appointed to the appropriations committee this year.

“These organizations were promised funding — by Representatives and Senators; Republicans and Democrats. But now, we could see workers lose jobs because infrastructure projects have been halted. We could see students lose access to resources at their colleges and universities, and we could see seniors lose access to affordable housing."

Here’s a look at the projects impacted in Pennsylvania for the 2025 fiscal year.

The largest single project planned for Pennsylvania in 2025 was a $9.3 million investment in 422 Bypass repairs in Indiana County, requested by U.S. Rep. Guy Reschenthaler, a Republican who represents Southwestern Pennsylvania.

Another $8 million would have gone toward a stormwater management program in Lower Makefield Township in Bucks County, requested by Fitzpatrick. The town has experienced extreme storm-related flooding, and a project is underway after five people died in flooding in 2023.

Bucks County was also slated to get $4 million for a new Bensalem fire station and $4 million for the reconstruction of a homeless shelter in Bristol Township.

Philadelphia’s largest earmark, requested by U.S. Rep. Brendan Boyle, was $2 million for the Center City District to improve several East Market subway headhouses, the structures at the entrances of the subway, some of which are more than 30 years old.

With the passage of the CR, Boyle said in a statement, “House Republicans ripped away funding that would have created good-paying jobs and improved public safety in Philadelphia, all so they can deliver giveaways to billionaires and big corporations instead.”

Philadelphia’s representatives, including Fetterman, Boyle, and U.S. Reps. Dwight Evans and Mary Gay Scanlon — requested earmarks for 22 projects in the city for 2025, totaling $19.6 million.

That included $1.3 million to improve drinking water in Kensington through a project that is removing and replacing 1,800 existing lead and steel service lines in the neighborhood.

Another $1.2 million was planned for Every Murder is Real, a nonprofit that supports people who have been affected by homicide. The group planned to put the money toward a new facility offering behavioral health support to children and families in Germantown.

Now, the program director said, that’s on hold.

“We received a letter that we would not be getting it,” said Sharon Thaxton, program director at EMIR. “That was a big disappointment — we were going to be, but now we’re not.”

Thaxton said the program’s reach is growing and a new center would allow for more in-person grief support groups and workshops. Due to space limitations, a lot of groups meet over Zoom.

“We provide services for victim families, with victim compensation, if they need grief support. We do workshops around trauma,” she said. “Our whole mission is to heal Philadelphia.”

Three Philadelphia district schools were on the list for outdoor playground improvements, including $1.1 million for Strawberry Mansion’s James G. Blaine School, and about $700,000 each for Richard R. Wright, also in Strawberry Mansion, and Anna Blakiston Day School in West Oak Lane.

About $4.8 million would have gone to Temple University for various projects, including a public safety initiative, a community kitchen, a public health simulation center and equipment for the university hospital.

Additional university funding was designated for a clemency clinic at Villanova University.