Nearly $600 million in federal funding for Oklahoma projects, including $37 million for improvements to Interstate 35 in McClain County and nearly $35 million for Durant’s water distribution line, could be on the line as lawmakers negotiate the fiscal year 2025 budget once they return to session after the November 5 election.
As lawmakers negotiate a budget for the next fiscal year, appropriators will be deciding what to include. With Rep. Tom Cole as Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, most of Oklahoma’s funding requests will have a chance to survive.
Four members of the Oklahoma Congressional delegation, Reps. Cole, Frank Lucas and Stephanie Bice and Senator Markwayne Mullin, submitted funding requests. If the fiscal year 2025 budget includes these funds, they will fund a variety of projects across the state.
Representatives Josh Brecheen and Kevin Hern and Senator James Lankford did not request any funds.
Without these federal funds, priorities within agencies and cities have to change.
“So if something maybe doesn’t have funding in fiscal year 2025, okay, we might have to shift that back to 2027 and reallocate our state funds if we didn’t have these additional federal funds,” Bryce Boyer, Oklahoma Department of Transportation Public Information Manager, said.
None of the Oklahoma Congressional delegation responded to Gaylord News’ request for comment.
The requests, once called earmarks, are now known as Community Funding Projects in the House and Congressionally Directed Spending in the Senate.
A pause was put on earmarked spending in 2011. It was restored in 2021 after Democrats worked to bring it back. The funding requests are a vehicle for members of Congress to direct funds to local constituents through budget bills.
Representatives can submit a total of 15 requests in the House. Bice, Cole and Lucas all submitted the maximum number of requests. In the Senate, there is no limit on how many projects Senators can request funds for. Mullin requested funds for 44 projects. Some of Mullin’s requests are identical to the requests made by Oklahoma’s House representatives.
Identical requests were removed from the total.
Appropriations requests make it easier for cities and agencies to get federal funds. This is especially true compared to the grant process. Specific federal agencies distribute grant funding and act as middlemen. Cities and agencies must compile grant applications. They must also ask their Congress member to advocate for their request.
The problem with requesting grant funding is the often complicated process it entails, and the competitive nature of receiving the funds.
By going directly to members of Congress, the middleman is removed. The member can make appropriations requests once the recipient submits the necessary documents.
For recipients of these funds, who do have the ability to fulfill the requirements, the federal funds can push projects along.
“The state legislature, as well as, federal delegates, have really done a good job of advocating for infrastructure and transportation,” Boyer said. “We’re talking over $600 million in federal funding we’ve requested every year over the last few years, so its definitely assisted us in getting projects done. A large part of our projects do have some sort of federal funding in them.”
For fiscal year 2025, ODOT requested $177.2 million in federal funding through community funding projects. ODOT requested funds for projects including widening part of I-35 in McClain County and US 169 in Owasso.
ODOT has the luxury of delaying their projects or finding other avenues of funding. The same cannot always be said in Oklahoma’s rural towns. There, federal funding can make or break a project. A denial could force the city to find riskier funding sources.
Through Lucas, the City of Enid requested $20 million in federal funds for a new solid waste plant to replace its current one. Enid City Manager Jerald Gilbert said the current plant has clogging issues.
“If that doesn’t work, we’ll probably be looking at funding it probably almost 100% through the Oklahoma Water Resources Board through a long-term, low-interest loan,” Gilbert said.
Enid is also requesting $5.5 million to build a roundabout and a pedestrian bridge in addition to the $20 million.
Other high-dollar requests include $34.6 million for a lane widening on US-59 in Jay and $22,500,000 for a replacement airport in Atoka.
The University of Oklahoma has requested $17.1 million for improvements to the terminal at Max Westheimer Airport. In 2024, OU requested $36.5 million for upgrades to the airport’s runway. OUDaily reported the 2024 upgrades were to prepare for the universities transition to the SEC. If the $17.1 million is approved, the university will have received $53.6 million in funding for the airport.
Kevin Eagleson is reporting from Gaylord News’ Washington bureau this fall as part of an OU Daily scholarship.
Gaylord News is a reporting project of the University of Oklahoma Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication. For more stories by Gaylord News go to GaylordNews.net
