Included in today’s $1.5 trillion omnibus spending deal is over $170 million for projects and programs in Colorado.
The money will come through an old process, known as earmarks, but with a new name: Community Project Funding. Just as in the past, it’s funding requested by Senators and Representatives for projects in their state or districts.
Rep. Ed Perlmutter is “very happy” that all 10 of his requests were met.
“I mean these are things that will benefit different parts of the 7th congressional district dealing with law enforcement, roads, health care, we’ve got some stuff for education and health clinics.”
Leadership brought member-directed funding back to Congress after it was banned in 2011 when then-President Barack Obama and Republicans pushed to end the practice due to concerns over wasteful spending and budget deficits.
Now that the practice is back, but with more transparency to prevent waste and corruption, according to congressional leaders. Colorado Democrats made use of the member-directed funding opportunities by helping earmark about 100 projects for local governments, universities, hospitals, law enforcement and non-profits across the state.
Colorado Republicans have already shunned its return. And it’s possible Republicans will remove the practice once again if they gain control of the House next fall.
But for now, the practice is here to stay. And to make the process more transparent than in years past, all members of Congress must make public their requests, show need and prove no one in the member’s family would benefit from the funds.
Colorado Springs will see the most funding through military construction. Sen. Michael Bennet requested $30 million for a fitness center at Schriever Air Force Base, while Sen. John Hickenlooper asked for $24,726,000 for a New Cadet Prep School Dormitory for the U.S. Air Force Academy.
Several Colorado Democrats teamed up on requests. Bennet and Hickenlooper are listed on more than 60 requests, while Crow is on 9, DeGette on 10, Neguse on 10, and Perlmutter on 10.
While the funding is included in the bipartisan omnibus spending agreement, Congress has yet to pass the bill. That is expected to take several days. In the meantime, Congress is poised to pass another short-term continuing resolution to keep the government going. Government funding runs out on Friday.
| Project | Location | Amount | Rep/Senators |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clinica Family Health for facilities and equipment | Adams County | 5,407,000 | Bennet |
| Adams County Food Bank Building Purchase | Adams County | 525,000 | Hickenlooper |
| Expanding Services to Domestic Violence Victims | Adams County | 2,000,000 | Perlmutter, Crow, Neguse |
| US Army Corps of Engineers: Corps of Engineers (Civil) Investigations Adams & Denver Counties, South Platte River | Adams County and Denver | 400,000 | Bennet and Hickenlooper |
| Early Childhood Council of the San Luis Valley to expand access to high-quality early childhood care | Alamosa | 110,000 | Bennet |
| Adams State University for mechanical engineering laboratories, which may include the purchase of equipment | Alamosa | 1,100,000 | Bennet and Hickenlooper |
| Linda Crnic Institute for Down Syndrome for purchase of equipment | Aurora | 950,000 | Crow |
| UC Health Trauma Services for an at-risk intervention and mentoring violence prevention program, including mental health treatment and other services | Aurora | 450,000 | Crow |
| Village Exchange Center Community Center Renovation Project | Aurora | 1,700,000 | Crow and Hickenlooper |
| Safe Outdoor Spaces | Aurora | 1,350,000 | Crow, Bennet and Hickenlooper |
| University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus for health workforce initiative | Aurora | 1,000,000 | Crow, Bennet and Hickenlooper |
| Children’s Hospital Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus for a health training initiative | Aurora | 500,000 | Crow, Bennet and Hickenlooper |
| Community Mental Health Center for facilities and equipment | Aurora | 1,000,000 | Crow |
| University of Colorado Boulder, JILA Laboratory Equipment | Boulder | 950,000 | Bennet and Hickenlooper |
| Crisis Intervention Response Initiative | Boulder | 255,000 | Bennet and Hickenlooper |
| University of Colorado Boulder for college access and success initiative | Boulder | 275,000 | Neguse, Bennet and Hickenlooper |
| Airport Airfield Lighting Improvement | Broomfield | 270,000 | Perlmutter |
| Clear Creek County Collaborative Care Center | Clear Creek County | 1,000,000 | Neguse and Hickenlooper |
| US Air Force Academy High-Bay Vehicle Maintenance: Unspecified Minor Construction | Colorado Springs | 4,360,000 | Bennet |
| Fund Pikes Peak United Way Family Success Center | Colorado Springs | 250,000 | Bennet |
| US Air Force Academy New Cadet Prep School Dormitory | Colorado Springs | 24,726,000 | Hickenlooper |
| Colorado Wildfire Risk Reduction and Resilient Forests Project | Colorado State Forest Service | 3,650,000 | Bennet |
| Kids in Need of Dentistry (KIND) for facilities and equipment | Commerce City | 100,000 | Bennet and Hickenlooper |
| Reaching HOPE to provide mental health services to trauma survivors | Commerce City | 321,000 | Hickenlooper |
| Commerce City Quiet Zones | Commerce City | 615,000 | Perlmutter |
| Kids First Health Care for facilities and equipment | Commerce City | 800,000 | Perlmutter and Hickenlooper |
| Craig Affordable Housing Infrastructure Project | Craig | 979,000 | Bennet |
| Drinking Water and/or Clean Water Project for Water and Wastewater Emergency Generators | Craig | 1,080,000 | Bennet and Hickenlooper |
| Mi Casa Resource Center for a workforce development program | Denver | 20,000 | DeGette |
| Permanent supportive housing TGTHR CO | Denver | 2,000,000 | Bennet |
| Servicios de La Raza to expand mental and behavioral health care services for incarcerated and at-risk individuals | Denver | 160,000 | Bennet |
| CareerWise Colorado for career and technical education, including youth apprenticeships and employer engagement | Denver | 776,000 | Bennet and Hickenlooper |
| City of Denver Youth Crisis Response Team Initiative | Denver | 384,000 | Bennet and Hickenlooper |
| Denver Community Foot Patrol Crime Prevention Initiative | Denver | 122,000 | Bennet and Hickenlooper |
| Affordable Apartment Construction | Denver | 1,450,000 | DeGette |
| Center for African American Health for facilities and equipment | Denver | 1,000,000 | DeGette |
| Urban Peak Shelter Reconstruction Project | Denver | 3,000,000 | DeGette and Hickenlooper |
| Affordable Housing Creation at Stay Inn Site | Denver | 2,000,000 | DeGette and Hickenlooper |
| Colorado Coalition for the Homeless for facilities and equipment | Denver | 2,000,000 | DeGette and Hickenlooper |
| Mile High United Way for behavioral health services for young adults experiencing homelessness | Denver | 100,000 | DeGette and Hickenlooper |
| La Clinica Tepeyac for facilities and equipment | Denver | 2,000,000 | DeGette, Bennet and Hickenlooper |
| Denver Health and Hospital Authority for facilities and equipment | Denver | 1,200,000 | DeGette, Bennet and Hickenlooper |
| Jewish Family Service of Colorado for workforce development activities, including technology and equipment | Denver | 500,000 | DeGette, Bennet and Hickenlooper |
| Montbello FreshLo community hub | Denver | 1,455,000 | Hickenlooper |
| National Institute for Medical Assistant Advancement for a training program, including technology and equipment | Denver | 450,000 | Perlmutter, Bennet and Hickenlooper |
| Savio House for facilities and equipment | Denver | 300,000 | Perlmutter |
| Community Awareness Program Improvement - Byrne Counterterrorism Education Learning Lab (CELL) | Denver | 987,000 | Hickenlooper |
| Denver Police Department Outreach Case Coordinator | Denver | 244,000 | Hickenlooper |
| Generational Opportunities to Achieve Long-Term Success (GOALS) Program | Douglas County | 1,000,000 | Crow, Bennet and Hickenlooper |
| Big Canyon Water Line | Dove Creek | 1,760,000 | Bennet |
| Durango Bus Acquisition, Charging Infrastructure and Technical Services | Durango and Archuleta County | 522,000 | Bennet and Hickenlooper |
| Durango Affordable Housing Development | Durango | 3,000,000 | Bennet and Hickenlooper |
| Fort Lewis College Regional Agriculture and Food Security | Durango | 159,999 | Hickenlooper |
| Eagle County Bus Facilities and Charging Infrastructure | Eagle County | 1,201,000 | Bennet and Hickenlooper |
| Mountain Family Health Centers for facilities and equipment | Edwards | 1,500,000 | Hickenlooper |
| Schriever AFB Fitness Center | El Paso County | 30,000,000 | Bennet |
| Colorado State University - Soil Carbon Sequestration Research | Fort Collins | $1,000,000 | Bennet and Hickenlooper |
| Colorado State University for a college access and success initiative | Fort Collins | 1,000,000 | Neguse |
| Regional Rural 911 Telecommunications and Data Program Expansion | Fremont and Custer counties | 1,601,000 | Bennet |
| Gilpin County Office of Emergency Management | Gilpin County | 138,557 | Neguse |
| Roaring Fork Valley Permanent Supportive Housing Project | Glenwood Springs | 750,000 | Bennet |
| Glenwood Springs South Bridge Project | Glenwood Springs | 1,000,000 | Hickenlooper |
| Valley Settlement acquisition and retrofit of buses for the El Busesito Preschool Program | Glenwood Springs | 285,000 | Hickenlooper |
| SH 93 Widening and Relocation Design | Golden | 2,320,000 | Perlmutter |
| Design, engineering, and construction for early childhood education center at Colorado West Healthcare System | Grand Junction | 2,000,000 | Bennet |
| Fund Grand Junction Affordable Housing Development | Grand Junction | 1,400,000 | Hickenlooper |
| Gunnison Valley Bus Acquisition | Gunnison County | 1,460,000 | Bennet and Hickenlooper |
| Hayden Entrepreneurial Center | Hayden | 2,867,000 | Bennet |
| Water Treatment Plant Upgrade | Hotchkiss | 91,000 | Hickenlooper |
| Fuels Reduction Project | Jefferson County | 358,000 | Neguse |
| Southwest Colorado Regional Response, Investigative, Search, Rescue, and Recovery Capabilities Enhancement - La Plata County Sherrif's Office | La Plata County | 166,000 | Bennet |
| Region 9 Economic Development District to improve substance use disorder treatment | La Plata County | 150,000 | Bennet and Hickenlooper |
| Water Treatment Plant | La Veta | 600,000 | Hickenlooper |
| YMCA of Northern Colorado Childcare Programming and Site Consolidation | Lafayette | 1,000,000 | Hickenlooper |
| Mental Health Partners to provide community mental health and well-being services to mitigate the long term impacts of trauma | Lafayette | 275,000 | Neguse |
| Lake County Community Justice Navigator | Lake County | $495,000 | Bennet |
| Community Justice Center | Lake County | 3,575,000 | Bennet and Hickenlooper |
| Easterseals Colorado Center for Inclusive Employment and Programs | Lakewood | 980,000 | Bennet and Hickenlooper |
| Red Rocks Community College for a credential attainment initiative related to STEM | Lakewood | 300,000 | Perlmutter |
| Perry Stokes Airport (TAD) Pavement Upgrades | Las Animas County | 450,000 | Hickenlooper |
| Boys & Girls Clubs of Larimer County collaborative childcare campus and community hub | Loveland | 1,500,000 | Bennet |
| City of Loveland Pulliam Community Building Renovations | Loveland | 1,000,000 | Neguse |
| Grand Valley Bus Acquisition | Mesa County | 1,223,000 | Bennet and Hickenlooper |
| Water Tank Replacement project | Minturn | 1,000,000 | Bennet and Hickenlooper |
| Rural Development Community Facilities Moffat County Courthouse | Moffat County | 4,650,000 | Bennet |
| Rural Development Community Facilities Montrose County Courthouse Renovation | Montrose County | 7,725,000 | Hickenlooper |
| Big Springs Emergency Egress | Nederland | 525,000 | Neguse |
| Western Slope Community Clinic & Urgent Care | Palisade | $1,000,000 | Bennet and Hickenlooper |
| Coal Mine Methane Solutions | Pitkin County | 1,200,000 | Bennet and Hickenlooper |
| Parkview Medical Center for facilities and equipment | Pueblo | 500,000 | Bennet and Hickenlooper |
| Cogency Power Solar Project | Rangely | 5,000,000 | Bennet and Hickenlooper |
| Central Sewer System Project | Rico | 2,500,000 | Bennet and Hickenlooper |
| Valley-Wide Health Systems, Inc. for facilities and equipment | Rocky Ford | 250,000 | Bennet |
| Enhanced Outcrop Methane Capture | Southern Ute Indian Tribe | 2,500,000 | Bennet and Hickenlooper |
| Boys & Girls Clubs in Colorado, Inc. to provide mental health services to promote social/emotional well-being among youth, including those exposed the trauma | Statewide | 2,000,000 | Bennet and Hickenlooper |
| Sterling Permanent Supportive Housing | Sterling | 550,000 | Bennet |
| Summit County Sheriff’s Office to support a mental health response team | Summit County | 423,000 | Bennet |
| Search and Rescue Training and Vehicle Storage Facility | Summit County | 500,000 | Neguse, Bennet and Hickenlooper |
| Body-Worn Cameras for the Thornton Police Department | Thornton | 310,000 | Perlmutter |
| Thornton De-Escalation Training Simulator | Thornton | 125,000 | Hickenlooper |
| Rural Development Community Facilities Kwiyagat Community Academy K-5 Education Building | Ute Mountain Ute Tribe | 2,000,000 | Bennet |
| Ute Mountain Ute Housing Improvement Project | Ute Mountain Ute Tribe | 2,000,000 | Bennet and Hickenlooper |
| White Mesa Law Enforcement Service Expansion | Ute Mountain Ute Tribe | 784,000 | Hickenlooper |
| Vail Bus Acquisition and Charging Infrastructure | Vail | 1,650,000 | Bennet and Hickenlooper |
| Water System Old Valve Replacement | Walden | 90,000 | Bennet |
| Wellington Fire Protection District for mental health training | Wellington | 18,000 | Hickenlooper |
| National Lao-Hmong Memorial | Westminster | 250,000 | Perlmutter |
Editor's Note: This story was updated to include additional community projects.
