List: See all $1.2B in federal spending requests by Kentucky’s congressmen

Kentucky’s congressional delegation is, for the most part, taking advantage of the budget requests they can make.

Previously known as “earmarks,” members of Congress are able to request for funding to certain projects in their home districts. It’s a more direct process than traditional grant funding or funding left to the discretion of federal agencies.

The process has been shirked for the last year with Congress adopting continuing resolutions that don’t include those requests, but Congress has been marking up their bills this year with the projects.

All Kentucky’s members of Congress have taken advantage of the process — except for Sen. Rand Paul, who calls it a continuation of the old earmarking process, which was criticized for its lack of vetting and perceptions of corruption.

Rep. Thomas Massie, another limited government hawk, filed requests to improve parts of the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Airport in Boone County.

“The federal government has a legitimate role in transportation infrastructure and the legislature has the constitutional authority to direct the funding of those project(s)… It’s exciting to watch CVG expand as both an international passenger facility and as a center for cargo in North America,” Massie wrote in a statement.

Rep. James Comer led all ear-markers in last year’s round of bill markups, though none of those projects for any members of Congress came to fruition because of the continuing resolution. This year, a spokesperson highlighted Comer’s push for Kentucky riverbank stabilization in Frankfort, a hospital in Trigg County, as well as industrial park and sewer projects in West Kentucky.

Though none of the projects have been passed by Congress, the appropriations subcommittees relevant to them all have either given them a preliminary approval, partially funded them or denied them thus far in the process.

Anything can happen during the budgeting process, so numbers are subject to change. Here’s what all has been requested so far in the process.

Sen. Mitch McConnell (requested $715.9 million)

• $138,000,000 to Fort Knox – new Army Reserve aviation hangar (Fort Knox)
• $70,000,000 to University of Louisville – bioscience research facility (Louisville)
• $44,540,000 to Fort Campbell – replace Army Airfield control tower (Fort Campbell)
• $35,000,000 to University of Kentucky – biomedical research facility (cancer/health) (Lexington)
• $27,000,000 to Blue Grass Army Depot – Army shipping container design project (Richmond)
• $24,000,000 to Kentucky Transportation Cabinet – Hal Rogers Parkway expansion study (Perry County)
• $20,000,000 to Louisville MSD – wastewater expansion (Bullitt County)
• $20,000,000 to Barren County and Cave City – new Ag Expo & Conference Center (Cave City)
• $16,000,000 to Kentucky Transportation Cabinet – I-69 Ohio River Crossing utilities/right-of-way (Henderson County)
• $15,000,000 to University of Kentucky – equipment for Healthy Kentucky Research Building (Lexington)
• $15,000,000 to Home of the Innocents – Kosair for Kids Complex Care expansion (Louisville)
• $15,000,000 to University of Kentucky – new biomedical research facility (Lexington)
• $15,000,000 to Louisville Metro Government – Belvedere redevelopment (Louisville)
• $12,500,000 to University of Louisville – new Precision Medicine facility (Louisville)
• $12,000,000 to University of Kentucky Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture – completing ARS facility (Lexington)
• $12,000,000 to McCreary County Heritage Foundation – Stearns revitalization (McCreary County)
• $11,000,000 to Fort Campbell – hangar planning/design (Fort Campbell)
• $10,000,000 to Crittenden-Livingston County Water District – water treatment plant improvements (Livingston County)
• $10,000,000 to Louisville Airport – terminal expansion (FIS facility) (Louisville)
• $10,000,000 to Elizabethtown Regional Airport – Runway 5/23 reconfiguration (Elizabethtown)
• $10,000,000 to City of Covington – Ohio Riverfront improvements (Covington)
• $9,385,000 to University of Louisville – protein/genetic instruments (Louisville)
• $9,256,000 to Edmonson County Water District – water treatment plant improvements (Edmonson County)
• $8,250,000 to CVG Airport – taxiway renovation to support cargo growth (Hebron)
• $8,000,000 to City of Albany – new water treatment plant (Clinton County)
• $8,000,000 to University of Louisville – research computing and biobank (Louisville)
• $8,000,000 to Fort Knox – new vehicle access road (Fort Knox)
• $7,500,000 to Fort Knox – Readiness/Recovery Center planning/design (Fort Knox)
• $7,500,000 to CVG Airport – Concourse A apron rehabilitation (Hebron)
• $7,450,000 to U.S. Forest Service – Land Between the Lakes upgrades (Lyon/Trigg County)
• $7,177,000 to City of Hazard – water treatment plant improvements (Perry County)
• $7,131,000 to City of Falmouth – power transmission line (Falmouth)
• $6,600,000 to Madisonville Community College – aircraft for aviation program (Hopkins County)
• $6,600,000 to Owensboro Family YMCA – childcare center (Owensboro)
• $6,000,000 to Kentucky Air National Guard – expand C130J hangar (Louisville)
• $5,400,000 to Blue Grass Airport – ATC tower relocation prep (Lexington)
• $5,000,000 to City of Madisonville – cybercrime training facility (Madisonville)
• $5,000,000 to Fort Campbell – Tactical Equipment Maintenance Facility planning/design (Fort Campbell)
• $5,000,000 to Louisville Airport – runway arresting system (Louisville)
• $4,800,000 to Martin County Fiscal Court – wastewater plant rehab (Martin County)
• $4,500,000 to Fort Knox – dining facilities planning/design (Fort Knox)
• $4,200,000 to Fort Knox – One Stop Facility planning/design (Fort Knox)
• $4,100,000 to Fort Knox – Soldier Performance Readiness Center planning/design (Fort Knox)
• $3,400,000 to Barkley Regional Airport – airfield lighting rehab (McCracken County)
• $3,359,000 to Campbellsville University – College of Mental Health expansion (Taylor County)
• $3,082,000 to Life Learning Center – recovery/workforce reentry expansion (Covington)
• $2,900,000 to Somerset-Pulaski Development Authority – Barnesburg Road overpass (Somerset)
• $2,473,000 to Warren County Fiscal Court – Emergency Operations Center equipment (Warren County)
• $2,400,000 to Fort Campbell – child development center planning/design (Fort Campbell)
• $1,503,000 to Kentucky Army National Guard – Readiness Center/Vehicle Shop design (Somerset)
• $1,500,000 to Mountain Comprehensive Health Corp. – autism treatment facility (Whitesburg)
• $1,440,000 to Ohio County Hospital – infrastructure repairs (Hartford)
• $1,310,000 to Barren River Area Development District – mental health crisis intake center (Bowling Green)
• $1,240,000 to Kentucky Army National Guard – Civil Support Team Ready Building design (Frankfort)
• $1,000,000 to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service – visitor center renovation (Henderson County)
• $1,000,000 to Holly Hill Child and Family Solutions – trafficking survivor girls program (California, Kentucky)
• $1,000,000 to Holly Hill Child and Family Solutions – facilities modernization (California, Kentucky)
• $790,000 to Metals Innovation Initiative (Mi2) – workforce training/apprenticeships (Bowling Green)
• $352,000 to Warren County Fiscal Court – Drug Task Force equipment (Warren County)
• $250,000 to Elizabethtown Regional Airport – smaller Runway 5/23 reconfiguration project (Elizabethtown)

6th Congressional District – Rep. Andy Barr (requested $50.9M)

• $7,730,000 to Winchester Municipal Utilities – Hancock Creek Watershed SS Phase I (Winchester)
• $6,000,000 to Scott County Fiscal Court – Triple Crown Business Park Development (Georgetown)
• $5,000,000 to Clark County Fiscal Court – Rockwell Road Sanitary Sewer Improvements (Winchester)
• $5,000,000 to Bourbon County Fiscal Court – Millersburg Road Elevated Water Tank (Paris)
• $5,000,000 to Nicholas County Fiscal Court – Regional Industrial Park Improvements (Carlisle)
• $5,000,000 to Mercer County Fiscal Court – Wilkinson Farm Megasite Industrial Park (Harrodsburg)
• $4,000,000 to University of Kentucky Center for Applied Energy Research – Graphite Manufacturing Program (Lexington)
• $4,000,000 to Montgomery County Fiscal Court – Industrial Park Improvements (Mount Sterling)
• $3,280,021 to City of Versailles – Versailles Road & Utility Infrastructure (Versailles)
• $3,008,367 to City of Berea – Kenway Extension for Community Safety & Mobility (Berea)
• $2,000,000 to City of Lancaster – Sanitary Sewer Extension (Lancaster)
• $474,500 to City of North Middletown – Fire Truck Funding (North Middletown)
• $300,000 to City of Stamping Ground – Pumper Truck (Stamping Ground)
• $96,192 to Harrodsburg Police Department – Equipment & Technology Upgrades (Harrodsburg)

5th Congressional District – Rep. Hal Rogers (requested $149.8M)

• $40,000,000 to Kentucky Transportation Cabinet – Mountain Parkway Expansion (Frankfort, project in Eastern Kentucky)
• $40,000,000 to Kentucky Transportation Cabinet – Somerset Northern Bypass (Frankfort, project in Somerset)
• $20,000,000 to The Center for Rural Development – First Responders Communication Equipment (Somerset)
• $10,000,000 to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – Section 531 Environmental Infrastructure Program (Eastern Kentucky)
• $7,540,000 to Morehead State University – Payload Operations Center (Morehead)
• $6,000,000 to City of Pikeville – Industrial Building (Pikeville)
• $5,000,000 to Pikeville Police Department – Police Department Project (Pikeville)
• $5,000,000 to Wolfe County Fiscal Court – Emergency Facility (Compton)
• $4,000,000 to Harlan County Fiscal Court – Water System Improvements (Harlan)
• $3,250,000 to Louisa Fire Department – Fire & Emergency Facility (Louisa)
• $3,000,000 to London-Corbin Airport – Terminal Renovation (London)
• $2,000,000 to UNITE – Substance Abuse Prevention & Treatment (London)
• $2,000,000 to McCreary County Fiscal Court – Northern McCreary Firehouse (Whitley City)
• $1,030,000 to Clay County Fiscal Court – Livestock Marketplace (Manchester)
• $1,000,000 to Kentucky Emergency Management – Flood Monitoring System (Frankfort)

4th Congressional District – Rep. Thomas Massie (requested $20.5M)

• $8,250,000 to Kenton County Airport Board – Taxiway M Reconstruction (CVG, Erlanger)
• $7,500,000 to Kenton County Airport Board – Concourse A Apron Rehabilitation (CVG, Erlanger)
• $4,781,250 to Kenton County Airport Board – South Airfield Tunnel Rehabilitation (CVG, Erlanger)

3rd Congressional District – Rep. Morgan McGarvey (requested $17.6M)

• $2,000,000 to Louisville Metro Government – Louisville Loop (Jefferson Memorial Forest – Dodge Gap)
• $1,500,000 to Louisville MSD – West Louisville Odor Improvements
• $1,500,000 to Louisville Water Company – Lead Service Line Replacement
• $1,500,000 to Louisville Metro Government – Vacant to Vibrant Program
• $1,500,000 to Louisville Metro Government – Cooper Chapel Road Extension
• $1,200,000 to Jeffersontown – Garage Purchase & Rehabilitation
• $1,080,000 to Transit Authority of River City – Paratransit Vehicle Replacement (Louisville)
• $1,000,000 to Louisville MSD – Neighborhood Drainage Improvements
• $1,000,000 to Louisville Metro Government – Young Adult Shelter & Transitional Housing
• $1,000,000 to Louisville Metro Government – St. Mary’s Church Renovation
• $1,000,000 to Jefferson Community & Technical College – Parking Lot Project (Louisville)
• $1,000,000 to Simmons College of Kentucky – Westover Campus Construction (Louisville)
• $1,000,000 to Louisville Metro Government – Belvedere Redevelopment Project
• $970,246 to Louisville Metro Government – Justice & Behavioral Health Project
• $300,000 to Boys & Girls Clubs of Kentuckiana – Afterschool Program

2nd Congressional District – Rep. Brett Guthrie (requested $175.6M)

• $138,000,000 to U.S. Army Reserve – ARAC Aviation Support Facility (Fort Knox)
• $14,000,000 to Edmonson County Water District – Brownsville Intake Tower (Brownsville)
• $6,430,000 to Green River Valley Water District – Hart County Water System Improvements (Horse Cave)
• $2,131,000 to Meade County Water District – System Upgrades (Brandenburg)
• $2,109,713 to City of Shepherdsville – Wastewater Plant Improvements (Shepherdsville)
• $2,000,000 to City of Lewisport – New Water Treatment Plant (Lewisport)
• $2,000,000 to Louisville MSD – Bullitt County Collection System Rehabilitation
• $1,921,875 to LaRue County Water District – Upton Water Tank (Hodgenville)
• $1,593,056 to Daviess County Sheriff’s Office – Community Response Initiative (Owensboro)
• $1,500,000 to City of Clarkson – Wastewater Plant Expansion (Clarkson)
• $1,125,000 to LaRue County Water District – New Haven Asbestos Removal (Hodgenville)
• $854,400 to City of Greenville – Wastewater Plant Rehabilitation (Greenville)
• $817,491 to City of Vine Grove – Water Line Improvements (Vine Grove)
• $656,000 to City of Auburn – Cast Iron Water Line Replacement (Auburn)
• $470,617 to Barren County Sheriff’s Department – Technology Improvements (Glasgow)

1st Congressional District – Rep. James Comer (requested $91.9M)

• $29,020,300 to South Hopkins Water District – Waterline Replacement & Facility (Dawson Springs)
• $9,000,000 to Paducah McCracken Co. Sewer Agency – Sludge Dewatering Project (Paducah)
• $6,779,600 to City of Frankfort – Riverbank Stabilization (Frankfort)
• $6,000,000 to Franklin County Fiscal Court – Package Treatment Plant Decommissioning (Frankfort)
• $5,500,000 to City of Oak Grove – Water Infrastructure Project (Oak Grove)
• $5,000,000 to Todd County Fiscal Court – Emergency Services Center (Elkton)
• $5,000,000 to City of Eddyville – Wastewater Plant Construction (Eddyville)
• $4,381,600 to Marion-Crittenden Co. Airport Board – Parallel Taxiway (Marion)
• $4,050,000 to Hickman County IDA – Business Commerce Building (Clinton)
• $4,000,000 to Trigg County Hospital – Emergency Building (Cadiz)
• $3,900,000 to Springfield Water & Sewer Commission – Industrial Park Waterline (Springfield)
• $3,000,000 to Campbellsville University – School of Business & Tech Building (Campbellsville)
• $2,270,000 to City of Madisonville – West Side Lift Station (Madisonville)
• $2,000,000 to Henderson Water Utility – Raw Water Intake & Pipeline (Henderson)
• $2,000,000 to City of Adairville – Wastewater Plant Improvements (Adairville)

Austin Horn

Lexington Herald-Leader

706-571-8597

Austin Horn is a politics reporter for the Lexington Herald-Leader. He previously worked for the Frankfort State Journal and National Public Radio. Horn has roots in both Woodford and Martin Counties.