Congress—on a bipartisan basis and with enhanced transparency and accountability—restored its authority to include Congressionally Directed Spending in the FY26 federal appropriations process.  All congressionally-directed spending requests must comply with Senate Rule XLIV, which requires rigorous procedures for transparency and accountability, as well as the Senate Appropriation Committee’s requirements.

Senator Durbin has submitted the following Illinois initiatives to the Senate Appropriations Committee for consideration. This list will be updated on a rolling basis as requests are submitted to the Committee. Please note that submission of an initiative does NOT guarantee that it will receive funding. 

In compliance with Senate Rule XLIV and Committee requirements, Senator Durbin has certified that he, his spouse, and his immediate family have no financial interest in any of the initiatives he has requested.

Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies 

Capital Improvements, Peoria, Illinois.  $7.7 million to the National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research (NCAUR), a federal laboratory that has been responsible for countless agriculture, food safety, environmental, and health care discoveries since its inception, for necessary modernizations to the federal buildings that house laboratories of the Agricultural Research Service.  These improvements include the replacement of the fire alarm system, components of which are no longer supported by the manufacturer, posing a life safety issue at the facility. 

Capital Improvements, Urbana, Illinois.  $500,000 to the Agricultural Research Service for necessary repairs and modernizations to their facilities in Urbana, Illinois.  These improvements include repairs and updates to domestic water distribution equipment and piping, heating and cooling systems, and electrical systems.  

Hospital Infrastructure Improvements, Watseka, Illinois.  $560,000 to the Iroquois Memorial Hospital and Resident Home to update aged and outdated facilities, including HVAC systems and flooring.

Intergenerational Center, Fairbury, Illinois.  $1 million to the Boys and Girls Club of Livingston County to construct an intergenerational community center to provide programming and services to youth and seniors at the same site.

Laboratory Renovation, Pittsfield, Illinois.  $1 million to the Blessing Care Corporation to update the laboratory department at Illini Community Hospital in order to modernize facilities that are more than 80 years old.

Rural Health Clinic Expansion, West Frankfort, Illinois.  $1 million to Southern Illinois Hospital Services to expand the Miners Memorial Rural Health Clinic to provide improvements in both patient rooms and provider workspace.

Teledentistry Initiative, Mattoon, Illinois.  $105,000 to Sarah Bush Lincoln Health Center to expand rural telehealth efforts to include teledentistry with an emphasis on underserved children.