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Federal funding uncertainty could delay county earmarks, lobbyist warns
Summary
At the April 7, 2026 Legislative Committee meeting, federal lobbyist Riley Oconor said delays in Congress and the president's proposed FY27 budget could push back announcements and selections for earmarks, while core formula grant flows such as CDBG are unlikely to be fully zeroed out by Congress.
SPRINGFIELD (April 7, 2026) — A Washington briefing to the county Legislative Committee on Thursday warned that federal budget turbulence may delay local earmark announcements and complicate the timetable for projects seeking congressional funding.
Riley Oconor, a federal lobbyist with the Lincoln Park Group, told the committee that Congress has not completed work on the appropriations process and that ‘‘we've got 11 of our 12 bills done. Homeland still sitting out there.’’ He said an unresolved Department of Homeland Security funding lapse and other political obstacles have pushed normal appropriations timing later than usual.
‘‘The president would like [the appropriations work] done by June 1st,’’ Oconor said, but he added that late votes and unusual procedural approaches — including talk of using reconciliation to avoid a filibuster — have made the schedule unpredictable.
Why it matters: committee members said many of the county’s pending federal requests are earmark-style projects for water and infrastructure, and those announcements typically follow committee and floor action in Congress. Oconor cautioned that late guidance from Senate offices and calendar delays mean the county may wait longer than usual to learn which projects are selected.
Oconor described the president’s budget — released late, he said — as proposing ‘‘a more than 40% increase’’ in defense spending while reducing nondefense accounts by roughly 10%. He said the proposal would also seek cuts that could affect some grant programs that often house earmarked projects.
When members asked whether Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds or STG earmark programs would be cut or delayed, Oconor said the two effects differ: formula and entitlement funding streams generally continue under continuing resolutions or administrative workarounds, while earmark project selections and announcements are more vulnerable to scheduling and appropriations delays. ‘‘You’ll see delays in announcements for earmarks and when we actually find out what gets selected,’’ he said.
A committee member asked whether human-services line items reported by staff as ‘‘zeroed out’’ would be restored. Oconor answered that the president’s request contains deep cuts, but ‘‘Congress will say absolutely not’’ to eliminating longstanding programs, and he characterized the more likely local impact as timing delays rather than the permanent loss of core programs.
Oconor also flagged environmental and regulatory items the delegation is monitoring, citing ethylene oxide concerns and potential legislative or comment-driven activity from members’ offices. He said committee staff’s efficient submissions have helped the county’s prospects but late guidance from Senate offices has complicated the process this calendar year.
The committee asked about the congressional schedule; Oconor summarized current recess patterns and said lawmakers hope to move many appropriations steps before summer recesses but that calendar uncertainty remains.
The committee is scheduled to hear from its Springfield lobbyist, Mark Polus, at the next meeting Tuesday for a state-level update. There were no public comments at the April 7 meeting.
The meeting record shows no formal votes on substantive budget items; members approved committee procedures and minutes during the session and adjourned.
