MONTPELIER, Vt. (WCAX) – Some $74 million in congressional earmarks are on the way to Vermont communities.
Vermont Sens. Bernie Sanders and Peter Welch and Rep. Becca Balint on Monday announced the direct congressional spending.
It will go toward creating new housing for seniors in Johnson, a community center in Rochester and new solar infrastructure for the Washington Electric Co-op. There’s also money for community health centers.
Earmarks were banned for a decade, criticized for runaway spending and being ripe for corruption. But Sanders and Welch say there are guardrails on earmarks.
“Every project application at our office that we support we put our name on it so you have the capacity to look at what that project is, who sponsored it, kick the tires and come to the conclusion about the merits of that project,” said Welch, D-Vermont.
The earmarks also include funds for community justice centers, mobile home communities and a new emergency services building at the Woodbury Fire Department.
You can find the full lists of projects on Sanders’ website and Welch’s website.