Local taxpayers in a Democratic-run state may be in for a nasty financial surprise if President Donald Trump continues his standoff with their governor.
The Daily Beast reported Thursday that Trump is threatening to claw back federal money Congress already appropriated to Illinois unless Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) officially asks the White House for the funding. And if he follows through, Illinois taxpayers may have to pony up the money themselves.
Approximately $1.15 billion in federal money has been approved for the Brandon Road Lock and Dam on the Des Plaines River in Joliet, Illinois (just southwest of Chicago) to have a new system in place to prevent carp from swimming upstream into Lake Michigan and disrupting sensitive ecosystems. Michigan is paying $64 million for the anti-carp system, while Illinois committed to $50 million, but the vast bulk of the cost is being shouldered by the federal government.
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Trump insisted to reporters earlier this week that Pritzker will have to call the White House before he'll officially disburse the money.
"I didn’t get a request from the governor of Illinois," Trump said. "Until I get that request from that guy [Pritzker], I’m not going to do anything about it."
If Trump were to withhold the money for the project, it would be a violation of the Impoundment Control Act of 1974, which prevents presidents from freezing money already appropriated by Congress. The law originates from former President Richard M. Nixon's administration, in which Congress passed the law in order to stop Nixon from withholding funds for projects he didn't personally approve of. Article I, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution specifically gives Congress the power of the purse, saying the legislative branch alone "shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States."
Trump's feud with Pritzker — who is rumored to be a contender for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2028 – has been escalating as the president has threatened to deploy the National Guard to Illinois, ostensibly to address crime in Chicago. Pritzker has forcefully responded to Trump's threat, and pointed to figures showing that violent crime is actually down in Chicago, and that cities in red states with higher crime rates like Jackson, Mississippi and Memphis, Tennessee may be better served by the federal government.
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