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Referring to the benefits of openness in government, former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis once said, "Sunlight is the best disinfectant." He was right. Since I was first elected to Congress in 1982, I have gone beyond what the law required when it comes to disclosing my financial records, my tax returns and the projects I have supported for federal funding. Recently, congressionally directed spending for projects - also known as earmarks - has come under scrutiny. Critics say the secrecy of the earmarking process can invite backroom deals and unethical - or even corrupt - behavior. In some well-publicized cases, they are clearly right. That's why I am releasing this list of spending requests today. This list is different from some you may have seen - we have tried to make it as complete as possible. We have included all requests for project funding made to the Appropriations Committee - regardless of whether it was $100,000 for a rural hospital in downstate Illinois or millions of dollars for a lock and dam on the Mississippi River. Let me give you a couple examples of why these spending requests are important: I spoke at East St. Louis High School last spring, and afterward several high school students approached me to talk privately. The young men asked me why their school had so few computers and why the computers they do have are obsolete. My staff met with the school's principal and the IT director to better understand the school's needs and the challenges to securing and maintaining an updated computer lab. One of the funding requests I sent to the Appropriations Committee allows the high school to apply for federal education funding so that the students at East St. Louis High School can have computers they need to learn and compete. The Carle Clinic in Urbana, Illinois, came to my offices last fall, concerned that another five-year demonstration project to improve care for elderly people with multiple, chronic conditions (like diabetes or heart disease or arthritis) was coming to a close, without any means for retaining or replicating the lessons learned from the original project. I asked the Appropriations Committee to provide funding and direction to establish a research network with the sites that had participated in the original five-year demonstration project. That network is made up of hospitals and clinics that have documented what works and what doesn't. They can continue to collect data on the long-term savings of chronic care management. And the network members can use the lessons from the five-year demonstration to improve the care they provide to elderly patients with multiple, chronic health conditions. As the Chair of the Illinois Congressional Delegation, a member of the Senate Leadership and the most senior person from our state on either Appropriations Committee, my office is at the center of our state's effort to make sure we receive our fair share of funds for projects large and small. I welcome this challenge and this responsibility. Dick Durbin United States Senator Funding Requested for Illinois Projects by Dick Durbin |