Nikki Budzinski

In March, the Trump administration announced it would no longer release remaining pandemic-era funding to states, which has left the district on the hook for over $19 million in repairs to heating and cooling systems in schools.

After President Donald Trump said last week that the Japanese company Nippon would invest $14 billion in U.S. Steel, it’s unclear what could happen to the Metro East steel mill.

U.S. Rep. Nikki Budzinski criticized Republican leaders, who she blamed for the cuts while drawing attention to the impact on Metro East communities.

Projects like the MacArthur Bridge — which connects downtown St. Louis and East St. Louis — and Cahokia Port in Sauget could be impacted, Budzinski said, adding that the new administration's criteria for infrastructure funding don’t make sense and ignore safety and community needs.

If federal dollars were to disappear, union members and the congresswoman say classroom sizes could get bigger with fewer teachers and resources for students with special needs.

Whether the money would actually make it to St. Clair County came into question when President Donald Trump ordered a freeze on federal aid. However, the White House rescinded the order Wednesday.

U.S. Rep. Nikki Budzinski of Illinois has renewed her push to include parts of the Metro East in federal legislation that would compensate residents for being exposed to radiation from the World War II-era atomic weapons program.

Budzinski, a Springfield Democrat who was elected to the 13th Congressional District seat in 2022, was called to testify about a scheme in which Madigan allegedly agreed to help then-Chicago Ald. Danny Solis secure a paid seat on a government board in 2018 and 2019.

Budzinski, who now represents much of the Metro East in Congress, is a former aide to Gov. JB Pritzker. Prosecutors said they plan to call members of the governor's staff to show that Madigan regularly made recommendations about appointments.

For congressional seats in central and southern Illinois, Reps. Mike Bost and Nikki Budzinski soundly beat challengers by wide margins, while Mary Miller ran uncontested.