Quigley, Durbin, Duckworth, Kelly, Davis Demand Answers about Frozen Federal Funding for Chicago’s Red Line Extension Project and Red & Purple Modernization Project

Today, U.S. Representative and Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development Appropriations Subcommittee Member Mike Quigley (IL-05), along with U.S. Senate Democratic Whip and Senate Appropriations Committee Member Dick Durbin (D-IL), Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Rep. Robin Kelly (D-IL-02), and Rep. Danny Davis (D-IL-07), sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy to demand answers about the Trump Administration’s decision to “put on hold” $2.1 billion in federal funding for Chicago’s infrastructure projects, including the Chicago Transit Authority’s (CTA) Red Line Extension Project and CTA’s Red and Purple Modernization (RPM) Program.

“On October 3, 2025, the OMB Director posted a social media announcement and the Federal Transit Administration subsequently sent letters to the CTA notifying the transit agency that the Administration was withholding disbursements of previously approved federal funding for these projects, totaling $2.1 billion dollars. The stated reason for this pause was the issuance of the September 30, 2025, interim final rule (IFR) for the Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) program and the Airport Concessions DBE (ACDBE) program, which prohibit race- and gender-based contracting requirements for DOT’s federal grants,” the lawmakers began their letter.

“To pause this funding for projects that have executed contracts or issued awards prior to the publishing of the IFR creates funding uncertainty at the state and local level. It also threatens jobs, economic development, and the livelihood of hardworking Americans who rely on public transit every day,” the lawmakers wrote.

The lawmakers underscored the necessity of the RPM Program and emphasized that funding disruptions would delay the work on the Red Line Extension Project.

“The Red and Purple Modernization (RPM) Phase One project, which began construction in 2019, has already created more than 2,600 construction trade labor jobs as of Jan. 31, 2025. The project reached a major milestone in July of this year, opening four new, 100 percent accessible Red Line stations that replaced century-old stations,” they wrote.

“The Red Line Extension project, which will build 5.5 miles of new track and four stations, is set to break ground at the beginning of next year. Advanced construction work, including demolition, utility relocation, and soil boring work, has already begun. The Red Line Extension is estimated to directly create 12,512 construction jobs and indirectly create 59,800 jobs in local communities. Approximately 24 percent of residents in the project corridor live below the poverty level and 25 percent travel over 60 minutes to their jobs, exceeding citywide averages,” the lawmakers continued.

The lawmakers concluded their letter by requesting in-depth answers about the unprecedented nature of the funding pause.

“Illinoisans, who pay more in federal taxes than they receive back in federal spending, will feel the economic brunt of this funding pause. As their congressional representatives, we seek to ensure this review is completed ethically, timely, and legally so those working on and around these critical projects can continue their work to modernize America’s infrastructure,” the lawmakers concluded their letter.

In January 2025, Durbin, Duckworth, and members of the Chicago congressional delegation announced that the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) had approved a full funding grant agreement for Red Line Extension Project.  The funding agreement contractually obligated $1.9 billion in federal funding.  On October 3, Director Vought rejected that contractual agreement by putting those funds on hold.

The 5.6-mile extension of the Chicago Transit Authority’s Red Line to Chicago’s southern border is the first rail transit extension in Chicago in 30 years.  It would serve roughly 100,000 people, most of whom are from low-income households on Chicago’s South Side, and will benefit tens of thousands of working families and individuals in surrounding suburbs and communities.  The project is expected to generate $4.4 billion in economic activity in the County during the construction phase.  The City of Chicago also has targeted areas near future RLE stations for significant local investment.

The RPM project aims to rebuild the century-old Red and Purple Line track structure and stations north of Belmont.  Durbin has secured more than $1 billion in federal funds for RPM over the years, including $956 million for the Core Capacity Program that Durbin created as a member of the MAP-21 transportation bill in 2012.

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which Durbin, Duckworth, and members of the Chicago-area delegation supported, designated $89.9 billion in transit funding, and Illinois will receive the fourth-highest amount in direct transit funding at $4.1 billion under the Law.

A copy of the full letter is available here.