Raking It In: Hawaii’s Federal Delegation Brought More Than $265 Million To The State 0 Fiscal year 2022 was the first budget cycle in more than a decade in which lawmakers were able to secure funding for pet projects in their states and districts.
WASHINGTON — Congressional earmarks are back, and for Hawaii that means hundreds of millions of dollars in new federal spending.
In March, President Joe Biden signed a $1.5 trillion omnibus spending bill that will fund the government through September. Buried in the line items are billions of dollars members of Congress set aside for special projects in their states and districts.
Hawaii’s federal delegation was able to secure more than $265 million for dozens of projects in the islands.
There’s $600,000 for fencing to keep invasive deer and pigs from devouring Maui’s croplands, nearly $3 million for electric vehicle charging stations on Oahu and Kauai, and $19 million for the planning and design of a Hawaii-based missile defense radar that Pentagon officials aren’t so sure they need anymore.
