Rep. Clyburn touts $50 million secured for projects in SC’s 6th Congressional District
(WCIV) — U.S. Rep. James E. Clyburn said Friday he has secured $50 million in federal funding for community projects across South Carolina’s 6th Congressional District as part of a broader federal spending package approved by Congress.
Clyburn, a Democrat who represents the district and serves as ranking member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development and Related Agencies, said the funding targets long-standing needs in education, infrastructure, public safety and economic development.
“I’ve dedicated my time and efforts in Congress to ensuring federal government investments in the communities I serve, especially those that have been historically neglected,” Clyburn said in a statement. “This funding responds directly to some of the most pressing needs in those communities.”
In addition to district-specific projects, the spending package includes several broader provisions Clyburn highlighted, including a 3.8% pay increase for air traffic control workers, $30 million in research funding for South Carolina State University’s Nuclear and Technology Research Program, and $45 million for aviation workforce development.
Among the projects funded in the 6th Congressional District are $22.455 million for construction work on Lakes Marion and Moultrie through the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, $15 million for a Military Science Center for Excellence at South Carolina State University in Orangeburg, and $3 million for Claflin University’s Boulevard Street Economic Renewal project.
Other allocations include $1.031 million for a Quantum Information Science Hub at Benedict College in Columbia, $1.031 million for a public safety enhancement project in Sumter County, and $1.092 million for a wastewater treatment plant expansion in Orangeburg County.
Additional funding will support downtown revitalization and community development projects, including $1.5 million each for Bamberg County’s Downtown Renaissance initiative and the town of Summerton’s blight removal and community development efforts. Morris College in Sumter will receive $1.25 million for a small business entrepreneur incubator, while Clarendon County will receive $1 million for upgrades to an intergenerational wellness complex.
The spending package also includes other community projects tied to South Carolina’s 6th District, including funding for energy, research and transportation initiatives. Those include $9.375 million and $4.688 million for separate U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Section 219 construction projects in Charleston and Mount Pleasant, $6 million for battery recycling research at the University of South Carolina, and $4.5 million for semiconductor chip research at the university.
Transportation funding includes $2.239 million for grants at Columbia Metropolitan Airport and $20.5 million for the Airport Connect Road Project through the U.S. Department of Transportation. The University of South Carolina is also slated to receive funding for facility improvements and a Veterans Military Center of Excellence.
Clyburn also requested $72.4 million in defense-related “plus-up” funding for South Carolina, including investments in research and technology programs at the University of South Carolina and Clemson University, as well as funding for defense-related projects in Ladson and Aiken.
Clyburn said the investments will help strengthen infrastructure, support colleges and universities, improve water systems and bolster economic growth across the district.
