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Krishnamoorthi accuses Trump administration of delaying lead pipe funds
Illinois lawmakers say federal delays are putting children at risk.
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Malvika Choudhary - Thu, 13, Nov 2025
- 12:08 EST
- 13
Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi / Website
Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi urged Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin to immediately release federal funds meant for replacing lead service lines across Illinois.
In a letter sent on Nov. 12, Krishnamoorthi and six other Illinois lawmakers said the Trump administration is delaying Congressionally approved FY25 funds for political reasons, warning that the hold-up threatens compliance with the EPA’s Lead and Copper Rule Improvements and puts children at risk of preventable lead poisoning.
They cited CDC data showing nearly 500,000 U.S. children under five have elevated blood-lead levels and described lead exposure as causing “permanent and devastating harm.”
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The letter, also signed by Representatives Eric Sorensen, Jonathan L. Jackson, Jesús “Chuy” García, Jan Schakowsky, Brad Schneider, and Danny Davis, argues that the delayed disbursement is undermining public health protections and slowing urgent infrastructure work.
The funding was appropriated under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, but the lawmakers say the administration has withheld it for “political” reasons.
Illinois faces some of the most severe challenges nationwide. Chicago has an estimated 400,000 lead service lines—the most in the country—with full replacement costs often approaching $35,000 per household. Peoria has roughly 10,500 lines left to replace, but progress has slowed because of high costs and limited local budgets.
The lawmakers stressed there is no safe level of lead exposure and warned that continued delays risk widening existing health inequities in lower-income and minority communities.
Congress set aside $15 billion for lead service line replacement through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, including $3 billion in FY25 through the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund.
The Illinois delegation said those FY25 funds “have not been delivered to the communities that sorely need them.” The letter also cites reports that Chicago and other jurisdictions have faced politically motivated delays.
“Federal resources are not partisan tools—they are vital lifelines intended to serve all Americans,” the members wrote, calling the withholding a “dangerous abuse of power that undermines public trust and puts lives at risk.”
Their appeal comes as the EPA faces national delays in distributing lead-pipe replacement funds, with the agency months behind schedule according to recent reporting.
States warn that millions of lead-containing pipes remain in service nationwide, making it increasingly difficult to meet federal deadlines.
The lawmakers urged Administrator Zeldin to “take swift action” to release undistributed funds and reduce administrative bottlenecks.
“Every year of delay in replacing these lead pipes condemns another generation of children to the lifelong consequences of lead exposure,” they wrote.
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