Progress Illinois

Last Thursday, the House passed a $123.1 billion transportation and housing appropriations bill that included an 8 percent boost for the Section 8 housing voucher program and $4 billion for President Obama's high-speed rail initiative. It also included $1.5 million in funding for two projects requested by Rep. Judy Biggert -- a Metra Station in Tinley Park and freight-related traffic relief along Ogden Avenue in Aurora. “These important investments will create local jobs and help keep our area’s road and transit systems working for commuters,” Biggert said in a statement Friday.  “I’m very grateful to my House colleagues for recognizing the rapidly growing transportation needs of communities and centers of commerce in our suburban area.”

The Naperville Sun covered the story as well, quoting Biggert saying that the freight relief "will help to mitigate that impact and keep traffic flowing along one of our most important regional arteries." But the paper forgot one tiny detail -- along with the rest of Illinois' Republican delegation, Biggert voted against the bill.  The Sun staff report also falsely asserted that she "sponsored" the measure (in fact, she did no such thing).

Biggert's effort to have it both ways is unfortunately par for the course with House Republicans this year.  That's the story the Sun should be writing about.