U.S. Congressman Ryan Mackenzie, who represents Pennsylvania’s 7th Congressional District including Lehigh, Northampton, Carbon counties and part of Monroe County, has announced the opening of applications for Community Project Funding (CPF) and programmatic and language appropriations requests for Fiscal Year 2027.
“After securing over $12 million for local projects in FY 2026, we’re looking forward to once again delivering results for the Lehigh Valley and the Poconos,” said Congressman Mackenzie. “The appropriations process gives us the opportunity to secure resources for projects that are important to the local community, and put tax dollars to work right here at home. This can mean a smaller cost burden for local municipalities and taxpayers, greater resources for important projects, and higher-quality services here at home.”
In the previous fiscal year, Mackenzie secured more than $12 million in funding through appropriations bills. The funded projects included $1.65 million for a new fire house in Alburtis serving the Lower Macungie Fire Department, $2.16 million for technology and radio upgrades for first responders in Carbon County, $2 million toward an expansion project at Lehigh Valley International Airport, and over $1 million allocated to various infrastructure improvements.
Community Project Funding allows members of Congress to request direct federal funding for specific local initiatives as part of the annual appropriations process. Each congressional office may submit up to 20 projects per cycle.
All CPF requests and programmatic or language requests must be submitted by March 9th, 2026 at 5:00 PM ET. Applicants are required to provide detailed technical information about their proposals along with documentation showing strong community support—such as letters from local officials or inclusion in planning documents.
Criteria set out for CPF eligibility include a federal nexus (the project must qualify under an existing federal program), demonstrated community support (preferably through letters), one-year funding limited to FY27 only (for larger efforts, only a clearly defined phase is eligible), restrictions on recipient eligibility (for-profit entities are not eligible; non-profit eligibility depends on subcommittee rules; museums and memorials are excluded), and adherence to submission procedures.
Information about general CPF guidance as well as requirements specific to each House Appropriations Committee subcommittee is available online. A list of previously funded projects can also be found on Congressman Mackenzie’s website.
Applications are also being accepted for programmatic requests—which seek funding levels for specific programs—and language requests—which propose bill or report language encouraging certain actions but do not allocate funds directly. For example, Mackenzie previously advocated successfully for $47 million in programmatic funding supporting continued manufacturing of Mack Defense Heavy Dump Trucks in the region.
Residents seeking further details about eligible accounts or application procedures can contact Congressman Mackenzie’s Washington office by phone or email.
Congressman Mackenzie supports a range of community programs such as art competitions, commendations and grant assistance according to his official website. He also offers Spanish-language services by appointment at his Downtown Allentown office (official website). His legislative priorities include healthcare improvements, workforce development initiatives, taxpayer protection measures, environmental conservation efforts, veteran support programs and government reform (official website).
Ryan Mackenzie has previously authored legislation during his time in Pennsylvania’s state House focused on similar issues (official website).
