Army cuts $4.6 million in Arsenal funds

Illinois and Iowa lawmakers have begun scrambling to restore $4.6 million in funding for the Rock Island Arsenal that has been withheld by the Army, ironically, because of increased local workload.

Officials at the Arsenal's headquarters, the Army Materiel Command, confirmed they plan to give Rock Island just $7.9 million of a $12.5 million congressional appropriation intended to help lower costs and earn more contracts. They also confirmed that the money may go to other Army arsenals.

Aides to Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., and Rep. Lane Evans, D-Rock Island, contend the additional $4.6 million was targeted specifically for the Arsenal's Joint Manufacturing Technology Center under the Army's Industrial Mobilization Capacity account.