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Illinois Members of Congress Participate In Groundbreaking For Rockford Airport Upgrade

Chase Cavanaugh/WNIJ
Rep. Cheri Bustos and Sen. Dick Durbin join local politicians and airport officials in breaking ground on a Rockford Airport expansion.

Members of Illinois' congressional delegation marked improvements at Chicago Rockford International Airport Monday.

U.S. Rep. Cheri Bustos and Senator Dick Durbin broke ground on an expansion to the airport’s international cargo building, along with a new ramp for cargo plane parking. Bustos says the airport has made significant investments, and these upgrades will further increase efficiency.

The delivery of air cargo is a $35 billion proposition, and  the officials say Rockford is doing a great job of tapping into that.

Last month, Senators Durbin and Duckworth announced $2 million in federal grants will go towards expanding the terminal building, while $1.2 million  will expand the size of the cargo apron.

During the visit, Durbin also spoke with reporters about President Trump's pending pick for the U.S. Supreme Court. Durbin says the choice of a new Supreme Court justice should be made carefully. Specifically, the Democrat wants President Trump to choose someone with a moderate approach.

"Justice Kennedy fit that description most of the time, and I think that’s what we need on the Supreme Court, someone who isn’t too extreme one way or the other, but really looks for the right solutions that are fair for all Americans," Durbin said.