Sen. Dean Heller and Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao announced federal funding for a local streets initiative in Carson City on Wednesday even though funding for the project was targeted for elimination in President Trump’s fiscal 2019 budget.

“The transportation needs that we have in this state are huge,” Heller said at a ceremony announcing the funding.

The Nevada Republican lauded Carson City’s victory in getting $7.5 million under the federal Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) program for the South Carson Street Complete Streets program, which is designed to improve safety and business access along the corridor, as well as improve transportation for all modes of travel while spurring investment along the road.

However, officials did not mention that the TIGER program has been targeted for elimination under Trump’s fiscal 2019 budget. In lieu of TIGER grants, the White House has proposed providing $200 billion in federal funding that would be leveraged into $1.5 trillion in infrastructure investment, through partnerships with the private sector.

But TIGER grants are a valuable funding tool for states which have lobbied Congress to keep the program funded, which they have. Funding for the program was tripled in the omnibus spending package despite an effort to zero out TIGER grants in the president’s fiscal 2018 budget.

"For years, federal, state and local transportation investments, including TIGER grants, have allowed Nevada to not only maintain existing infrastructure but also provide for future needs," Nevada Department of Transportation Director Rudy Malfabon said in a statement. "Because of the benefits of improved safety, reduced congestion and better air quality, the Nevada Department of Transportation strongly supports continuation of the TIGER grant program."

Heller also praised the recently passed omnibus bill for providing funding for veterans and boosting military spending. The law has enraged conservatives and was panned by the president over its $1.3 trillion price tag.

After signing it into law last month, Trump pledged never to sign another such bill again. The president is also reportedly working with House GOP leaders on a long-shot plan to claw back some of the spending.

“That omnibus, that sometimes gets criticized, does help veterans here in the state of Nevada,” Heller said. “We have 300,000 veterans in Nevada and it helped meet some of their priorities.”

“It fully funded our military for the first time since the [Ronald] Reagan administration,” Heller continued. “It fully funded the military for the next two years, which I believe is critically important for everybody here and across this country to keep you safe.”

Citing the fast rise in population in recent decades and the resulting effects on Nevada’s transportation system, Heller also said the law helped fund transportation efforts in Nevada.

“We passed the omnibus a couple of weeks ago that included some of the secretary’s priorities in helping states like Nevada that have seen this kind of growth,” he said.

Heller’s comments come as he faces a difficult re-election bid. Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton won Nevada in 2016, but only by a little over two percentage points. Heller must embrace the president in order to keep Republican base voters engaged, while not putting off independents who have soured on Trump.

He must also be careful not to be too confrontational with Trump, who has an itchy Twitter finger that could also hurt Heller’s support with the GOP base with a negative tweet.

But Heller’s relationship with Trump seems intact given that Trump, last month, pushed Danny Tarkanian to drop out Republican primary, clearing the field for Heller and making it easier for him to chart a more moderate path than he otherwise would have.

The Nevada Senate race will help determine which party controls the Senate, where Republicans currently hold a slim 51 to 49 majority.

In a sign of how important the Nevada Senate race is to the White House, Heller said that he hopes to have Vice President Mike Pence take part in the Nevada Day Parade on October 26, a little more than a week before election day.

“He has actually committed to me that he’s interested in doing that,” Heller said. “Now interested means about a 50-50 chance.”

Pence is also expected to visit the state this month.

Chao also praised Heller, calling him and his wife, Lynne, “great advocates for the state.”

Updated at 1:14 to include the statement from Nevada Department of Transportation Director Rudy Malfabon