WCI Release: HOUSE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE APPROVES STRONG FY24 FUNDING FOR THE INLAND WATERWAYS SYSTEM
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Deb Calhoun, dcalhoun@waterwayscouncil.org
June 23, 2023 301/332-0813
HOUSE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE APPROVES STRONG FY24 FUNDING FOR THE
INLAND WATERWAYS SYSTEM
Last night, the House Committee on Appropriations approved by a vote of 34-24 the Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 Energy and Water Development (E&W) Appropriations Bill. Included in the bill are Community Project Funding (CPF) requests for Inland Waterways Trust Fund (IWTF) construction projects.
Overall proposed funding for Corps’ Civil Works is $9.57 billion, an increase of $910 million above FY23’s appropriated level, and $2.16 billion above the President’s FY24 budget request.
FY24 funding for construction projects on the inland waterways is $455.97 million, with $159.6 million from the Inland Waterways Trust Fund, which is a significant increase from the FY24 budget request of $0. The IWTF construction projects included are the following:
• Chickamauga Lock (Tennessee River): $236.8 million
o Submitted by: Cong. Fleischmann (TN-03)
• Lower Monongahela (Monongahela River, PA): $41 million
o Submitted by: Cong. Reschenthaler (PA-14)
• McClellan–Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System (MKARNS) Three Rivers (AR): $103.17 million
o Submitted by: Cong. Crawford (AR-01)
• Navigation & Ecosystem Sustainability Program (NESP), Navigation Portion (IL): $75 million
o Submitted by: Cong. S. Graves (MO-06), LaHood (IL-16), Luetkemeyer (MO-03), Sorensen (IL-17), and Budzinski (IL-13)
The Corps’ Investigations account funding is $136.09 million, a decrease of $36.4 million from the FY23 enacted level and $6.25 million above the FY24 request. WCI secured an investigations request through the CPF process.
• Bayou Sorrel Lock Replacement Study (LA): $800,000
o Submitted by: Cong. G. Graves (LA-06)
Funding for Operations and Maintenance (O&M) is $5.50 billion, an increase of $418.12 million above FY23 and $1.19 billion above the Administration request.
“WCI is grateful to the House Appropriations Committee and the Energy & Water Development Subcommittee for increasing funding from $0 in the President’s budget request for construction of inland waterways priority projects to $456 million. This will continue critical modernization on the nation’s inland waterways, a vital part of our transportation supply chain,” said Tracy Zea, President/CEO of Waterways Council.
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Waterways Council, Inc. is the national public policy organization advocating for a modern and
well-maintained national system of ports and inland waterways. The group is supported by waterways carriers, shippers, port authorities, agriculture, labor and conservation organizations, shipping associations and waterways
