FISCAL YEAR 2020 (FY20) SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE APPROVES STRONG CORPS’ FUNDING
BREAKING NEWS...
FISCAL YEAR 2020 (FY20) SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE APPROVES STRONG CORPS’ FUNDING
RECOMMENDS COST-SHARE CHANGE FOR CHICKAMAUGA LOCK AND FULL-USE OF INLAND WATERWAYS TRUST FUND
Today, the Senate Appropriations Committee marked up and approved by a vote of 31-0 its first FY20 appropriations bill, the Energy and Water Development (E&WD) and Related Agencies Appropriations Act. The bill funds the Corps of Engineers, U.S. Department of Energy programs that include national nuclear security and energy research and development, and the Bureau of Reclamation.
The overall total funding level recommended in the Senate FY20 Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill is $48.87 billion, $4.23 billion above the FY19 enacted level and $10.81 billion above the President’s budget request.
The Senate E&WD FY20 bill proposes to fund the Corps of Engineers at $7.75 billion, $751.5 million above the FY19 enacted level and $2.786 billion above the President’s budget request. By comparison, the House-proposed FY20 funding level for the Corps was $7.36 billion, an increase of $357 million above FY19’s appropriated level and $2.53 billion above the President’s FY20 budget request.
Very significant is the Senate’s recommendation to once again adjust the cost-share change for Chickamauga Lock to 75% Federal funding/25% Inland Waterways Trust Fund (IWTF) for one fiscal year.
The Senate press release noted that “for the sixth consecutive year, the bill makes full-use of the estimated annual revenues from the Inland Waterways Trust Fund (IWTF) to advance American competitiveness and export capabilities.” The release also noted that for the sixth consecutive year, the bill meets the spending targets in the Water Resources Reform and Development Act (WRRDA) of 2014 for appropriations from the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund (HMTF) for the Corps of Engineers. These funding levels will be revealed when the Corps FY20 Work-Plan is released 60 days after enactment of the appropriations bill.
The Construction account received $2.795 billion or $1.624 billion more than the President’s FY20 request, and $612.148 million more than the FY19 enacted level.
The Corps’ Operations & Maintenance (O&M) account received $3.799 billion, which is $1.868 billion above the President’s FY20 budget request, and $59.472 million above the FY19 enacted level.
Mississippi Rivers and Tributaries (MR&T) is proposed to receive $368 million in FY20.
The Investigations account is poised to receive $154.9 million, which is $77.99 million above the FY20 Administration request and $29.9 million above the FY19 enacted level. The Senate bill also proposes six new study starts within this account.
The Senate bill provides for six new construction starts subject to selection by the Secretary of the Army.
No funds were made available in this bill to transfer the Corps to another Federal agency.
WCI praised the bi-partisan leadership of Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Richard Shelby (R-AL) and Vice Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT), and Senate E&WD Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and Ranking Member Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) that resulted in this very strong funding bill with a critical cost-share change.
The FY20 E&WD appropriations bill next heads to the Senate floor for final action by the full Senate, and then to Conference with the House on its passed E&WD bill. It is hoped that the bill can be negotiated, finalized and passed into law before the 2020 Fiscal Year ends on September 30, 2019, or a Continuing Resolution will be passed to fund the Corps at FY19 levels.
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