The Waterways Council Inc. (WCI) officially announced that praised Congress for passage of the Energy and Water’s Development (E&WD) Fiscal Year 2020(FY20). Specifically, on 17 December the House passed the bill by a vote of 297-120, while the Senate gave its approval today by a vote of 71-23. For the moment, the President is expected to sign the bill into law.
The passage of FY20 E&WD bill is set to fund the Corps of Engineers’ Civil Works mission at $7.65 billion, $652 million ahead of the FY19 enacted level and $2.69 billion above the President’s budget request.
A remarkable fact is that the bill is the adjustment by Congress of the Construction cost-share for Chickamauga Lock project, this time to 65% Gernal Revenue /35% Inland Waterways Trust Fund (IWTF) (from 50%/50%) for one fiscal year (FY20).
This change will further boost the efficient funding of all the under construction projects, while it will advance their delivery deadline date and reduce the total amount of their costs.
Furthermore, the bill makes an intense use of the IWTF estimated receipts, which includes additional prior-year revenues in order to bring a strong investment level of $317 million for FY20.
As for the Construction account will get in total $2.68 billion, meaning $1.37 billion more that the FY20 President requested and $498 million compared to the FY19 enacted level.
At $3.79 billion was also funded the Corps’ Operations & Maintenance (O&M) account, marking $1.86 billion ahead the President’s FY20 budget request.
Continuing, $1.63 billion will be funded to Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund (HMTF) projects, resulting a $665 million increase over the President’s request.
The HMTF target set by the Water Resources Reform and Development Act (WRRDA) of 2014, will be exceeded once again by more than 11% by the Congress.
The Mississippi River and Tributaries (MR&T) will be given $375 million in FY20.
For the records, the Investigations account will recieve $151 million, marking $74 million ahead of the FY20 Administration request and about $26 million above the previous enacted level of FY19.
Part of the President’s budget is the Pre-Construction Engineering Design (PED) funding $1.5 million for Three Rivers Project in Arkansas project.
A 50% increase in funding was also noticed in the Island Waterways Investigations, $3.25 million more than the FY19 level, which will allows authorized projects and under construction studies to compete for other funding in the Corps’ 2020 Work plan.
We are extremely grateful to the bipartisan leadership of Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Richard Shelby (R-AL) and House Appropriations Committee Chair Nita Lowey (D-NY), Senate Appropriations Committee Vice Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT), and House Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Kay Granger (R-TX) that resulted in this strong funding bill with a critical cost-share change.
…WCI President & CEO Mike Toohey concluded.
