Back
Jun 28, 2018
The U.S. Senate this week passed its version of the FY19 Energy & Water Appropriations bill, which includes funding for U.S. Army Corps of Engineers waterways programs. The Energy & Water Appropriations bill was part of a package of appropriations bills that passed by a vote of 86 to 5. The Senate bill provides for full use of the Inland Waterways Trust Fund, $3.74 billion for the USACE Operations & Maintenance account, and $1.528 billion for the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund (HMTF). This HMTF level exceeds the target of $1.4 billion that was established in the Water Resources Reform Development Act (WRRDA) of 2014. The Senate bill will not go to conference committee to negotiate differences with the House version.
For comparison, the House Energy & Water Appropriations bill also calls for full use of the Inland Waterways Trust Fund, provides a record level $3.8 billion for USACE Operations & Maintenance, and $1.6 billion for the HMTF. The funding levels in both the House and Senate bills represent strong support for these American Soybean Association (ASA) transportation and infrastructure priorities.
