Last week the U.S. Senate voted 90-8 to approve their Fiscal Year 2017 Energy & Water appropriations bill, which provides funding for inland waterways infrastructure administered by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, as well as funding for ports and harbor maintenance and upkeep.

This is another step in the process toward enacting the annual appropriations bill. The full House of Representatives must still pass their version and a final Conference agreement must be reached by the two chambers to send the bill to the President. The Senate bill and the House bill that was approved by committee both provide record funding levels for waterways infrastructure, which is a priority for the American Soybean Association (ASA).

In the Senate passed bill, the Construction account received $1.81 billion or $723.65 million more than the President’s request. The bill calls for full use of estimated annual revenues from the Inland Waterways Trust Fund (IWTF) to “help advance American competitiveness and export ability.”

Operations and Maintenance (O&M) received a record $3.17 billion, an increase over the $3.14 billion provided in FY2016.  The bill also provides $1.3 billion for the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund, surpassing the amount recommended in the 2014 Water Resources Reform & Development Act (WRRDA).

ASA will keep you posted as the bill continues through the legislative process.