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Oct 11, 2018
This week the U.S. Senate voted 99-1 to approve America’s Water Infrastructure Act, which includes the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2018. WRDA authorizes the programs and projects carried out by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) on locks and dams, dredging and other waterways projects. ASA supports WRDA reauthorization to continue the progress toward updating our inland waterways infrastructure that is vital to the movement of soybeans and appreciates Congress returning to a practice of passing the reauthorization bill every two years.
The House passed the WRDA legislation by voice vote in September, so the bill now heads to the White House and the President is expected to sign it into law.
The 2018 WRDA is a straightforward reauthorization bill with no new significant policy changes or funding. The annual funding for USACE inland waterways programs is provided through the annual Energy & Water Appropriations bill, which has included increased funding levels since 2014.
ASA will heighten focus in the next Congress on efforts to further accelerate completion of the longstanding priority projects on the inland waterways system through the Appropriations process, the bi-annual WRDA in 2020, or a major infrastructure package facilitated by President Trump.
