FY19 Civil Works Funding Measures Advance
Both the House and Senate Appropriations Committees have advanced robust funding for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers civil works program.
The House Committee’s fiscal year 2019 energy and water bill provides $7.28 billion for the civil works program, compared to the current year funding is $6.83 billion.
The bill provides $3.3 billion for navigation studies and projects, including $1.6 billion from the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund (HMTF) and full use of revenues from the Inland Waterways Trust Fund (IWTF). Flood and storm damage reduction would be funded at $2.1 billion. Investigations would be funded at $128 million, Construction at $2.32 billion, Operation and Maintenance at $3.82 billion, Mississippi River and Tributaries at $430 million. The Committee calls for six new starts in Investigations and five new Construction starts.
The Committee specifically rejects changes made in the Administration’s FY19 budget which would have created separate accounts for HMTF and IWTF and shifted studies and projects from one account to another. Instead, the Committee requires the continued use of the traditional accounts. Similarly, the Committee rejected any reapportioning of funds under continuing resolutions, and instead asserted its desire that the Corps continue to have flexibility to address those projects which need funding most.
The Senate Committee’s FY19 bill provides a slightly lower amount at $6.9 billion. At the time of this post, full details were not yet available. Operations and Maintenance would increase $100 million over the FY18 funding level of $3.63 billion, with $1.53 billion for Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund activities; Construction would be $76 million over the FY18 level of $2.085 billion, with full use of revenues from the Inland Waterways Trust Fund; Investigations would remain at the FY18 level of $123 million, with 7 new study starts and 6 new construction starts.
Senate bill text and additional details will be made available at: https://www.appropriations.senate.gov/
The House bill text and the Committee report can be viewed here: https://appropriations.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=395300