NWC News Alert (Dec. 20. 2022)

Dear NWC members,

The season of gift-giving is almost here and Congress is no exception. Our morning gift to you: Congress released a 4,155-page text of its $1.7 trillion FY2023 omnibus appropriations package (H.R. 2617) early this morning. This bill contains funding for all 12 FY2023 appropriations bills and $44.9 billion in support for Ukraine and $40.6 billion to help the nation’s communities recover from natural disasters. Work Plan provided to relevant House and Senate Committees no later than 60 days after enactment of this act. NWC is currently reading and analyzing the bill. Both chambers hope to move on this bill before the current Continuing Resolution expires on Friday.

Energy and Water Development

According to a committee summary, the Army Corps of Engineers would receive over $10.24 billion for FY2023, which includes $8.66 billion for USACE’s civil works program. The bill also includes $1.93 billion for the Bureau of Reclamation.

  • Investigations – The bill provides $172.5 million for investigations.
  • Construction – The bill provides $1.8 billion for construction, which includes $72.3 million for the Continuing Authorities Program.
  • Operation and Maintenance – The bill provides nearly $5.1 billion for the Operations and Maintenance account,  which includes additional funding to the National (Levee) Flood Inventory, which includes $3.1 million to expediate work on non-federal levees.
  • Mississippi River and Tributaries: The measure includes $370 million for the Mississippi River and Tributaries account.
  • Regulatory Program: The agreement includes $218 million for the regulatory program and instructs the Corps to use excess funds to address staffing shortages and processing of permits in a timely manner.
  • Flood Control and Coastal Emergencies: This program receives $35 million for flood control and coastal emergencies under the bill.
  • Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Program: The measure provides $7.2 million for the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Program account for program development, administration and oversight, including but not limited to finalizing the proposed rule.
  • Invasive Carp—The measure includes $226 million to stop invasive carp from reaching the Great lakes.

Additionally, the bill includes funding for the Bureau of Reclamation includes $186 million to fund Western drought programs under the WIIN Act. These programs fund long-term drought strategies including, water storage, water recycling and reuse, and desalination.

Resources:

  • To read the legislative text of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023, click here.
  • To read the joint explanatory summaries, including bill summaries, click here.
  • To view a fact sheet on the Energy-Water portion of the bill, click here.