WCI Meets the Press, Addresses FY 2018 Budget Request
Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2017; FY 2017 Corps' Work Plan and Infrastructure Plan Addressed. Waterways Council, Inc. (WCI) today held its annual briefing for the news media to address the President’s FY 2018 budget request, the FY 2017 Consolidated Omnibus Appropriations Act, the Corps of Engineers’ FY 2017 Work Plan, and the Administration’s infrastructure initiative. he event was held at the National Press Club in Washington, DC. The full FY 2018 budget request to Congress released by the Trump Administration proposes $5.02 billion for the Corps’ Civil Works program, representing a $382 million increase above President Obama’s FY17 request, but more than $1 billion below the $6.038 billion appropriated by Congress for FY 2017.
WCI Opposes Inland Waterways Lockage Fee
Waterways Council, Inc. (WCI) is urging the swift rejection of a proposal to phase out the current inland waterways tax on diesel fuel and replace it with a lock usage fee included in President Obama’s FY 2010 proposed budget. This same idea was proposed by the Bush Administration, and soundly rejected by the 110th Congress. Acting Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works Terrence Salt testified this week before the House Appropriations Committee’s Energy and Water Development Subcommittee in support of the Army Corps of Engineers FY 2010 budget, including the lockage fee proposal. “This lockage fee is an ill-conceived proposal that should be rejected by this Congress just as it was by the last Congress.
AAPA: The New Budget Falls Short
The Civil Works budget proposed by the Bush Administration represents a 14 percent decrease from last year and falls far short of meeting the nation's water resources infrastructure needs, said the American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA). The budget outline released on February 28 would decrease the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) Civil Works Budget to $3.9 billion. Last year Congress appropriated $4.54 billion, which still fell short of demand for water infrastructure improvements. Over the last five years, the Corps budget has not even kept pace with inflation. "While we are pleased the budget proposes to give priority to projects and programs with significant national benefits…
