The US Waterways Council Inc. (WCI) has mixed feelings about the impact on their sector of President Obama's FY 2014 budget proposals. This budget is steady-state with the overall funding level essentially the continuation of the post-sequester level for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Civil Works Program at $4.726 billion for FY ’14. While details are still unknown according to Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works Jo-Ellen Darcy, the Administration’s per-vessel user fee proposal remains unwelcome by industry. The proposed level of funding for the Corps’ Operations & Maintenance (O&M) -- $2.588 billion, is encouraging, but the funding level for its Construction account ($135 billion is very disappointing.
