UPDATED APRIL 23
A draft FY16 Energy and Water Appropriations bill approved by a House committee on April 22 would increase U.S. Army Corps of Engineers funding by $142 million next year while also blocking advancement of the Corps’ controversial “Waters of the U.S.” (WOTUS) proposed rule.
As approved by the House Appropriations Committee, the Corps would receive $5.6 billion next year – marking an increase of $142 million above its FY15 level and $865 million above President Obama’s request. The total would include $2.4 billion for navigation projects and studies and $1.6 billion for flood and storm damage reduction projects.
While both Democrats and Republicans praised the funding increase, Democrats were critical of the bill’s Section 105 – a policy rider that would bar the Corps from developing or implementing any regulatory changes to the scope of the federal Clean Water Act. The language would effectively block the draft WOTUS rule issued last year by the Corps and EPA, which has come under heavy criticism from Republicans (see related story on separate stand-alone legislation to block the WOTUS rule).
Similar efforts to block the WOTUS proposal have been included in early drafts of previous years’ spending bills, but each time they have been removed prior to enactment.
Other parts of the Energy and Water spending bill call for a slight cut to the Bureau of Reclamation; the legislation’s $1.1 billion appropriation for the Bureau comes in at $35 million below its current level and $1 million below President Obama’s request.
The spending bill is expected to receive a vote on the House floor before the end of April.