Conference committee negotiations on two major pieces of legislation – the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) and the farm bill reauthorization – each have continued their slow paces as 2014 got underway. At this point, lawmakers are avoiding making predictions on when an agreement might be reached on either bill.
Recent press reports in Washington have quoted WRDA conferees saying that talks have reached “a standstill.” Lawmakers have missed several self-imposed deadlines to reach agreement on a final bill, and it appears increasingly likely that the negotiations will stretch on into February.
Lawmakers have been tight-lipped about the status of the proposed “Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act” (WIFIA), which was included in the Senate’s WRDA bill to offer a new source of low-cost financing for large-scale water and wastewater infrastructure projects that are expected to cost more than $20 million. WIFIA has attracted support from both Democrats and Republicans, but concerns about program costs and opposition from state SRF administrators have made its place in the final WRDA bill uncertain.
Also unlikely to be resolved by the end of January is a new five-year farm bill reauthorization under debate in another conference committee. A range of issues – from food stamp funding to milk price controls – have been points of contention during negotiations, though a streamlined Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) appears to be among the areas of agreement. The new RCPP will, among other priorities, offer matching funds to farmers who cooperate with local communities on projects to protect or improve water quality. Similar versions of the program passed the House and Senate as part of each chamber’s initial farm bill, so the RCPP is almost certain to have a place in the final compromise legislation.