For the second time in three weeks, Acting EPA Administrator Bob Perciasepe visited Capitol Hill last Wednesday to defend the Obama Administration’s FY14 budget request for the agency.
Testifying before the House Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee, Perciasepe said the FY14 budget request reflects “tough choices” in the difficult fiscal environment. These include proposing to cut funding for the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (SRF) to $817 million, from $908.7 million in 2013. The Clean Water State Revolving Fund would be reduced from $1.452 billion to $1.095 billion under the administration proposal. Perciasepe also said the budget sequestration that took effect this year would prevent approximately 40 water infrastructure projects from receiving SRF funds.
The proposed SRF cuts drew criticism from subcommittee members. Chairman Mike Simpson (R-Idaho) complained that the budget would effectively shift funding from the SRFs to EPA compliance and monitoring activities, while ranking Democrat Jim Moran (D-Va.) called the cuts “unacceptable.”
Lawmakers are expected to spend the summer developing their own versions of FY14 appropriations legislation. AMWA and other water utility organizations have called on Congress to reject reductions to the SRF programs.