American Inland Waterways group says US debt ceiling negotiations could hurt waterways funding including dredging

“With the 118th Session of Congress underway, we want to take this opportunity to reflect on some of the challenges and opportunities we see directly impacting the AIWW in 2023.

With the passage of the FY23 Omnibus Appropriations Act in December, the federal government is funded through September 2023. However, as we are all likely aware, we have reached the debt ceiling and some members in Congress are looking to combine spending cuts with raising the debt ceiling. If this happens, discretionary spending, including funding provided to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is likely on the chopping block. These potential cuts could impact operations and maintenance dredging for the AIWW in FY24 beginning on October 1st.

The President’s budget for FY24 is due to come out on March 9th. While Congress is ultimately responsible for establishing appropriations for the federal government, this will set the stage for discussions about the upcoming fiscal year. Early news from Washington is the desire by some in Congress to revert to the FY22 spending levels for FY24. This would be a substantial reduction for all federal agencies and may lead Congress to enter a stalemate and pass a Continuing Resolution for the entire year that would limit new projects from October 1, 2023 through September 30, 2024. Fortunately for the AIWW, we have received over $100 million in funding over the past three yearsand we will be working to see those funds spent on waterway projects during 2023 and into 2024.

Looking ahead, we have our work cut out for us and we are hitting the ground running on two fronts. First, we have once again initiated our grassroots “100 boaters in 100 days” membership drive to increase our membership rolls and strengthen our voice across the country. Second, we are scheduling our in-person, advocacy trips in March to Washington, DC. We are requesting to hold 12-15 meetings with Congressional members and staff to highlight the need for further investments in Operations & Maintenance of the AIWW.”