Posted on August 5, 2024
On August 1st, the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee passed the Energy & Water Development Appropriations Bill on a 28-0 vote. The bill matched the President’s budget request. Unlike the House of Representatives bill verison, it did not include any Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS, aka earmarks) for the waterway. Both appropriations bills also included Additional Dredging Needs funding pots of which the waterway is eligible to receive funding.
A comparison between the President’s budget, and the current versions of the House and Senate bill amounts are below. The next step will be for additional votes to be taken by the House and Senate on their respective bills, but no action will be taken until September at the earliest, after the August recess.
- Virginia – Dismal Swamp Canal: $1.802 million, Albemarle Chesapeake Canal: $3.490 million, Total- $5.292 million and is the same for President’s Budget, and House and Senate bills
- North Carolina – President’s Budget and Senate bill- $10.937 million; House bill- $15.157 million which includes an increase of $4.22 million over the President’s Budget amount per the request of Representative Greg Murphy
- South Carolina – $8.628 million, and is the same for President’s Budget, and House and Senate bills
- Georgia – $4.235 million, and is the same for President’s Budget, and House and Senate bills
- Florida – President’s Budget and Senate bill- $4.181 million; House bill- $10.181 million which includes an increase of $6 million over the President’s budget amount per the request of Representative Brian Mast
Total for AIWW/IWW in President’s Budget and Senate bill – $31.471 million; House bill: $43.493 million
For our partners in New Jersey, the NJIWW funding is the same amount in the President’s Budget, and House and Senate bills at $5.795 million.
The House and Senate have also included the following amounts in the Additional Dredging Needs funding pots which we are eligible to receive.
- General Navigation – House: $931.945 million, Senate: $20 million
- Inland Waterways – House: $50 million, Senate: $64.987 million
- Small, Remote & Subsistence Navigation – House: $90 million, Senate: $329,178 million
There are many more steps before a final funding amount in FY25. We will be advocating for the higher House funding amounts, and will continue to update our membership as more information is available.
Source: AIWA
