Clean Water Current

(June 26, 2019) – The US House of Representatives is expected to complete its work this week on several more of the 12 annual Fiscal Year 2020 (FY20) appropriations bills for federal funding. The House finished debate last week, and passed a “minibus,”—a reference to a smaller “omnibus” spending bill—which incorporated four of the twelve annual bills, including funding for the US Army Corps of Engineers and US Department of Energy, among others.

This week, the House is expected to finish and pass a second “minibus,” incorporating five more of the twelve annual bills, including funding for US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, US Department of Agriculture and more. As previously reported, the House FY20 legislation includes strong funding levels for EPA staffing, core clean water programs, and state revolving fund investment.

Despite this action in the House, NACWA anticipates progress will stall in the Senate where Appropriators are still awaiting a top-line FY20 spending agreement. A spending deal will dictate how much overall funding the Senate has to apportion among its various FY20 bills and priorities. The challenges of reaching this budget deal, as well as the looming need to raise the debt-ceiling—a reoccurring issue that needs to be addressed by the end of the fiscal year on September 30—means that Congress may very well find itself scrambling to finish its FY20 bills and keep the government “open” in late September.

NACWA will continue emphasizing member priorities with Senate Appropriators while appropriation work continues, and the Association will keep the membership informed.

For more information, please contract Kristina Surfus or Jason Isakovic, NACWA’s Legislative Directors.