Page 22: of Marine News Magazine (February 2020)

21 23

COLUMN WASHINGTON WATCH

The Federal Government’s 2020 Inland Impact

By Jeff Vogel

It is often dif? cult to push through nesses’ testimony, it is reasonable to assume that the Pres- the federal government morass to focus ident’s FY 2021 budget, scheduled to be transmitted to on the issues that actually matter to the Congress on February 10, 2020, will contain a similar pro- inland operator. While 2020 inevitably posal, which may become a central aspect of the WRDA will be a contentious year in American 2020 discussion.

politics, it is critical to stay focused on Following up on the hearing, on January 17, 2020, the items that will have direct impact Chairman DeFazio joined other committee leaders in on the U.S. maritime industry. From a sending a letter to their Congressional colleagues urging potential new Water Resources Devel- them to ? nalize their priorities for WRDA 2020. The let-

Vogel opment Act (WRDA) bill to potential ter noted that the House T&I Committee will “soon be

Jones Act challenges, 2020 will be an im- asking House Members to submit project, study, and pol- portant year for inland operators to stay politically engaged. icy requests for consideration in” a new WRDA bill. The letter further announced that the House Subcommittee on

ORK ON

W WRDA Water Resources and Environment will hold a Member

January marked the beginning of Congress’ work in Day hearing on WRDA requests on February 27, 2020. earnest toward introducing a new WRDA bill. Congress The Subcommittee expects to introduce and consider the has successfully passed WRDAs in 2014, 2016 and 2018, WRDA bill later this year.

which authorized numerous studies and projects within the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) Civil Works A ’ M H G

MERICA S ARINE IGHWAY RANTS mission areas, to the bene? t of U.S. inland operators. In addition to a potential WRDA bill, 2020 promises to

On January 9, 2020, the House Subcommittee on Water be an exciting year for America’s Marine Highway (AMH)

Resources and Environment kicked off its work by hold- projects. The year started off with a January 6 announce- ing a hearing on proposals for a new WRDA bill. In his ment by Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao that the opening statement, House Transportation and Infrastruc- Maritime Administration (MARAD) was awarding $7.5 ture (T&I) Committee Chairman Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.) million in grants to nine AMH projects. The awards will continued his call to unlock the existing $9.3 billion bal- support a wide range of projects on all U.S. coasts.

ance in Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund calling on his col- Additional ? nancial support is on the way as the Fur- leagues “to ? nd the political courage to spend” the available ther Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020, which was funding. Chairman DeFazio’s bill seeking to open up the signed into law on December 20, 2019, contained a fur-

Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund (H.R. 2440) passed the ther $9,775,000 in AMH program funding. This number,

House with bipartisan support in October, and remains un- of course, represents a tiny portion of the total federal in- der consideration by the Senate Committee on the Budget. vestment in our nation’s infrastructure, but nonetheless it

Hearing witnesses R.D. James, Assistant Secretary of should be welcome news that the AMH program continues the Army for Civil Works and LTG Todd Semonite, Chief to have solid bipartisan Congressional support. MARAD of Engineers, highlighted the Administration’s focus on will likely issue a Notice of Funding Availability in the building partnerships between the Corps and non-federal spring, given the timing of prior rounds. In the interim, stakeholders. Both witnesses pointed to reforms included inland operators should watch the President’s FY 2021 to in the President’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 budget proposal see if it contains any funding requests for the AMH pro- including the creation of an annual user fee. The proposed gram. The President’s FY 2020 budget request zeroed out fee would supplement the current user-? nanced 50% share the program, but funding was restored through bipartisan of inland waterway capital investments. Based on the wit- Congressional efforts.

February 2020 22 MN