Page 11: of Marine News Magazine (March 2025)

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In 1981, President Reagan issued Executive Order 12322 to mandate that OMB review, prior to Congress, any federal or federally assisted land or water resources project proposal. based data and information. This information is often not budget-sensitive or based on policy; instead, it allows OMB to overrule the judgement of technical experts, economists, scientists, and professional engineers. An example of over-reach of gov- ernment, there are real-world consequences of mislabeling almost all basic, factual in- formation as “budget sensitive” by OMB which results in negative and sometimes dev- asting impacts on the Corps’ relationships with their project partners and the general public. The lack of transparent and objective information, coupled with inconsistent communication, has eroded trust in the Corps’ ability to execute its water resources projects effectively. Today, it often takes decades for the Corps to complete a single project. As timelines slip and cost overruns continue to grow, our Nation cannot af- ford this unnecessary bureaucracy. In many ways, this 44-year-old Executive Order has unfairly contributed to today’s view of the Corps not being more ef? cient in building critical navigation or other water resources projects. WCI is urging that the Trump

Administration revisit EO 12322 and address the excessive bureaucracy that delays the economic bene? ts and access by shippers to world-stage competition that results from modern, ef? cient waterways’ infrastructure.

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