Waterways Council,Inc (WCI) responded to the President’s Fiscal Year 2021 (FY21) budget plan demand launched the other day, calling it “astonishingly inadequate.”
The FY21 budget plan gives $0 for building of recurring top priority navigating jobs cost-shared via the Inland Waterways Trust Fund (IWTF); cuts moneying for the UNITED STATE Army Corps of Engineers’ Civil Works Mission by 22% ($ 5.967 billion, a $1.7 billion decline from the FY20 established degree); as well as suggests $1.8 million in brand-new customer charges on business rivers drivers.
Last (FY20), Congress appropriated $335 million for 4 IWTF-funded jobs incomplete on the inland waterways system, making it possible for effective financing for Kentucky Lock (Kentucky), Chickamauga Lock (Tennessee), as well as moneying to conclusion for Olmsted Locks as well as Dam (Illinois/Kentucky) as well as the Lower Mon Project (Pennsylvania). If the President’s FY21 budget plan is approved, states WCI, these building jobs would certainly close down for one , employees would certainly be let go, as well as prices would certainly enhance when the jobs are rebooted.
While not also investing the profits that business drivers pay right into the IWTF to cost-share job building, the FY21 budget plan additionally suggests to develop a brand-new customer charge to supplement existing profits from the $0.29-per-gallon gasoline tax obligation to assist fund awaited capital expense jobs, along with 10% of the expense of Operations as well as Maintenance (O&M), a completely Federal duty. The Administration expects this proposition would certainly increase $1.8 billion over one decade.
The FY21 budget plan additionally looks for brand-new appropriations language for the Harbor Maintenance as well as Inland Waterways Trust Funds, to “provide greater transparency in how these funds are spent. Establishing separate appropriations accounts for the navigation trust funds would improve accountability, ensure appropriations are used for the purpose and at the level which the Congress intended, and increase transparency for the public, including the users that pay fees to finance some of these costs,” according to the President’s budget plan.
The FY21 budget plan suggests $1.996 billion for O&M, as well as $210 million for Mississippi Rivers & &Tributaries (MR&T).
The Investigations account is recommended to get $102.6 million in FY21, with $3.292 million approaching Pre-Construction Engineering as well as Design (PED) for the Three Rivers Project in Arkansas.
Within the Construction account, the Mississippi River Ship Channel, Gulf to Baton Rouge, LA, is asked for at $45.7 million.
The FY21 budget plan suggests $1.015 billion originated from the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund.
“While the President’s FY21 budget represents the Administration’s priorities, WCI is extremely disappointed and absolutely astonished at no investment in rebuilding the Nation’s critical inland waterways transportation system. No President has ever proposed zero infrastructure investment. Are we to lay off the workers constructing the projects now underway? Where is the .29-cents-per-gallon fuel tax money that users pay going, while the Administration seeks $180 million in additional annual fees with no plans to spend it? Where is the shame?” stated WCI President/ Chief Executive Officer Mike Toohey.
“Infrastructure investment is critical to America’s competitive edge and this budget, if left to stand, would gut the waterways as a viable transportation option for our Nation’s family farmers and other shippers of key commodities. The budget will hopefully be considered dead on arrival in Congress, and I will offer to Members of the House and Senate to provide the shovel and the preacher,” Toohey ended.
