Politico: Budget would slash Army Corps despite Trump infrastructure focus

By Annie Snider
05/23/2017 11:42 AM EDT
President Donald Trump’s budget blueprint would slash the Army Corps of Engineers’ budget by more than 16 percent, undercutting his administration’s emphasis on infrastructure — and following the pattern set by his predecessors in which Congress restores the funds.
The nation’s builder of locks, dams, levees and ports would receive $5 billion under the Trump budget proposal, with $1.02 billion tagged for its all-important construction account, a cut of more than 50 percent from 2017, when additional disaster funds were appropriated. The agency would see a 29 percent reduction in its investigations account, limiting its ability to lay the groundwork for new water resources projects. Its regulatory budget would remain level at $200 million.
The budget proposal would put all revenues collected through the Inland Waterways Trust Fund to use.
It would also tag $75 million from the Corps’ budget for work on the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan. Overall, the president’s budget proposal would spend $131 million for ecosystem restoration work in South Florida, cutting across both the Army Corps’ budget and the Interior Department’s.
WHAT’S NEXT: Congress is expected to take up work on its fiscal 2018 funding bills shortly, including holding hearings with Trump administration officials on its budget proposal.
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