The Association of American Port Authorities (AAPA) is urging key members of Congress to adequately fund the US Army Corps of Engineers’ navigation program in a final fiscal year 2019 Energy and Water Development (E&WD) Appropriations bill.

Members of the House and Senate appropriations committee are in the process of attempting to reconcile separate water resources bills that passed each chamber.

In a letter to Congressional leaders delivered, AAPA voiced support for specific funding levels for Corps’ accounts from both the House and Senate passed E&WD appropriations bills. An AAPA top priority for a FY 2019 E&WD bill is the continued annual progress towards the goal of full use of Harbor Maintenance Tax (HMT) funding for navigation channel maintenance, which both the House and Senate bills accomplish. After comparing the House and Senate bills, AAPA recommends funding above the president’s budget for the Corps’ coastal navigation program for the following items: $612.902 million for Operations and Maintenance account in the House bill; $525.067 million for Construction account in the House bill; $18.823 million for Investigations account in the Senate bill; and $50 million for Donor and Energy Transfer Port funding in the House and Senate bills.

AAPA also requested that the final E&WD bill includes language in the House and Senate bills rejecting the administration’s request to establish a separate account for HMT funding, as this would adversely impact dredging work during periods when the federal budget is governed by continuing resolutions.

The House E&WD bill passed on June 8, and the Senate passed its version of the bill on July 11. A conference committee is resolving differences in the bills.