This week, the House began voting on its second FY20 “minibus,” or spending package. H.R. 3055 includes the following appropriations bills: Transportation, Housing & Urban Development; Interior & Environment; Commerce, Justice, and Science; Military Construction & Veterans Affairs; and Agriculture, Rural Development, and Food & Drug Administration. Of particular interest to ASCE are programs that fall under the Transportation, Housing & Urban Development; Interior & Environment; and Commerce, Justice, and Science budget areas.
The Interior & Environment bill includes $3.08 billion for the Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds, an increase of $319 million above the FY19 enacted level, although not as high as the combined $7.5 billion ASCE requested in our FY20 appropriations request letters.
The Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development bill includes $1 billion for the BUILD grant program, $2.3 billion for the CIG transit grant program, and an additional $294 million for core highway and transit programs included in the FAST Act. ASCE-requested levels for the BUILD and CIG grant programs were higher than levels included in the legislation, and core FAST Act highway and transit programs received higher funding levels than the Society’s request.
Finally, the package includes funding for the National Science Foundation at $8.64 billion, or $561.14 million above the FY19 enacted level, as well as funding for the National Institute of Standards and Technology at $1.04 billion, an increase of $54 million over the FY19 enacted level.