Congress is Back in Session: Here’s What to Watch For
September 13, 2019
Now that summer has ‘unofficially’ ended, Congress returns to D.C. with a laundry list of items to accomplish before wrapping up the 2019 legislative session. However, what’s most pressing is that Congress must pass all 12 appropriations (funding) bills before the end of the fiscal year on September 30, 2019 to prevent a government shutdown.......
House Tees Up Second FY20 Minibus
June 21, 2019
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......
National Levee Safety Program Gets Some Love in the FY20 Minibus
June 21, 2019
Tis the season for appropriations! The fiscal year 2020 (FY20) appropriations process is well underway, and the House of Representatives passed the first minibus of FY20 spending bills, H.R. 2740, which contained a blockbuster win for ASCE: increased funding for the National Levee Safety Program (NLSP)! Although the minibus does not fund the program at......
Infrastructure & Science Funding Bills Move Through House Committees
May 24, 2019
The House Appropriations Committee was hard at work addressing infrastructure and science education this week, which is perfect timing after last week’s nation-wide Infrastructure Week push. The committee passed bills to set aside funding for a number of infrastructure categories including water, energy, and national parks, while the House Appropriations Transportation, Housing and Urban Development......
ASCE 2019 President Robin A. Kemper Testifies to Congress
February 27, 2019
This week, ASCE 2019 President Robin A. Kemper, P.E., LEED AP, F.SEI, F.ASCE testified at a House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment and Related Agencies hearing regarding Fiscal Year 2020 funding. President Kemper testified on the importance of strategic, robust, and sustained investments that must be made quickly through long-term, reliable federal funding, as well as......
ASCE Gives Thanks for Infrastructure Successes
November 21, 2018
It’s that time of the year again – turkey, time off work to be with family and friends, and traveling headaches due to crowded airports and traffic on the highways. This week, millions of people around the country are traveling by way of plane, car, train, or bus to visit their loved ones near and......
Senate Appropriators Fund High Hazard Dam Rehab Program
June 22, 2018
This week, the Senate Committee on Appropriations passed its Fiscal Year 2019 Homeland Security Appropriations bill. The $48.334 billion bill, which is an increase of $611 million compared to the FY18 enacted level, includes $250 million for the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Flood Hazard Mapping and Risk Analysis, which is a $12.5 million decrease......
The Fiscal Year 2019 Appropriations Process Begins
May 17, 2018
The spring weather in our nation’s capital has ushered in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2019 appropriations season, and it’s warming up quickly here on Capitol Hill (both the weather and the appropriations!). In anticipation of the FY19 appropriations process, ASCE sent funding request letters to several House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittees, including the: House and......
President Trump Signs Fiscal Year 2018 Omnibus Into Law
March 23, 2018
Yesterday, Congress passed a 2,232-page, $1.3 trillion omnibus spending package to fund the government for Fiscal Year 2018 (through September 30, 2018), and President Trump signed the bill into law today. The bill passed the House on a vote of 256 – 167 and the Senate on a vote of 65 – 32. Since October 1, 2017,......
September 08, 2017
Congress returned to Washington this week with a long to-do list of must finish items, including passing a Hurricane Harvey relief package, raising the debt ceiling, and reauthorizing both the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Both the House and the Senate hit the ground running. The Senate passed a......