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Lamar Alexander announces Congress Approves 6th Year of Record Funding for National Laboratories; 7th Year of Record Funding for Locks, Dams, Harbors
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Washington, D.C. – Congress has passed legislation sponsored by subcommittee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) and Ranking Member Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) that includes the sixth consecutive year of record funding for the Office of Science – the most important U.S. Department of Energy program that supports work at our 17 national laboratories, including Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
The Senate bill also prioritizes funding for supercomputing and advanced nuclear programs and provides the seventh consecutive year of record funding in a regular appropriations bill for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
December 23, 2020 By Jim Myers
Washington, D.C. Escaping a “chopping block,” the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA 2020) made it into a massive package Congress passed to fund the government and provide coronavirus relief to the American people.
“What a day this has been!” the National Waterways Conference (NWC) exclaimed in a news alert crediting the actions of its members with saving the popular legislation.
According to the NWC alert, the 11th-hour drama grew out of concerns over changes to the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund, a major goal for some.
The American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) hailed the inclusion of its “long-sought reforms to more fairly allocate and spend revenues from the Harbor Maintenance Tax (HMT).”
December 23, 2020 By Waterways Journal
At the end of an eventful and disruptive year, Jupiter and Saturn aligned for their first conjunction observable from Earth in 800 years, forming a “Christmas star.” In Washington, D.C., too, the “stars” aligned, as both houses of Congress passed the Water Resources Development Act by large margins (359 yeas to 53 nays in the House, 92 to 6 in the Senate). It was passed as part of an omnibus appropriations bill that also included $900 billion in COVID-19 relief measures. The funding package is headed to the White House for the president’s signature.
Both the inland waterways and ports have reason to celebrate the bill. The package included the top priority of the Waterways Council Inc. to adjust the cost-share for construction and major rehabilitation of inland waterways projects from 50 percent Inland Waterways Trust Fund (IWTF) / 50 percent general revenues to 35 perc
Congress Approves Record Funding For National Laboratories And For Locks, Dams And Harbors Tuesday, December 22, 2020 Congress passed legislation sponsored by subcommittee Chairman Lamar Alexander and Ranking Member Dianne Feinstein that includes the sixth consecutive year of record funding for the Office of Science – the most important U.S. Department of Energy program that supports work at 17 national laboratories, including Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The Senate bill also prioritizes funding for supercomputing and advanced nuclear programs and provides the seventh consecutive year of record funding in a regular appropriations bill for the Corps of Engineers. Senator Alexander said, “I proposed a New Manhattan Project for Clean Energy last March – a five year project with Ten Grand Challenges that will use American research and technology to put our country and the world firmly on a path toward cleaner, cheaper energy.
Image (C) Architect of the Capitol
A piece of legislation crucial to the inland waterways industry looks set for passage. The Water Resources Development Act of 2020 (WRDA) has been included as part of the year-end omnibus and COVID relief legislative package that is now awaiting the president’s signature.
According to Waterways Council Inc (WCI), the package included its top priority to adjust the cost-share for construction and major rehabilitation of inland waterways projects from 50% Inland Waterways Trust Fund (IWTF)/50% General Revenues to 35% IWTF/65% General Revenues for Fiscal Year2021 through FY 2031. Projects whose construction starts between FY2021-FY2031 will operate under the adjusted 35%/65% cost-share for the duration.