Washington Report

Legislation introduced in the House of Representatives in March would offer more generous terms for loans issued through the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) while also giving EPA greater flexibility to adjust drinking water regulations based on the latest scientific data. Sponsored by Rep.Read More

A pair of bills introduced by House Democrats in March would seek to pump billions of additional dollars into water infrastructure repair efforts, but neither proposal is expected to gain the necessary bipartisan support to advance. One of the measures offered was H.R. 1647, theRead More

Last week, the White House released its proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2018. As expected, the proposal includes severe cuts to government agencies but also expands support for some programs related to critical infrastructure. As proposed, the budget would lead to a 31 percent reductionRead More

Water sector representatives testified in Congress last week in support of investment in water infrastructure and the importance of programs like the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF), the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) and effective steps Congress can take to facilitate further cost-effectiveRead More

President Donald Trump vowed to follow through on another key campaign promise when he announced during a recent address to Congress that he would ask for approval of a $1 trillion infrastructure spending plan. However, Trump’s comments on increased infrastructure investment came just days after theRead More

President Donald Trump has signed an executive order that requires the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to review Waters of the United States regulations to make sure they align with the administration’s goals. The move, which has beenRead More

The Senate voted 52-46 on Friday to confirm Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt as the next administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Republicans moved forward with Pruitt’s confirmation despite a last-minute push from Democrats and environmentalists to delay the vote. Pruitt’s confirmation came a dayRead More

According to a new estimate developed by the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies (AMWA) and the National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA), eliminating tax-exempt municipal bonds would increase water and wastewater infrastructure financing costs by $16 billion nationwide over a 30-year repayment period. TheRead More

Earlier this month, the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee voted 11-0 to advance Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt, President Trump’s nominee to head the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), for full consideration by the Senate. While some Democrats boycotted the committee, Republicans voted toRead More

Water and wastewater infrastructure funding programs at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) would receive an additional $110 billion over the next 10 years as part of a massive $1 trillion infrastructure spending plan unveiled by Senate Democrats inRead More