Senate's passage of Energy and Waterways Bill applauded

This bill will provide infrastructure funding and full use of the revenues for the Inland Waterways Trust Fund.
This bill will provide infrastructure funding and full use of the revenues for the Inland Waterways Trust Fund. | File photo

The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) applauded the Senate's recent passage of the fiscal year 2017 Energy and Water Appropriations bill. 

This bill will provide infrastructure funding and full use of the revenues for the Inland Waterways Trust Fund.

“In March, NCGA and 19 other ag groups sent a letter to the Senate Appropriations Committee in support of revitalizing our deteriorating inland waterways infrastructure,” Production and Stewardship Action Team Chair Brent Hostetler said. “The Senate bill not only delivered on our request for revenues generated from the diesel fuel tax going into the Waterways Trust Fund, they upped the Army Corps of Engineers’ operations and maintenance account to $3.17 billion which is nearly $467 million higher than the administration’s request level. The fact that this bill passed with 90 percent of Senate approval in a political climate where cooperation is not the norm, demonstrates the wide support to modernizing our country’s inland waterways infrastructure.”

In addition to the funding for infrastructure and the Trust Fund, the bill would also approve civil works projects from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.