https://crsreports.congress.gov
Updated December 23, 2019
Army Corps of Engineers: FY2020 Appropriations
Congress generally funds the civil works activities of the
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) in annual Energy
and Water Development appropriations acts. These
activities include planning and construction of water
resource projects and operation and maintenance of
navigation improvements and certain multipurpose and
flood control works (e.g., dams). For USACE civil works in
FY2020, President Trump requested $4.96 billion, inclusive
of a May 13, 2019, amendment to the original request. As
shown in Figure 1, Congress typically funds USACE above
the President’s request. For FY2020, Congress provided
$7.65 billion (54% above the FY2020 request and 9%
above FY2019 enacted) in Division C, Title I of H.R. 1865,
Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020, as signed
by the President on December 20, 2019.
Figure 1. Annual USACE Funding, FY2006-FY2020
(nominal $ in billions)
Source: Congressional Research Service (CRS) using President’s
budget requests and congressional appropriations documents.
USACE Funding and FY2020 Request
Unlike federal agencies that distribute funds by formula or
through competitive grant programs, USACE directly
engages in project planning and construction. It uses most
of its appropriations for work on specific studies and
projects authorized by Congress. These activities are often
cost shared with nonfederal project sponsors or users.
The FY2020 request prioritized maintaining performance of
existing infrastructure, as reflected by the shares of funds
requested for construction and operations and maintenance
(O&M; see Figure 2). The request would have initiated no
new studies or construction projects (referred to as new
starts). In response to similar requests in recent years,
Congress has required USACE to start a specified number
of new construction projects and new studies (e.g., six
projects and six studies using FY2020 appropriations).
Since the 112
th
Congress, earmark moratorium policies
have limited congressional direction of funding of site-
specific projects (i.e., congressionally directed spending or
earmarks). Beginning in FY2012, Congress has provided
additional funding for categories of USACE work. In
FY2020, Congress provided $2.53 billion in additional
funding for 26 categories of USACE activities. After
Congress enacts USACE’s appropriations, the
Administration develops a work plan for the fiscal year. In
the work plan, the Administration identifies the authorized
USACE projects receiving the additional funding.
Figure 2. USACE Account Funding, FY2014-FY2020
(nominal $ in billions)
Source: CRS using congressional appropriations documents and
President’s FY2020 budget request.
Notes: Req = Budget request. ASA = Assistant Secretary of the
Army. Regulatory = Permit program for nonfederal activities affecting
regulated waters and wetlands. FUSRAP = Formerly Utilized Sites
Remedial Action Program. Congress did not adopt the request’s
proposal to create new USACE navigation-related accounts and did
not transfer FUSRAP to the Department of Energy as requested. The
figure shows the FY2020 request using traditional USACE accounts.
Selected FY2020 Topics of Deliberation
Navigation Funding
In FY2019, total USACE funding for navigation-related
activities from various USACE budget accounts was
roughly $3.3 billion. The FY2020 request was $2.3 billion.
The FY2020 work plan will determine FY2020 navigation
funding. Congress provided $378 million in FY2020
construction funds for a multiyear regional dredge
demonstration program for deep-draft navigation in the
Gulf of Mexico. Congress directed that the program explore
innovative means of executing dredging through combining
work across multiple projects and construction and O&M.
