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Updated May 2, 2022
Army Corps of Engineers: FY2022 Appropriations
Congress generally funds the civil works activities of the
Figure 1.USACE Annual Appropriations by Account,
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) in annual Energy
FY2018-FY2022
and Water Development appropriations acts. These
(nominal $, in bil ions)
activities include the planning and construction of
authorized water resource projects and the operation and
maintenance of infrastructure and navigation improvements
managed by USACE. For USACE civil works, President
Biden requested $6.79 billion for FY2022, which was $547
million above FY2021 enacted. Since FY2013, Congress
has funded USACE above the President’s request. For
FY2022, Congress provided $8.34 billion (19% above the
FY2022 request and 7% above FY2021 enacted level) in
the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022 (Division D,
Title I of P.L. 117-103). In 2021, Congress also provided
USACE with $22.81 billion in supplemental appropriations
in P.L. 117-43 and P.L. 117-58 (see CRS In Focus IF11945,
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers: Supplemental
Appropriations). Of these supplemental funds, $20.68
billion were made available in FY2022.
USACE Funding
Unlike many of the federal agencies that support
Source: CRS, based on enacted appropriations laws.
infrastructure investments by distributing funds to
Notes: ASA = Assistant Secretary of the Army; FUSRAP = Formerly
nonfederal entities by formula or through competitive grant
Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program; Regulatory = Regulatory
programs, USACE commits funds directly for project
Program; WIFIA = Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act.
planning and construction. It uses most of its appropriations
for work on specific studies and projects authorized by
Congressionally Directed Funding
Congress. The costs for these activities are often shared
The 117th Congress included congressionally directed
with nonfederal project sponsors or users. For more on the
funding for site-specific studies and projects in the FY2022
USACE appropriations process and related issues, see CRS
appropriations process. From the 112th to the 116th
Report R46320, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers: Annual
Congresses, moratorium policies limited congressionally
Appropriations Process and Issues for Congress.
directed funding of these studies and projects, which are
sometimes referred to as earmarks. For FY2022, in addition
As did budget requests by previous Administrations, a
to providing funds for the President’s requested studies and
majority of President Biden’s FY2022 USACE budget
projects, Congress in the joint explanatory statement (1)
request would have funded existing infrastructure through
funded geographically specific studies and projects that
the operations and maintenance (O&M) account. Congress
were requested by Members of Congress (i.e., community
provided 55% of FY2022 USACE appropriations through
project funding/congressionally directed spending,
the O&M account, which included an increase of $720
CPF/CDS) and (2) provided funds in broad categories
million in FY2022 compared with FY2021. Congress
(referred to as additional funding), such as shore protection,
provided less funding for four accounts in the enacted
and directed USACE to develop a work plan for
FY2022 annual appropriations compared with FY2021
distributing funds to individual studies and projects (as had
(e.g., $200 million less for the Construction account; see
been the case in the 112th-116th Congresses). Congress did
Figure 1). Pursuant to direction in the joint explanatory
not provide the Administration with authority to initiate
statement that accompanied P.L. 117-103 enactment,
additional new starts beyond those listed in the explanatory
Congress funded a “limited number” of new studies and
statement with FY2022 work plan appropriations.
projects (referred to as new starts); these included the
Additional funding in FY2022 totaled $782 million, down
Administration’s request for seven new studies and four
from $2.25 billion in FY2021 (Figure 2). CPF/CDS, which
new construction projects.
were not part of FY2021 appropriations, totaled $584
million in FY2022. While most CPF/CDS requests by
Members were included in FY2022 enacted appropriations,
some CPF/CDS items included in the FY2022 House and
Senate bills were funded at a lower level than requested or
not included in the enacted bill.
https://crsreports.congress.gov
Army Corps of Engineers: FY2022 Appropriations
Figure 2.USACE Funding for Individual Studies and
Flood Risk and Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration
Projects, FY2018-FY2022
The FY2022 request for inland and coastal flood risk
(nominal $, in bil ions)
reduction was $1.72 billion, of which $1.68 billion was for
inland projects and $37 million for coastal projects. The
request included $359 million for Everglades restoration
among the $498 million requested for aquatic ecosystem
restoration activities. Congress through P.L. 117-103
provided additional funding to support these types of
projects and funded specific flood and restoration projects
based on CPF/CDS requests. Congress supported
Everglades restoration at $359 million. The FY2022 work
plan will determine how much of the additional funding is
used for each of riverine flood risk reduction, coastal storm
damage reduction, and aquatic ecosystem restoration
activities.
Continuing Authorities Programs
USACE plans and constructs projects of limited scope and
cost, without project-specific authorizations, through its
Continuing Authorities Programs (CAPs; see CRS In Focus
IF11106, Army Corps of Engineers: Continuing Authorities
Source: CRS, using enacted appropriations laws and reports.
Programs). While President Biden’s FY2022 request
Notes: CPF/CDS = community project funding/congressional y
included $5 million for four of nine authorized CAPs,
directed spending. Continuing Authorities Programs are not included.
Congress funded $53 million for eight CAPs for FY2022 in
P.L. 117-103. Some of the CAP funding was directed
Navigation Improvements
toward specific projects as CPF/CDS under five CAPs.
The FY2022 budget requested $3.44 billion for navigation,
including $2.26 billion for coastal navigation and harbors
Environmental Infrastructure Assistance
and $1.19 billion for inland and intracoastal waterways.
Since 1992, Congress also has authorized and funded
Some navigation activities are funded by trust funds―the
USACE to provide environmental infrastructure (EI)
Inland Waterways Trust Fund (IWTF) and the Harbor
assistance (e.g., planning, design, and construction of
Maintenance Trust Fund (HMTF). The budget request
municipal drinking water and wastewater infrastructure
proposed to create separate accounts for the funds, but
projects in specified communities, counties, and states).
Congress did not adopt the proposal. The FY2022 work
(See CRS In Focus IF11184, Army Corps of Engineers:
plan will determine the amount allocated for USACE
Environmental Infrastructure (EI) Assistance.) For
navigation projects in FY2022.
FY2022, the Administration did not request funding for EI
assistance; however, Congress funded $92 million for
The IWTF receives collections from a $0.29 per gallon fuel
specific EI assistance authorities as CPF/CDS, plus $13
tax on commercial vessels on designated waterways.
million for USACE to allocate to EI assistance authorities
WRDA 2020 (Division AA of P.L. 116-260) amended the
in its F2022 work plan.
required contribution by the IWTF toward some USACE
construction projects on inland and intracoastal waterways.
Civil Works Infrastructure Financing Program
As a result, the IWTF contributes 35%, rather than 50%, to
In 2014, the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation
the construction of projects receiving construction
Act (WIFIA; 33 U.S.C. §§3901-3914, as amended)
appropriations in FY2021 through FY2031 (or until the
authorized USACE to provide credit assistance, in the form
projects are complete). The FY2022 work plan will
of secured or direct loans, for a range of water resource
determine the amount derived from the IWTF for the year.
projects. In FY2021, Congress created a new USACE
WIFIA account and funded the program at $14.2 million.
The HMTF receives Harbor Maintenance Tax (HMT)
Congress provided an additional $75.0 million for the
collections. The HMT is applied principally to imported
USACE WIFIA account in P.L. 117-58 and $7.2 million for
and domestic waterborne cargo at coastal and Great Lakes
FY2022. The funds provided to date are to cover the
ports. Congress has authorized using HMTF monies for
subsidy and administrative costs for financial assistance for
certain coastal navigation and harbor O&M activities. In
nonfederal dam safety projects. (See CRS Insight IN11577,
most years since the early 1990s, annual HMT collections
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Civil Works Infrastructure
and interest on the HMTF balance exceeded annual
Financing Program (CWIFP): Status and Issues).
spending on HMTF-eligible activities. Due to provisions
enacted in Section 14003 of P.L. 116-136 and Section 101
Anna E. Normand, Analyst in Natural Resources Policy
of P.L. 116-260, use of some HMTF funds no longer counts
Nicole T. Carter, Specialist in Natural Resources Policy
toward annual budget caps (see CRS In Focus IF11700,
Water Resources Development Act of 2020). In P.L. 117-
IF11846
103, Congress provided USACE with almost $2.04 billion
from the HMTF in FY2022, which is above the HMTF
revenue projection of $1.97 billion.
https://crsreports.congress.gov
Army Corps of Engineers: FY2022 Appropriations
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https://crsreports.congress.gov | IF11846 · VERSION 3 · UPDATED