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Updated January 10, 2023
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers: FY2023 Appropriations
Congress generally funds civil works activities of the U.S.
USACE work, such as flood control, rather than specific
Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) in annual Energy and
studies or projects. As has been the case in past annual
Water Development appropriations acts. These activities
appropriations bills, both Division D and Division N
include the planning and construction of authorized water
require USACE to develop work plans to distribute
resource projects and operation and maintenance (O&M) of
additional funding to individual studies and projects. Other
infrastructure and navigation improvements managed by
supplemental appropriations acts with USACE funds for
USACE. USACE directly commits funds for project
FY2023 include P.L. 117-180, which designated $20
planning and construction. It uses most of its appropriations
million for USACE environmental infrastructure
for work on specific studies and projects authorized by
assistance, and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act
Congress. Nonfederal project sponsors or users often share
(IIJA; P.L. 117-58). Of IIJA’s $17.10 billion for USACE,
in project construction costs. For more on the USACE
$1.08 billion is available for use in FY2023 (e.g., $1.00
appropriations process, see CRS Report R46320, U.S. Army
billion for navigation O&M activities). For more
Corps of Engineers: Annual Appropriations Process. For
information, see CRS Insight IN11723, Infrastructure
FY2023 annual appropriations, Congress provided $8.31
Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) Funding for U.S. Army
billion (26% above the FY2023 President’s budget request)
Corps of Engineers (USACE) Civil Works: Policy Primer.
in Division D, Title I, of the Consolidated Appropriations
Act, 2023 (P.L. 117-328), as shown in Figure 1.
USACE FY2023 Annual Appropriations
The O&M account, which funds maintenance of existing
Figure 1. Annual USACE Budget Requests and Annual
USACE infrastructure, accounted for 61% of USACE’s
Appropriations, FY2013-FY2023
FY2023 annual appropriations (see Figure 2). In Division
(nominal $, in bil ions)
D, Congress provided $684 million less for the
Construction account and $100 million more for the
Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program account
in FY2023 than in FY2022. Division N and other acts
provided supplemental appropriations for various accounts
in FY2023, including the Construction account.
Figure 2. USACE FY2019-FY2023 Annual
Appropriations, Percentage of Total by Account
Source: Congressional Research Service (CRS), based on USACE
budget request press books and enacted appropriations laws.
Note: Does not reflect supplemental appropriations under Division
N of P.L. 117-328.
In addition to annual appropriations, Congress provided
supplemental appropriations to USACE for FY2023 (not
shown in Figure 1). In Division N of P.L. 117-328,
Source: CRS, based on enacted appropriations laws.
Congress provided USACE with $1.48 billion in
Notes: ASA = Assistant Secretary of the Army; FUSRAP = Formerly
supplemental funds. Of this funding, $350 million is for
Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program; Regulatory = Regulatory
construction and O&M of certain types of authorized
Program; Req = Request; WIFIP = Water Infrastructure Finance and
projects. Other Division N USACE funding is limited to
Innovation Program. Does not reflect supplemental appropriations
flood response and recovery for areas affected by three
under Division N of P.L. 117-328.
2022 hurricanes. Both Division D and Division N provided
USACE with additional funding for broad categories of
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U.S. Army Corps of Engineers: FY2023 Appropriations
Newly funded USACE studies and projects are commonly
million for coastal storm damage reduction (with no
referred to as new starts. Pursuant to direction in the joint
funding for construction). For FY2023, President Biden
explanatory statement accompanying P.L. 117-328,
requested $624 million for USACE aquatic ecosystem
Congress funded a “limited number” of new starts; these
restoration efforts, of which $418 million was requested for
included the Administration’s request for three new studies
Everglades activities.
and several requests from Members (see below). No other
new starts were provided for beyond those specific items
Congress enacted more funding for USACE navigation,
listed in the explanatory statement.
flood, and restoration projects in Division D than requested;
it also provided for supplemental funds in Division N that
Congressionally Directed Funding and Work Plans
are available for these types of projects. USACE work plans
From the 112th to the 116th Congresses, moratorium policies
responding to each division’s directives will determine the
limited congressionally directed funding of site-specific
final amounts of funding available for these categories of
studies and projects, sometimes referred to as earmarks.
studies and projects from FY2023 annual appropriations.
The 117th Congress included funding in annual
Supplemental appropriations for these categories in FY2023
appropriations for geographically specific studies and
pursuant to other legislation (e.g., P.L. 117-58) would be in
projects that were requested by Members of Congress (i.e.,
addition to these funding levels.
community project funding/congressionally directed
spending items, CPF/CDS items; see Figure 3). For
Continuing Authorities Programs
FY2023 appropriations, in addition to providing funds for
USACE plans and constructs projects of limited scope and
the President’s requested studies and projects, Congress in
cost, without project-specific authorizations, through its
the joint explanatory statement (1) funded $1.02 billion for
Continuing Authorities Programs (CAPs; see CRS In Focus
CDP/CDS items and (2) provided $562 million in
IF11106, Army Corps of Engineers: Continuing Authorities
additional funding and directed USACE to develop a work
Programs). President Biden’s FY2023 request included
plan to distribute funds to individual studies and projects.
$4.5 million for four of nine authorized CAPs. FY2023
As stated above, Division N of P.L. 117-328 provided an
annual appropriations funded nine CAPs at $72.3 million
additional $350 million in emergency funding for
total, including $1.6 million for CPF/CDS projects.
categories of construction and O&M activities, which
USACE is to allocate to authorized projects in a work plan.
Environmental Infrastructure Assistance
Since 1992, Congress has authorized and funded USACE to
Figure 3. USACE Annual Appropriations for
provide environmental infrastructure (EI) assistance (e.g.,
Individual Studies and Projects, FY2019-FY2023
planning, design, and construction of municipal drinking
(nominal $, in bil ions)
water and wastewater infrastructure projects in specified
communities, counties, and states). (See CRS Report
R47162, Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Environmental
Infrastructure (EI) Assistance: Authorities, Appropriations,
and Issues for Congress.) For FY2023, the Administration
did not request funding for EI assistance. FY2023 annual
appropriations under Division D provided $130.5 million
for specific EI assistance authorities as CPF/CDS. Division
N provided $18.0 million in emergency funding for these
authorities. As previously noted, P.L. 117-180 separately
provided an additional $20.0 million for EI assistance.
Corps Water Infrastructure Financing Program
In 2014, Congress authorized USACE to provide credit
assistance, in the form of secured or direct loans, for a
range of water resource projects (33 U.S.C. §§3901-3914).
In FY2021, Congress created a new USACE account (the
Source: CRS, using enacted appropriations laws and reports.
Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Program
Notes: CPF/CDS = community project funding/congressional y
account) to fund this credit assistance through a new Corps
directed spending. Continuing Authorities Programs and Tribal
Water Infrastructure Financing Program. Program funds
Partnership Program studies are not included. Does not reflect
provided in FY2021 and FY2022 covered the subsidy and
supplemental appropriations under Division N of P.L. 117-328.
administrative costs for financial assistance for nonfederal
dam safety projects. FY2023 annual appropriations
Navigation Improvements, Flood Risk Reduction,
provided an additional $7.2 million for administrative costs.
and Ecosystem Restoration Activities
(See CRS Insight IN12021, Corps Water Infrastructure
The FY2023 President’s budget requested $3.12 billion for
Financing Program (CWIFP) for information on efforts to
navigation―almost $1.91 billion for coastal navigation and
stand up the program.)
harbors and $1.21 billion for inland and intracoastal
waterways. Of the $3.12 billion, $2.90 billion would be for
Anna E. Normand, Analyst in Natural Resources Policy
navigation O&M. The FY2023 request for flood risk
reduction was for $1.51 billion, of which $1.48 billion was
Nicole T. Carter, Specialist in Natural Resources Policy
for inland flood risk reduction projects (including $396
IF12090
million for construction projects). The request included $32
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U.S. Army Corps of Engineers: FY2023 Appropriations
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https://crsreports.congress.gov | IF12090 · VERSION 4 · UPDATED