Funding

I know a lot of folks who were excited about the infrastructure bill and the suggestion that it was going to provide increased funds for things like roads and bridges.

I am thankful for the Biden administration's work on expanding discretionary funding opportunities.

Providing funding for intercity passenger rail projects was one of Congress's major objectives when it enacted CRISI.

I never ran into a State DOT director who didn't want more formula money.

DOT has risen to the occasion to get this money into the hands of communities by issuing nearly 90 Notices of Funding Opportunity.

Congress provided 30 percent of this amount, about $196 billion, to be distributed through 72 competitive grant programs.

The law provides record-breaking funding for critical infrastructure projects.

This represents 30 percent of the total funding provided by the IIJA.

The IIJA has provided more money for infrastructure of all kinds, including transportation, than ever, ever before in the history of this Government.

Congress dedicate up to $1.3 billion annually in existing revenue from the development of energy and mineral resources on Federal lands and waters to the Wildlife Conservation Restoration Program.

RAWA would allocate nearly $1.4 billion annually, and permanent mandatory funding for state and tribal fish and wildlife management agencies.

The moral of the story here is this bill would pull back hundreds of millions of dollars in funding for wildlife and habitat conservation.

Would you rather have $1.3 billion of guaranteed funding every year, or $320 million in discretionary authorizations, which is not guaranteed, for 5 years and then it sunsets?

To be clear, that is not exactly true. This bill doesn't invest anything because it doesn't appropriate any additional money.

I think under RAWA you would have about $13 million a year, but you probably have the potential to generate $30 or $40 million a year to do wildlife management where you don't have something like a timber resource to pay it back.

It is a Trojan horse that undermines Fish and Wildlife funding.

We appreciate your attention to the matter, and we hope that Congress continues to fund this essential grant program.

We in Congress provided the IRS with historic funding to help close that tax gap.