Senate Democrats rebuked EPA on Wednesday for the sluggish pace of loan closings under a popular water financing program, accusing the Trump administration of putting up “red tape.”
In a letter to Administrator Lee Zeldin, the lawmakers said the slowdown affecting the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) program is stunting water projects in California, Florida, Maryland, Nebraska and other states.
Led by Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), the letter was also signed by Democratic Sens. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, Alex Padilla of California, Cory Booker of New Jersey, Ron Wyden of Oregon and Ed Markey of Massachusetts.
“Our states and municipalities rely on WIFIA loans to finance large-scale projects to provide clean water to our constituents, and it is imperative that EPA use the resources Congress has provided to address the significant need for water infrastructure improvements,” the lawmakers wrote.
