Two New York lawmakers are introducing legislation to address what Democrats describe as a breakdown in communications between the Army Corps of Engineers and congressional offices under the Trump administration.
The bill sponsored by Democratic Reps. Ritchie Torres and George Latimer would require Army Corps officials to brief congressional offices annually on water resource projects in their respective districts. It would compel the agency to report on the status of projects and “any delays, or potential delays, in the project timeline.”
The bill, shared exclusively with POLITICO’s E&E News, responds to a new policy from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth that prohibits staff from communicating with congressional offices without prior approval from the department’s legislative affairs office. The Army Corps is part of the Department of Defense.
Torres and Latimer, along with top Democrats on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, say the policy makes it difficult for lawmakers to engage with the agency on local flood control efforts, environmental restoration projects and other initiatives.
