House appropriators have rejected the Trump administration’s proposal to eliminate a dam safety program that experts say is desperately needed and is just getting started after years of delays.
The White House Office of Management and Budget proposed zeroing out funding in fiscal 2026 for the Corps Water Infrastructure Financing Program, an Army Corps of Engineers loan program to help finance costly repairs to dams and similar water infrastructure nationwide.
The House Energy-Water spending bill released this week, however, would authorize $5 million for the program. While that is $2 million less than it received in fiscal 2025, it’s enough to keep it alive and begin disbursing loans, said Aaron Snyder, the program’s director.
Meanwhile, the Senate, which has been working on appropriations on a bipartisan basis, has yet to release its fiscal 2026 Energy-Water spending plan.
