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Trump signs bipartisan water infrastructure spending law

Posted at 2:13 PM, Oct 23, 2018
and last updated 2018-10-23 16:22:18-04

President Donald Trump signed a sweeping law Tuesday which authorizes water resource projects and policies nationwide to be administered by the US Army Corps of Engineers.

The bipartisan measure passed the Senate earlier this month with a nearly unanimous vote — 99-1.

The America’s Water Infrastructure Act of 2018 will, among other provisions, authorize federal funding for water infrastructure projects, expand the country’s water storage capabilities, upgrade wastewater, drinking and irrigation systems, as well as authorize or reauthorize water infrastructure projects and programs.

The act will also deauthorize $4 billion in water resources development projects that Congress deems are no longer viable for construction due to a lack of local support, a lack of resources or when they deem that the project is no longer relevant or feasible. It’s a provision supporters of the bill have emphasized as a decrease the federal deficit, which rose 17% in fiscal year 2018.

Infrastructure has long been a priority for the President, and the White House unveiled its long-awaited infrastructure plan in February.

The 53-page document lays out Trump’s vision: To turn $200 billion in federal money into $1.5 trillion for fixing America’s infrastructure by leveraging local and state tax dollars and private investment.

The White House said the plan will create $1.5 trillion for repairing and upgrading America’s infrastructure.

Only $200 billion of that, however, would come from direct federal spending. The rest is supposed to come from state and local governments, which are expected to match any federal allocation by at least a 4-to-1 ratio. States have gradually assumed more of the responsibility for funding infrastructure in recent years, and the White House says it wants to accelerate that trend.