A $1.5 trillion fiscal 2022 spending deal will target water and other natural resources projects.
According to E&E News, the omnibus package contains congressionally directed spending, or earmarks.
“Allowance for earmarks this year likely increased the likelihood that Congress would eventually overcome obstacles and agree to pass the bill, greasing the legislative wheels, so to speak,” said Mike Strachn, former House staffer and Army Corps of Engineers official and current senior adviser at Dawson & Associates, reported E&E News.
In total, approximately $650 million is for earmarks requested by both House and Senate lawmakers to pay for 277 projects, according to House Appropriations Committee spokesperson Evan Hollander, reported E&E News. House appropriators included more than $4 billion in requested earmarks in the final bill, ultimately funding 2,700 projects.
According to the Energy and Water Development portion of the spending package, it includes a $350 million earmark backed by Rep. Brian Mast for restoration work in South Florida. The earmarks will fund Army Corps projects for flood control and restoration.
Republican Sen. Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia asked for more than $10 million to upgrade a wastewater system in the city of Follansbee, West Virginia, reported E&E News.
Additionally, $19 million was requested by Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana for the Morganza to the Gulf project, which consists of a 100-mile-long system of levees, floodgates, canals and more to tackle storm surge in and around Houma, Louisiana. There are also millions of earmarked dollars for contested projects, including $7 million for a flood project in the Yazoo Backwater Area in the Mississippi Delta.
Oklahoma Republican Sen. Jim Inhofe requested more than $27 million for drinking water projects in cities, reported E&E News.
According to Senate Appropriations ranking member Richard Shelby who spoke to E&E News, he expects most of the earmarks to be included in the final omnibus.
