April 21, 2016

U.S. Senate
Washington, D.C. 20510

Dear Senator,

            You will soon vote on H.R. 2028, the Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2016.  On behalf of the more than one million members and supporters of the Council for Citizens Against Government Waste (CCAGW), I urge you to support the following amendments sponsored by Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.):

• An amendment to prohibit funding for inactive United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) projects.  The USACE missed a deadline to provide a list of inactive or backlogged projects, and these projects continue to receive funding.  These inactive projects are ones in which the local sponsor or the congressional interests have stated that there is no support to continue the project.
• An amendment to restrict funds from being used to facilitate or manage workforce training programs in the energy efficiency or clean energy sectors; the renewable energy industry receives subsidies from the Federal government and claims it is one of the fastest growing industries in the country.  If this is the case, the government should not be further subsidizing the industry.
• An amendment to reduce funding for the USACE to reflect the amount the committee report directs to be spent for environment infrastructure projects; these projects have been highlighted on several occasions to be vehicles for earmarks.
• An amendment to eliminate funding to USACE beach nourishment while funding true shore protection methods.  Beach nourishment has proven to be detrimental to beach habitat, while benefitting only those with beachfront property.
• An amendment to reduce funding for the Northern Border Regional Commission, the Delta Regional Authority, and the Appalachian Regional Commission, to reflect the administration’s budget request.
• An amendment to eliminate funding for the Denali Commission, which has been recommended by the Denali Commission Inspector General.
• An amendment to reduce funding to the Bureau of Reclamation to match the administration’s request for Rural Water Supply projects; seven of these projects are over-budget and behind schedule.

These amendments would eliminate or reduce taxpayer-funded programs that are no longer needed and that the taxpayers cannot afford.  All votes on H.R. 2028 will be among those considered in CCAGW’s 2016 Congressional Ratings.

Sincerely,

Tom Schatz
President, CCAGW